home · Other · Environmentally friendly building material for the home. Ecological materials in housing decoration. The safest materials for the ceiling

Environmentally friendly building material for the home. Ecological materials in housing decoration. The safest materials for the ceiling

Probably everyone strives to turn their apartment into a cozy nest where the whole family would feel comfortable. For this purpose, almost all building materials are used. But, unfortunately, in the pursuit of beauty, few people ask themselves the question: “How safe and environmentally friendly will my home be?”

Meanwhile, this question is the most pressing in modern conditions. With the growth of technology, which makes it possible to produce more and more new cheap materials, manufacturers do not always pay due attention to their safety. Some composites sold in stores are not intended for finishing residential premises at all, so the choice of building material must be taken extremely seriously.

Why you need to carefully select materials

Very often, the safety of building materials is directly determined not only by what is included in their composition, but also by how these materials are processed and used in the future. In stores you can find building materials that are by definition toxic, since they contain a high number of toxic substances. But it is also worth noting that there are building materials that can harm your health due to exposure external factors. For example, wood, which is a natural material, when interacting with a humid environment can cause the appearance of fungus, a rotten odor and become a favorable environment for the development of bacteria. Therefore, to prevent your apartment from causing disasters, it is necessary to select natural, pure composites and apply them correctly.


Of course, when selecting materials for construction and finishing of an apartment, it is necessary to consult with the seller. He has accurate information regarding a specific product and can answer all your questions on the spot. In addition, he is able to tell you which material is better to choose and tell you about the features of its application. But the seller strives to sell the product at any cost, so you should not completely rely on his opinion; it is better that when you come to the store, you already know what exactly you need and have some useful information.

Of course, it is best to buy environmentally friendly materials. They can be identified by the corresponding marking and manufacturer.

The most famous eco-material labels:

  • EcoMaterial (RF);
  • “Leaf of Life” (RF);
  • "Northern Swan" (Switzerland);
  • "EU Flower" (EU Countries);
  • "Blue Angel" (Germany);
  • "Ecosign" (Japan);
  • "Green Sign" (USA);
  • "Environmental Choice" (Canada).

Most eco-labeling programs are organized into the Global Ecolabeling Network (GEN).


Good decision to implement various design ideas stretch ceilings can be considered. But it is worth remembering that most of them are made of PVC. It is considered safe when used in residential areas, but it is still not recommended to use suspended ceilings in bedrooms and children's rooms. It is highly undesirable to use it in the kitchen and bathroom, as high temperatures can cause the release of toxic substances into the air. For the same reason, contact should not be allowed stretch ceiling with water supply pipes and heating systems. PVC ceiling is perfect for the living room and corridor.

For the bathroom and kitchen, finishing plastic can be a solution. However, it should be remembered that it is also not intended for a children's room and bedroom. It should also be remembered that some types of finishing plastic require good air circulation in the room.

The most suitable solution for use in absolutely all rooms is to paint the ceiling with water-dispersed paints. This is probably almost the only ceiling material that can be safely called environmentally friendly, clean and safe.


The most common material for wall decoration is, of course, wallpaper. You can use vinyl wallpaper for the living room and kitchen. Simple care allows them to be used even in rooms with little humidity. But do not forget that this is still wallpaper, and in “extreme” conditions it requires Special attention Therefore, it is best to finish part of the kitchen wall and the bathroom with special tiles.

For other rooms it is better to use ordinary ones - paper wallpaper. They will become a wonderful part of the interior and will not hit your budget.

Both textile and plant wallpapers made from natural plant materials can be called harmless. Such wallpapers are highly wear-resistant and do not contain toxic components. The only disadvantage may be their high cost.

Adhesive composition is another important component the right apartment. Here you can use adhesives based on starch and other natural substances.

It is not recommended to paint walls with oil-based paints. They may contain heavy metal impurities. In addition, due to their base, such paints retain harmful organic substances used in their production for a long time, and their weathering can take more than a month.


In an apartment it is difficult to recreate the flooring from a solid board, so the best replacement may be a parquet board. This material is environmentally friendly and natural, which guarantees safety for you and your loved ones. Due to its safety, this material can be used in almost every room. The combination of high strength, environmental friendliness and relatively low price makes parquet an indispensable material.

