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Building Materials
Before you build or remodel, read these guides to find out which materials offer the best value and easy maintenance. Check out ways to keep your project earth friendly and which siding is the best choice for your location.
Earth-Friendly Building Materials
You don't have to strain your budget to choose a healthy home. These days, it's easy being green. Here's what's new in environmentally friendly products and materials for the home.
"… density fiberboard) for doors and cabinets. Many building materials have natural alternatives. Select cellulose insulation … quality performance tests on these items to ensure building materials aren't emitting fumes or trapping air, which …"
Articles
Alternative Building Materials
… curing has essentially eliminated those. Special Note: Today's housing market includes an array of alternative building materials and methods. To find out more about each, search the Internet or contact the National Association of Homebuilders …
… involve a lot of materials that can end up in the recycling/reuse stream rather than in a landfill. Most common building materials —wood, plastic, steel, brick, drywall, concrete—can be recycled or reclaimed for future use, so product …
Green Building: Remodeling Ideas
… to minimize impact on the landscape. Take advantage of passive solar gain and shade-tree cooling. Use green building materials . Consider Icynene insulation; millwork certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC); remnant granite …
… away from chemical-laden building materials and toward healthy, natural … and walnut. Reusing salvaged building materials , from flooring to fixtures … new products, check out used building materials retailers, online exchanges …
Environmentally Friendly Building and Remodeling Materials
… approach could be harmful to your health. When building materials emit fumes and trapped air creates mold, sick building … and human health. Proponents recommend nontoxic building materials , natural air movement to control humidity, filtering …
25 Tips for Keeping Your Budget on Track
… with leftover materials, such as windows and flooring, or check out www.buildersexpress.com to bid on excess building materials . 5. Seek cheaper alternatives. If your heart is set on granite countertops, opt for tiles instead of a slab …
Slide Shows
Before and After Makeover: Raw-Material Apartment
See how to create an extraordinary home from ordinary, inexpensive building materials .
… The open plan offers reduced energy consumption (air circulates naturally throughout the space) and less use of building materials . The dining room cabinetry along the stairwell was designed to allow light and breezes to flow upstairs while offering …
Water is the enemy of all building materials . Concrete floors, particularly those at or below grade, are especially vulnerable. Don't install any kind of tile on a slab …
Add Interest to Your Yard with a Pergola
… your landscape. We often see elaborate pergolas that look at home in big, formal gardens. But with the right building materials , you can create rustic style, too. These rough-hewn logs look right at home in the woods -- no fancy details …
Before and After Makeover: Eco-Friendly Home
… can be toxic, that are emitted from products such as wall paint, paint stripper, cleaning supplies, and some building materials and furnishings. The floor leading into the bathroom is concrete with natural stones. It provides an eco-friendly …
… sturdy, yet natural-looking building material. Manufactured materials, such as concrete blocks, make ideal building materials for smooth and uniform walls. Here, the smooth lines of this concrete block wall establish a boundary and complement …