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straw board Straw board is made from waste straw with usually about 2% MDI adhesive binder. In the past the reputation of straw board has suffered mainly due to people trying to skimp on the thickness, a bit like with hardboard. It can make for very economical internal surface linings with good thermal and [...] Where can I buy recycled plastic sheet made from kids wellies? At Smile Plastics of course The world of suppliers to the building industry is a very mixed bag varying from the excellent to the appalling. When you are purchasing building materials it is of course good to go in with a positive attitude [...]
Parana pine – photo by Eurico Zimbres In terms of embodied energy the use of timber in staircases is far better than metal. However the timber should be sustainably sourced and be FSC woodmarked. One of the traditionally favourite timbers for the manufacture of closed riser staircases has been parana pine (Araucaria angustifolia) from [...] Many of the builders merchants are a bit coy about publishing their prices, partly because of their obscure discount policies but here are a few price guides for building materials from suppliers on the internet. This may help with pricing up smaller jobs. With larger jobs you may be able to negotiate discounts. general merchants [...] sourcing timber Sourcing sustainably produced timber and manufactured timber building products requires checking the following - Was the timber sustainably grown? How far has it travelled? Does it contain chemicals such as adhesives or timber treatment? The FSC Woodmark or the PEFC stamp are the most reliable means to know that the timber [...] Aluminium tends to be used as a waterproof barrier in buildings because of the slow rate at which it oxidises (rusts). It can be treated to stay nice and shiny for a decade or two and can also be colour coated to last quite well. It’s other attraction in building work is the ease of [...]
Part composted MDF ready to be spread on farm land Stability, workability and low embodied energy Made from wood fibre which is heavily compressed (in spite of it being called Medium Density Fibreboard) and bonded with some (or possibly no) formaldehyde adhesive, MDF is kind of similar to but at the other end [...] October 2009 On the Hill of Bandodle, Aberdeenshire, stands a beautiful timber frame house designed by architect Genevieve Jones for her family. Incorporating high levels of insulation (in the form of 350mm of shoddy obtained from Elgin woolen mill) and mainly locally sourced materials, Larch, Douglas fir and Caithness slate, the house also has [...] Hedgehog Self Build Co-op, Hogs Edge, Brighton august 2009 Started in the late 1990s this development of ten timber frame houses is based on the Walter Segal approach to construction. They incorporate high levels of Warmcell insulation and benefit from south facing solar gain. The living roofs are of Sedum. It may [...] A very interesting terrace of three houses, on a curved road junction, has recently been completed in this Somerset village. Some of the main features of the design are: Very high insulation levels provided by insulating concrete forms (ICF) with added exterior face insulation Structural insulated panel (SIP) roofs Eco-slab ground floors and upper [...] PVC is a difficult subject because the criticisms have come from several distinct directions those who find the chemistry of producing PVC dangerous. GreenPeace has campaigned long and hard on this issue for two reasons – PVC is oil based and therefore dangerous for several reasons it involves shipping oil around the world and this [...] There are several problems with cement the huge amount of energy which goes into making it because of the high temperatures needed in the kilns. (However it is worth noting that if you are designing high thermal mass into a house then concrete is considerably better than bricks or blockwork in terms of embodied [...] Oriented strand board is an excellent alternative to plywood provided it is woodmarked and sourced as locally as possible Greenpeace have recently come out with a report about how unsustainable much of the plywood is that is imported into the UK, and how OSB is an excellent alternative. Below is an extract showing where OSB [...] Plasterboard is showing up as something of a problem for eventual disposal because of the high levels of sulphate. In England and Wales, since the 1st of April 2009, high sulphate wastes sent to landfill must go to a ‘high sulphate monocell’ specifically designed for sulphate wastes (Check with your local waste and recycling facility). [...] now for the scary page! The ecological cost of constantly repairing and maintaining houses is enormous and it makes sense from all angles to build with a view to low maintenance. At the most basic level it means you have more money to go on holiday. At a macro level it reduces the impact [...] ‘Energy use’ is usually associated with how much energy is used to construct a new building. However, this is only part of the story. Most buildings get altered and repaired and redecorated a considerable number of times during their lifetime and taken to an extreme, some houses are constantly having ‘makeovers’. This can vastly increase [...] October 2009 The Findhorn Foundation near Fores in the North East of Scotland has a couple of interesting areas of eco-housing and a whole approach to living lightly on the earth including 750kW of electrical energy from 4 wind turbines recently installed for Findhorn Wind Park Ltd which is the trading arm of Findhorn Foundation. [...] Womersleys do a series of very useful and practical one day courses covering historic building refurbishment & eco-friendly new build. Womersleys specialise in traditional mortars, renders, plasters and eco paints but they also cover a broader range of eco-build issues. Developing Skills put on a variety of self build courses in conjunction with [...] Various types of pollution will occur at the three stages of a building’s life: The degree of pollution at each stage can be minimised by good design. Construction During construction there will be five main sources of pollution (including indirect CO2 pollution) caused by: The sourcing and manufacture of the building materials themselves (how much [...] January 2010 Building Regulations deal with whether the building is built properly and is safe and energy efficient etc. more+/-» They are not to be confused with Planning Consent (which is to do with the size, location and appearance of a house). The building inspectors are either employed by the local council [...] |
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