Another building material with similar characteristics is planed edged board. Being completely natural, this material is suitable for children's rooms, bedrooms, living rooms and other rooms.

It is also worth paying attention to the method of treating the floor. In addition to various varnishes, which are not always safe, you can choose alternative way woodworking – brushing. This is the processing of a board by “sanding”, that is, removing and polishing its top layer with a metal brush. This method is the most environmentally friendly and cheapest, and the result will delight even the most sophisticated esthete.

An alternative wooden floor is ceramic tile, also made from eco-friendly materials.

Linoleum can be considered the least safe material. Despite its widespread use, it is an extremely toxic material. In its production, a lot of chemical additives are used to give it certain properties, so it is not recommended for use as a home floor covering.

Carpet can be used in the living room, but since it can cause allergic reactions, it should not be used in kitchens and bedrooms.


A good solution for an apartment would be wooden windows, moderately expensive, but absolutely environmentally friendly. Such windows allow air to renew even when they are closed. Another advantage is that they provide a kind of thermoregulation: in the summer it will never be hot in a room with such windows, and cold in the winter. The downside may be poor sound insulation.

Plastic and PVC windows provide good sound insulation. Although now almost all such windows are produced in large factories, you should still carefully consider the choice of manufacturer and not trust little-known ones or not at all. well-known companies, buy only in specialized stores with a good reputation. Otherwise, you risk getting not only a low-quality window, but also a life-threatening one. Minus PVC The disadvantage of windows is their poor thermoregulation: they retain heat well, which, on the one hand, is a plus. Especially in cold winter, and on the other - a big minus in the hot summer, since even with ventilation plastic window accumulates heat.

Another option would be an aluminum window and a plastic window with aluminum inserts. Properly manufactured, it does not heat its inner surface, while providing more effective thermoregulation. We can say that such windows combine the advantages of both plastic and wooden windows, while they are devoid of their disadvantages. The only drawback here is the price, but it lives up to expectations, because aluminum and aluminium-plastic windows are superior to their alternative windows in terms of reliability and durability.

Markings on building materials

Many manufacturers put different labels on their products depending on how environmentally friendly they are. The most common marking is Ex, where x is the degree of contamination of the material.

  • E1 - the material is completely safe for all residential premises.
  • E2 – the material is suitable for social and domestic premises and technical purposes(pantries, kitchens).
  • E3 - the material is not suitable for residential premises.

Thanks to your observation and perseverance in selecting building materials for the construction and decoration of your apartment, you can not only make your family home cozy, but also environmentally friendly. By choosing building materials wisely, you thereby protect your health and the health of your loved ones, and this is what is so necessary in a metropolis.

A house made of eco-materials is now a panacea for rising heating tariffs, and living in it is much more pleasant than in its stone counterpart. You can build it yourself without specific construction skills or outside help. There are several options for constructing such houses, they depend on the chosen material.

What materials can you use to build an eco-house?

On a private plot, you can build housing from available materials, so some begin construction literally from earth and other readily available materials. Let's look at the most common construction materials that can be purchased for pennies.

Logs

Wooden houses are again in demand. For their construction, fallen trees and waste obtained from the sawmill are used. Externally, such houses look like stone, but upon closer inspection it immediately becomes clear that they are made of logs.

The logs are stacked on top of each other, similar to how firewood is stored under a canopy for kindling a fireplace. They are held together with concrete or clay mortar. If the logs have a diameter of 30-90 cm, then they can be used for the construction of frameless structures or using a frame. Recently, the cement mortar that binds the logs has been replaced with adobe mixture.

Rammed earth

This ancient technology. The process of forming building materials from an earthen base is not much different from its ancient counterpart.

To obtain the necessary earthen materials, you need to mix clay, gravel, concrete and moist soil. All these components produce a compressed solid material that perfectly regulates the temperature of the building. It can provide warmth in cold weather and coolness in warm weather. This structure is termite-resistant, durable and fireproof. It costs “a penny”, since the land is freely available under your feet.

The construction of an earthen building takes place without large columns of dust, as happens when using stone materials and cement. Now rammed earth is not so popular, but in some countries houses are still built from it.

