Sustainable Strategies: How to Build a Home That’s Ready for the Future

Want to know how to build a home that’s more sustainable?

Did you know that electricity costs had a net increase of over 6.1% from 2021 to 2022? With more people being conscious of the environment, sustainable homes are the future. Sustainable homes focus on creating a home that does not take much of the earth’s limited resources.

With prices of basic necessities increasing, it is time we find ways to cut our spending. Your home design needs to take the future into account. We take a look at how to build a home that has planned for sustainability and future energy concerns.

What is A Sustainable Home?

Sustainable homes use designs that help conserve the earth’s resources. Building homes often take up the earth’s resources and contributes to deforestation. A sustainable home aims to create a home while minimizing its impact on our environment.

Sustainable homes aim to reduce the usage of resources creating water and electricity. These things take up much of the earth’s resources to produce. The most worrying is electricity which relies on non-renewable sources.

This is what makes sustainable homes green. It is self-sufficient and produces its own water, energy, and even building materials. This helps owners get $117 in estimate savings per month, which is the average electric bill in the US.

Sustainable Building Materials

Building a sustainable home means everything starting from construction using sustainable materials. Here are some of your options:

1. Stone

Stone is a classic choice when building a durable yet sustainable home. This is one of the best options as it is low maintenance and good for the environment. You can also use leftover stone from construction for countertops and even tiles.

Using stone as the main component of your house is an excellent choice for a sustainable home. Stone does not release or have toxic chemicals and toxins. In addition, because this is a natural material, you won’t need anything besides stone to make your home.

Stone is also stunning and makes a beautiful structure on its own. This means that you won’t need to buy paint for your home.

Using stone comes with many benefits, the first one being its durability. Stone material works in a wide variety of different climates. Stone is also resistant to fires and can withstand natural disasters.

Stone is also a low-maintenance material and requires little to no upkeep. This helps homeowners save on maintenance and even repainting costs. These make stone a solid choice as a base for your sustainable home.

2. Bamboo

You might have never seen much use of bamboo for construction if you haven’t been to resorts. But why not take its calming presence to your home? This unique and sustainable material has started getting more usage due to design.

Bamboo is perfect if you want a more bohemian look for your sustainable home. Bamboo can help you achieve a unique and distinct style that is sure to help your home stand out. In addition, bamboo is more sustainable than wood as it is one of the fastest growing plants, meaning there’s an abundance.

There are many benefits that come with using bamboo for your sustainable home. The first is that bamboo is lightweight, which makes it easier and cheaper to transport. Bamboo is also durable and can even withstand compression more than solid concrete.

3. Adobe Brick

Adobe brick is a popular construction material in the Middle East and the US. This material has gotten used in ancient buildings and can stand the test of time. Adobe bricks get created by combining straw and clay.

This material is also easy to insure as these are considered masonry construction. This is because Adobe Brick is non-combustible.

Adobe brick has an insulating property that helps make your home’s temperature consistent. There are many benefits of using adobe brick for your home; the first is its unique design. Adobe brick has that distinct sun-dried mud brick look.

Adobe brick can also get molded into whatever design and shape you want. This means you and your architect can get very creative with designing your home. Adobe brick also has both temperature and sound insulation.

This means that adobe brick helps keep the noise out of your home. This is great for those who plan on building their homes on a busy street. Adobe brick also keeps your inside noise in, which is perfect if you love hosting parties or simply prefer solitude.

4. Mycelium

Mycelium is made from mushroom roots or fungi; you read that right. The mushroom roots undergo a long process that transforms them into bricks for your new home. This material is sustainable as it grows fast and is organic.

While it hasn’t become mainstream yet, more and more people are starting to use them for their homes. There are many benefits to using mycelium in your home. Mycelium, for one, has proven to be stronger than concrete.

Mycelium is also lightweight making it easy to transport. This means it is easy to distribute and commercialize. In the future, commercialized mycelium could mean lower building costs for homeowners.

5. Recycled Materials

Of course, what’s a list about building a green home without recycled materials? Most people buy new materials for the construction of their homes. But a more sustainable way is recycling old materials and using them to make your home.

Upcycled Plastic

Plastic is one of the most common pollutants on the planet. Over 8 million pieces of plastic are dumped into the ocean each day. This is why it is important to recycle this material so it does not go to waste.

Plastic can get recycled and transformed into sheets and even plastic lumber. This can help you have an alternative if you want wood accents in your home. This is a better solution as it has less impact on our resources and environment.

A great reason to use recycled plastic in your sustainable home is time. Recycled plastic bricks can get laid much faster than traditional bricks. This is because they have a layout much like a Lego when stacked together.

Materials such as traditional lumber also get sprayed with toxic chemicals. They also have sealants made from chemicals. Upcycled plastic is nontoxic and can get made from sustainable materials.

Earth Packed Tiles

Earth-packed tiles have become a mainstream choice for sustainable home builders. However, this has become its own niche with its design known as an Earthship home. This design relies on the usage of tires that have gotten recycled for insulation.

Areas like New Mexico have their own community dedicated to this Earthship design. In addition, Earthship design homes are popular among those who prefer to live off the grid. This is because this design comes with a lot of benefits.

Earthship design helps people use more natural energy. This is because they are able to provide better heating and cooling. Tires make as good insulators and reduce the need for an air conditioning unit.

Newspaper Wood

Over 25% of the waste in our landfills comes from paper. Newspaper wood is a revolution when it comes to reducing paper waste. Newspaper wood makes use of used paper to turn them into wood again.

This is perfect for making furniture such as lamps and chairs. You can also use this material for your walls and even floors. Newspaper wood provides a wood texture and has a natural look to it.

Newspapers are available and mass-produced, making it easier to get the materials. Newspaper wood is the perfect component for any furniture you can think of, from bed frames to kitchen tables.

Recycled Glass

This material is one of the easiest materials to reuse. All recyclers need to do is mix broken or old glass with fly ash. This creates a new concrete-like substance that’s perfect for building a foundation. This method is common, and about 27% of glass used in construction comes from recycled glass.

You can reuse and recycle old glass to make anything. This includes backsplashes, countertops, and tiles. You can also use recycled glass to make pebbles that you can add to your yard.

A benefit of using recycled glass is that it reduces pollution. By using recycled glass, you’re reducing your glass-making water pollution by over 50%.

Now You Know How to Build a Sustainable Home Today

If you want to know how to build a home that’s built for a sustainable future, you know now. When it comes to sustainable building, there are many more things you can do, so why not take a look at them?

Interested in learning more about sustainable home building and future trends? We have got the perfect guides for you. Take a moment and read through our other guides all about building a home that’s ready for the future.