| If you are planning to build a new home it is a great | | | | but also sand, soil and stone from a quarry to the |
| opportunity to make it environmentally friendly. This | | | | processing plant. |
| does not necessarily mean expensive as some | | | | The best choices for bricks are mud bricks are as |
| materials can be even cheaper than traditional building | | | | they take very little processing. And for concrete |
| materials. Other items like solar panels offer long | | | | products choose an aerated concrete, the finished |
| term savings and upfront costs are also often | | | | product contain 80% air. |
| subsidized by governments offering refunds for part | | | | Timber |
| of the costs. | | | | Wood is a natural resource and disappearing faster |
| Concrete and brick have both positive and negative | | | | than we can grow it. It is important to keep to the |
| things to consider. A good choice for areas where | | | | following guidelines when choosing timber for building |
| the climate varies greatly, concrete and bricks helps | | | | materials. |
| to insulate against the summer heat and also retain | | | | Seek out recycled timber wherever possible. And |
| heat during winter. | | | | select certified timber from a "well managed forest". |
| They do however have some negatives when taking | | | | This means the wood comes from a re-growth |
| environment into consideration. Bricks and concrete is | | | | forest rather than a plantation. |
| quarried from the earth and heavily processed. The | | | | Some alternatives you can consider instead of using |
| burning of bricks in a large kiln also impacts on air | | | | timber are: |
| quality. | | | | Recycled steel frames, bamboo, plant-based plastics, |
| Transport includes not just the concrete and bricks | | | | recycled plastic lumber and recycled paper timber. |