Straw

When first considering it as a reliable building material, one gets the impression that this is the worst option, but in practice it turns out that straw pressed into bags has excellent strength and high thermal insulation properties. It can be used for the construction load-bearing walls and used in a harness with vertical bars.


Compressed straw is placed on top stone foundation. Packages with the main building material are fastened together using flexible bamboo poles or wooden posts.

The outer part of a thatched building is treated with soil or lime plaster. Both of these coatings have good air conductivity, thereby preventing the accumulation of moisture inside the building and preventing its dampness.

Hemp

It is used as thermal insulation and main construction material. This plant is natural and non-toxic. For the construction of buildings, bone concrete is used, which consists of hemp fire, cement (lime), water and sand. The low density of the resulting material makes it lightweight, but at the same time gives it good thermal insulation properties, thanks to which you can significantly save on heating costs. The resulting hemp material allows air to pass through, but retains moisture, so mold and harmful bacteria do not form on its surface.

Bags of earth

To build such a house, you need to stock up on numerous polypropylene bags, and to fill them, use the soil under your feet.

The process of obtaining building material consists of filling bags with wet soil and then compacting them. When laying stuffed bags, the material is tied with two rows of wire. If under construction high building, then it is better to provide a platform on which the bags will be stuffed so as not to lift them up. Damp earth is not easy to weigh.

Earthbags are used for housing construction where the soil contains a small amount of clay. It is optimal to use them to construct rounded building decoration elements, such as domes. From the outside, you can cover them with earth and plant grass or flowers; this is an unusual and warm home.

Adobe

It is made from clay, sand and straw. The mixture is formed into cubic shapes. When hardened, these bricks are very strong and durable - they can be used to make any kind of construction. The material is very warm and resistant to weather disasters and even fire. A house built using it is inexpensive and environmentally friendly.

Glass bottles

They are durable and durable material, some might argue that they are easy to break, but this is not the case. Subject to the proportions of cement mortar binding them and correct location bottles in a row can achieve a durable residential structure.

There are several subtleties when constructing a glass structure. The bottles are still hollow and there is air in them, so in cold regions, if the bottoms look outward, then they need to be insulated from the inside. Such buildings are rarely used for housing; they are increasingly used for household and household buildings.

building from colorful bottles will be a real decoration of the site, it looks like a three-dimensional mosaic.

Building an eco-house from logs with your own hands

It consists of several stages:

Foundation devices

Houses are often made from logs round shape. A strip or point foundation is laid under them (). First, they dig a shallow ditch, then make air cushion from crushed stone. If a point foundation is used, holes are dug around the perimeter of the proposed building and filled with concrete.

If the building is round, then there is no need for a frame; cement bonding perfectly recreates monolithic structure. In the case of building a building with corners, it is necessary to provide a frame of beams, between which the building material will be laid.

You need to stock up on logs in advance and prepare them: the prepared logs are freed from bark and dried. This is necessary so that the walls of the building are not subject to shrinkage. It is better if all the logs are from the same type of wood.


The mortar can be made of cement or clay mortar. It is prepared from clay and sand, which are taken in equal parts. Straw, sawdust or hay are added to them - they are used for reinforcement. To obtain homogeneity of the mixture, it needs to be kneaded for a long time.

First, part of the mortar is laid out on the foundation, and then logs are laid on it (see also). The solution is poured between them and leveled. Instead, a clay mixture is sometimes used. The edges of the logs should protrude slightly from the edge of the wall being created. You need to immediately think about the location of windows and doors and leave openings for them when building walls.

Sometimes for better thermal insulation Only the outer and inner walls are cemented, and the space between them and the wooden blocks is filled with sawdust or straw. As soon as the walls are erected, they need to be covered with a roof to prevent moisture from getting inside the structure. If the material for it has not yet been purchased, then you can install a temporary version. The walls dry out completely after six months, so this type of house is not suitable for cold climates.

Home roofing and finishing

To make the structure completely environmentally friendly, the roof can be made of reeds or tied straw.


In exterior decoration such a house does not need it, but if its owner is not satisfied with protruding lumps, then he can lath the walls and level the walls, and then plaster them.

