When choosing materials, especially wood, stone, stucco, or other types of exterior cladding, consider regional aesthetics. If you're building in a built-up area, especially in communities with restricted writing, pay attention to local building codes, zoning ordinances, and Homeowners Association (HOA) rules. These can dictate everything from the materials you can use to the color your home can have. Let your local professional buy specialty materials such as wood, tiles, plumbing items, and electrical supplies.
Renovating or building a house from scratch, if you're ready for it, is a serious task. You'll be faced with contractors, budgeting costs, and even acting as a designer from time to time (when you're not, you know, doing your daily work). But one thing that you may not have thought much about and that should be a priority is the supply of healthy, high-quality materials. When she's not helping customers detoxify their current homes, Marilee advises on the best eco-friendly materials for use in residential construction projects.
Admittedly, this will add a little more money to your already full plate. For example, Marilee recommends that your contractor talk on the phone with the manufacturer of a material they haven't used before, just to fully understand what the best application is. But the main advantage is that you end up having a non-toxic, breathable home. Working from the outside in, here are five eco-friendly building materials that Marilee highly recommends instead of their more common, chemical-heavy counterparts.
Breathability is a very important factor for healthy walls. Marilee explains that's what helps prevent mold. Instead, Marilee recommends using a product called ExtremeGreen Board, which is made of magnesium oxide. Made of magnesium oxide, the same mineral found in the ExtremeGreen Board, you may remember that the Foreverboard doesn't get moldy or moldy, it's fireproof and doesn't smell.
Gypsum is also perfectly acceptable (“a wonderful option,” Marilee says), but if you insist on using drywall, she asks you to at least look for one with no added biocides, a toxic material that is often added to prevent mold, and to install it carefully in a way that inhibits moisture. Remodeling your home is not only exciting, but it's also an effective way to increase the value of your home, especially if you're renovating your kitchen or bathroom.
