Eco-Friendly Building Materials That Benefit Your Home’s IAQ

The materials you use to construct or remodel your house can significantly impact your indoor air quality. Discover the environmentally friendly materials you can use to naturally protect and improve your home’s IAQ.

Bamboo

Bamboo is growing in popularity as a home construction and remodeling material. As an affordable and renewable resource, it releases oxygen while absorbing carbon dioxide. It also helps regulate humidity and filters toxins from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in your home’s air.

Cork

Cork is another building material that is gaining popularity among homebuilders and homeowners. It emits minimal VOCs and resists mold, mildew and dust.

It also acts as a natural insulator, helping to keep heat, cold and moisture out of your home. As a biodegradable and sustainable material, it is a viable choice for furniture, wall panels and flooring.

Green or Living Roofs

Green roofs, also called living roofs, help improve homes’ indoor air quality. They consist of multiple layers of living vegetation and soil. Green roofs act as a waterproof membrane between them and the houses they are installed on while filtering out pollutants.

Green roofs also help regulate indoor temperatures and naturally produce oxygen. They are ideal for controlling indoor humidity levels and preventing fungal growth.

Plant-Based Polyurethane Foam

Plant-based polyurethane foam is another low-cost option you have to enhance your home’s indoor air quality. Unlike conventional polyurethane foam, which contains petroleum, this choice releases minimal chemical emissions. It consists of vegetable oil-based curing agents and bio-derived materials like lignin, making it safer for your home’s indoor air.

Straw

Straw likewise remains a popular option among eco-conscious homeowners who want to safeguard their homes’ IAQ. As a building material, straw acts as a reliable insulator. It is also inexpensive and resistant to fire.

In terms of how it protects your indoor air quality, straw naturally absorbs carbon. As a building material option for floors, ceilings and other structures, it is durable and breathable. It also helps lower indoor humidity levels.

Hempcrete

Hempcrete is gaining traction as an affordable and safe homebuilding material. Made of hemp hurds (the woody part of a hemp plant), lime and water, this material is breathable and vapor-permeable.

It helps keep the air inside your house dry by controlling humidity. It also absorbs carbon dioxide, contains no VOCs and is naturally resistant to pests and fire.

Mycelium

Another eco-friendly option you have for new home construction or remodeling is mycelium. The root-like structure of fungi, mycelium is akin to a HEPA filter and naturally breaks down and absorbs indoor pollutants. It also reduces indoor humidity, emits minimal VOCs and is biodegradable.

Environmentally friendly materials help keep the air inside your house in Delray Beach, FL safe and clean. Contact Atlantic Refrigeration to learn more about improving your indoor air quality.