Do-it-yourself energy-passive cheap eco-houses (video)

From the video below you can see how the new eco-friendly houses differ from their stone counterparts. The owner of the site talks about his original round house, built of straw, which withstands natural disasters. The unusualness of the house also lies in the fact that it was built in an unusual way: first the foundation was poured, and then the roof was covered, and after that the walls were built. The roof was completed first due to the need to cover the main building material, which does not tolerate moisture.

The foundation of the house is inexpensive, since it is not made as wide and deep as for stone houses. You can save even more on it if you use ordinary glass bottles, they will fill some space and due to this, less cement mortar will be used on the foundation. And the durability and thermal insulation of bottles is much greater than that of the same brick. Straw five times better than wood and brick keeps the room warm.


Ecology and economy are the main advantages of straw construction, which have been confirmed for several years. It is noteworthy that from such a fragile material as straw you can even build multi-story houses. In the following video you can see an overview of the modern eco-house that the family built with their own efforts:


Eco-housing is gaining momentum, and many people, having viewed their new projects, now doubt the construction of stone houses. After all, an eco-house can completely replace full-fledged housing, and besides, save a lot on construction and operation. All of the above options for eco-houses have good thermal conductivity and reliably protect from precipitation and wind. They are most often chosen by innovators who are several steps ahead of others and are thinking about their environmentally friendly future.

Today there are many different types of building materials on the market. Therefore, sometimes it is quite difficult to choose an environmentally friendly material that would not harm health. High-quality building material will create a microclimate that will have a beneficial effect on humans. Therefore, having decided to start building a house, you need to take the choice of this or that material quite seriously, having studied their characteristics and properties in detail.

So for building the walls of a house, environmentally pure material there will be wood, brick, stone.

As for brick, it is the most popular building material and has been for several hundred years. Its direct use is environmentally friendly for both humans and environment.

Sand-lime brick is made from limestone, sand and water; it is worth noting that all these components are natural and environmentally friendly. This type The building material is available in two colors: white and white-gray. But the Pavlovsk plant also produces this brick in other colors, for example: blue, yellow, emerald, pink, terracotta, brown, etc., so you don’t have to worry about the aesthetic appearance of your future home.

The coloring of the brick is volumetric, that is, the entire composition of the sand-lime brick is painted, which in turn ensures its absolute color reliability. It is also worth noting that decorating this material is not only about its coloring, but also about what can be created on it. relief surface. Accordingly, a variety of textures and colors will give your home a certain atmosphere of comfort and aesthetics.

Wood is also an environmentally friendly material. It is one of the first building materials used to build houses. Walls made of this material “breathe”, as they tend to allow air to pass through, in both directions. If we look at sanitary and hygienic requirements, then timber and log walls are the most comfortable. They have good thermal insulation properties. As for durability, there are no shortcomings here. The only drawback is low bio- and fire resistance, but for this there are various antiseptics that will extend the life of the house several times. The most common materials today are profiled timber and rounded logs. A house made of rounded logs is assembled quite quickly and at the same time has a rather attractive and neat appearance. As for profiled timber, its logs tend to deform during aging.

An important role in the construction of a house is played by such material as insulation.

One of the environmentally safe species This building material is ecowool. It does not contain volatile substances that would be harmful to health. Ecowool also has fairly high heat-insulating properties. Its thermal insulation capacity is much higher than that of slab types insulation materials, due to the absence of cracks, joints, seams and a fairly tight fit of the material itself to the base. Ecowool is also a material that is difficult to ignite, this in turn is confirmed by a certificate. It tends to perfectly retain its insulating ability during a fire, thereby significantly slowing down the spread of fire. When heated, it does not emit toxic gases. It should also be noted that this insulating material protects the insulated surface from fungi, rotting, rodents, and insects, and this happens due to boron antiseptics in its composition.

Foam glass is an environmentally friendly material used for insulation of premises. This material has a certificate confirming its environmental safety. It has such properties as water resistance and moisture resistance, fire resistance and non-flammability, strength, durability, chemical resistance.

Another environmentally friendly material is insulation made from flax production waste. This material is called “Wave”. This material is a mat that consists of flax production waste, which in turn are bonded together using a low-melting polymer. This insulation can be used for insulation interior walls buildings, both external and also used for sound insulation. During formation, the mat is treated with special antiseptic and non-flammable preparations.

