Why is Europe so ahead in green home building?
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by: hugatree
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In Europe, for example, there is a building material called Autoclave Aerated Concentrate, or AAC, which has been used in new construction for years. According to GreenHomeBuilding,com, this substance is fire proof, highly insulating, and lightweight. This means that it can be easily transported in larger quantities, which will consume less fuel. Also, the AAC is made of very simple ingredients: water, sand, cement, lime, and aluminum powder. Eighty percent of the AAC is made up of air, which is the main ingredient. The most important benefit is the fact that its production does not produce any byproducts. This material has been used by builders in Germany for almost one hundred years, but was only introduced in the United States in 1996, and it is not yet widely accepted.
Another example of a green home building technology that is widely used in Europe, but is not very well known in the United States is the Wood Fiber Board. These boards are made from wood chip waste produced by sawmills. According to GreenHomeBuilding.com, these boards are free of allergens and they do not emit any toxins during their manufacture. They are very inexpensive to produce, and they are totally compostable. But, we do not use those very much here in the United States. We prefer cutting more trees, I guess.. It seems as though we prefer not using something we already have, but rather wasting to create new products.
Europe is by far more advanced then we are when it comes to green home building practices. People in Europe have been using such construction methods for about a century, so it is nothing new for them…it is a way of life. We have a long way to go, but we are finally in the right frame of mind here in the United States to begin conserving resources… I just hope it is not too late.
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Find more about green home plans, go by GreenHomeGuide.org.
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