It is worth noting the fact that a metallized perforated film can be introduced into the design of this material, which will provide the effect of a thermos due to the reflection of heat rays. Due to this, “Volna” insulation can be widely used in conditions of a sharp continental climate; during the day it can save from heat, and at night, respectively, from cold.

One of the new products in the field of insulation materials is environmentally friendly insulating boards of wood origin Kronotherm FG. They are characterized by high insulating parameters and good performance properties. Data wood boards are diffusion-open insulation, which in turn “breathe”. They are used to insulate roofs, walls and roofs.

Another type of environmentally friendly insulation is balsate insulation. 95% of this material consists of natural material, 5% are binding materials. Balsat insulation has good sound insulation and meets all requirements fire safety. Can easily withstand temperatures of 900 degrees Celsius. It is advisable to use it for insulating roofs or wooden floors in buildings that can easily ignite. It is also characterized by resistance to any chemical, mechanical and biological influences. It should also be noted that all materials included in this material comply with sanitary and hygienic standards, which is confirmed by a certificate.

Modern environmentally friendly Ursa insulation is used for both sound insulation and thermal insulation. It does not contain phenol and formaldehyde, which makes it absolutely safe. It is also fireproof and moisture resistant. This insulation looks like cotton and has White color, and there is no dust from it.

An important factor when building a house is the roofing, and therefore the use of environmentally friendly materials for this. Today there are many various types roofing materials.

A natural, environmentally friendly material for roofing is ceramic tiles. To make tiles, clay is used, which subsequently goes through the firing stage. This type of tile has been used for quite a long period of time, which takes more than a century. Ceramic tiles include several subtypes: engobed tiles, grooved ceramic tiles, “beaver tail”, etc.

The advantages of ceramic tiles are that they have good sound insulation, frost resistance, and low thermal conductivity. One of its main characteristics is bending strength. Besides all this, she looks quite noble and elegant.

Quite popular roofing material is a metal tile. It looks quite stylish, basically imitating ceramic tiles. In addition to being environmentally friendly, it is also wear-resistant, reliable, does not melt, does not burn, and does not deform. Metal tiles are quite easy to install and are light in weight. This material is made from galvanized sheet, which is protected by a multilayer coating. To make the product durable and reliable, protective primers are applied to steel sheets. If we consider in more detail, the first layer is a finishing layer, the second is a primer layer, the third is a conversion layer (phosphate), the fourth is a layer of zinc, which is applied to the inside of the cold-rolled sheet, including a layer of zinc, a layer of phosphate and a layer of protective painting. from the front side.

The advantages of metal tiles are that they are mechanically strong, resistant to ultraviolet radiation and weathering, fireproof, waterproof, durable, resistant to biological influences, and reliable.

Flexible bitumen shingles, is also considered environmentally friendly. It is made from fiberglass which is impregnated with modified bitumen. For protection and decoration, special stone granules are applied to the back of the tile, and its lower part is covered with a layer of glue.

This type of tile is rich in the variety of its shapes; it is also worth noting that it can be laid in cases where laying other types of tiles is impossible. Its installation is quite simple, it itself is very light and thin. Its advantages are that it is a good sound and heat insulator, is not subject to corrosion, rust, rotting, and is resistant to chemical acids, mosses, fungi, lichens, waterproof, dielectric, does not fade.


Corrugated bitumen sheet - resembles slate, but it is made from more environmentally friendly materials. The advantages of this material are that it is resistant to different climatic conditions, does not rot, does not rust or corrode, is durable, does not contain asbestos, and is therefore considered environmentally friendly.

There are also such environmentally friendly materials as reed, reed and straw; this material can be called somewhat exotic, since roofs were covered with this material many decades ago, but even today this material is applicable, although quite rarely.

It is almost impossible to do without paint or varnish during construction and finishing work. In such cases, it is very important to pay attention to environmentally friendly materials; to find out, you should pay attention directly to their composition. So, what's the difference? natural paints from non-natural ones (alkyd, acrylic, etc.). Some non-natural paints contain petroleum, but since petroleum itself is quite resistant to chemical changes, it is repeatedly treated with aggressive reagents, such as ozone, chlorine, etc. And as a result of these manipulations, a product is obtained that has a rather harmful effect on human health.

The production of natural paints completely prohibits the use of components such as petroleum and any of its derivatives. Natural paints are made from eucalyptus, orange, linseed, rosemary, lavender oil, as well as from vegetable dammar resin, milk casein, clay, natural plant and earth pigments. For example, such paints are manufactured by AURO.

It is easy to distinguish natural paint from non-natural one; you should pay attention to the label; manufacturers of natural paints always indicate its full composition. It is also worth noting that natural paints do not emit any harmful fumes during their use. An important difference is the absence of a film on the surface being painted, and this in turn allows the paint coating to breathe, so to speak, thereby extending its service life.

As for interior decoration at home, then here, too, not everything is as simple as it would seem. When purchasing this or that material, it is necessary to read its sanitary and epidemiological conclusion, since if the product is truly of high quality, it must have this conclusion.

If the material has an unpleasant toxic odor, then it is immediately clear that it contains harmful additives. But even in cases where there is no smell, you shouldn’t delude yourself; it’s better to check it anyway.

When choosing wallpaper, you should pay attention to paper wallpaper, they tend to breathe. They are also of higher quality and safer. Textile wallpapers also have good environmental performance (they contain fabric fibers). Wallpaper made from natural raw materials is considered environmentally friendly.
there can be reed wallpaper, jute and bamboo. Their advantage is that they are more wear-resistant.

As for flooring, the safest material is parquet. It's pretty beautiful material, and both parquet and parquet boards are used, they are safe for health.


Cork coating is also harmless and quite durable. Carpet also does not emit any toxins or harmful substances.

As for laminate, it can hardly be called an environmentally friendly material, since it can release toxic substances.

It is also not recommended to use linoleum, nitrolinoleum and relin. They are not recommended for use in any premises, only on the condition that it is made of high quality; it is permissible to use it as a floor covering for the hallway and kitchen.

Ceramic tiles are also an environmentally friendly material, but, unfortunately, they cannot be installed in all rooms.

Considering the state of our environment today, it is very important to have an environmentally friendly corner, and it is very important that this be your home, because this is where most of life, children grow and are raised.

Dialogue between a buyer and a sales consultant in a construction supermarket

We want to buy thermal insulation and Decoration Materials for walls. Recommend us something cheaper.

- How often do you plan to visit the dacha?

We are planning to live there all summer, and then move completely when we retire.

How to choose these eco-products correctly?

In diversity various types products on the market or in a store are quite difficult to navigate and make right choice. This article will discuss building materials that are safe for health. We will try to answer the questions: which materials are considered environmentally friendly and which are not, how to choose environmentally friendly products, which companies produce safe products, and why you should give preference to environmentally friendly materials for repairs and construction.

Which materials are considered eco-friendly and which are not?

Building materials can be environmentally friendly (safe) or emit harmful substances. For construction and renovation it is wiser to choose safe products. Most of all, natural materials that have been used by man since ancient times meet the criteria of environmental friendliness. This is wood and stone. They are absolutely safe for health and create a favorable microclimate in the room.

Stone and, to a greater extent, wood are renewable materials: when correct use These resources are completely restored over time. But for modern construction natural materials are not always suitable due to significant disadvantages: for example, wood does not have sufficient fire resistance and strength. Stone is an expensive material and is not suitable for the construction of multi-story residential buildings.

Therefore, materials made from natural materials are often used - concrete, glass and others. Similar products good quality is also safe for human health.

However, there are materials that emit toxic substances during use. Usually these are polymers and products using various additives to improve their properties: strength, ductility and others.

For example, thermal insulation boards Polyurethane-based products release toxic substances, isocyanates, and polystyrene foams release styrene, which provokes the development of thrombosis and myocardial infarction. Insulation materials such as expanded polystyrene and extruded polystyrene contain hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD), which is used to reduce their flammability. The risks of this substance were recently recognized by the European Chemicals Agency, which found that HBCDD is persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic and ranked it number one on a list of 14 substances of particular concern.

PVC-based materials that have become fashionable recently - linoleum, decorative film, vinyl wallpaper - can be a source of increased levels of heavy metals in the air, which accumulate in human body and promote the development of tumors.

But, perhaps, the very first on the list of hazardous materials are low-quality varnishes, paints, mastics containing copper, lead and a number of narcotic compounds - toluene, cresol, xylene.

To protect your health, when choosing building materials, pay attention not only to appearance and useful qualities, but also on their safety. Naturally, a completely logical question arises: how to choose the material?

What should you consider when purchasing building materials?

Products must have a sanitary-epidemiological certificate.

This requirement applies to absolutely all products sold on construction markets and in stores. Such a certificate is issued after an examination of the material, during which its compliance is revealed sanitary standards and health safety.

It is imperative to investigate whether the products emit harmful substances. This is especially true for the group of building materials, in the manufacture of which chemical additives were used to give the product required characteristics, for example, strength.

Wastes from various industries - textile, chemical and others - are used as such additives. But it is impossible to do without them in the production of, for example, bitumen, fiberboard, chipboard, and polymer materials, so such materials are at risk.

After passing special testing, if the product meets the permissible standards for the content of harmful substances, it receives a sanitary and hygienic certificate. This document can be obtained from the seller or supplier.

Materials should not be the source specific smell in room

If you feel that the material emits an unpleasant “chemical” smell, most likely it is releasing toxic substances. A bad smell is a kind of “indicator” that suggests that a product may be hazardous to health. But it should be noted that most “harmful” construction products do not emit a suspicious odor, so it is safer to check the sanitary and hygienic certificate of the product you are choosing and inquire about the reputation of the manufacturer in the construction market.

Products from well-known companies are more reliable

Before going to the market or store for building materials, it’s a good idea to analyze the information: find out which companies are leading in the production of certain materials, which products meet environmental requirements and your needs, and then compare prices.

Thanks to the Internet, this entire procedure can be carried out quite quickly - fortunately, all leading manufacturing companies have websites with detailed information about products, prices, and supplies to stores. The company's website usually has all the documentation, including sanitary and hygienic certificates.

Let's imagine that you are looking for wallpaper, flooring and thermal insulation (insulation) for a bedroom or children's room.

Step 1 is to find the most commonly used types of materials available on the market.
Step 2 - identify their features and scope.
Step 3 – determine the one you need trademark according to the specified parameters.

Wallpaper

Vinyl wallpaper is not environmentally friendly, but it washes well and is dense, so it can be suitable for the hallway and kitchen. Textile wallpaper (containing fabric fibers) is beautiful, fade-resistant, but difficult to glue. Such wallpapers are suitable for residential premises, except for those made from foam rubber with glued synthetic threads.

Linkrust is original and durable, but the presence of mastics (vinyl chloride and others) in the composition limits the scope of application.

Vegetable wallpaper (jute, goldenflower based, bamboo, reed) is safe, as it is made from natural materials, is wear-resistant, and can be used in the bedroom.

Paper wallpapers “breathe” and are made from environmentally friendly materials. The paper version, due to its pleasant price-quality ratio, is most often purchased for the nursery, living room and bedroom.

The oldest wallpaper manufacturers AS Creation and Eco Tapeter use expensive grades of French and Belgian paper for their production. The products of these brands are of high quality.

Floor coverings

Parquet, parquet boards - the most environmentally friendly, durable coating. However, it is important for him to choose the right varnish. It should be as safe as possible. Then parquet can be laid in living spaces, including children’s rooms and bedrooms, without fear.

Cork is hypoallergenic, durable and safe and is also used in children's rooms and bedrooms.

Carpet does not emit harmful substances, but is contraindicated for allergy sufferers due to micromites that can settle in carpet fibers.

Laminate has an excellent parquet appearance, but can emit harmful compounds.

Linoleum is the least environmentally friendly. Nitrolinoleum, Relin, and polyvinyl chloride-based linoleum are especially dangerous. Even high-quality products are recommended to be used only in the hallway, bathroom or kitchen.
Ceramic tiles are a durable, reliable, environmentally friendly material, but you cannot lay them in the bedroom or hallway.
So, for residential premises we choose between parquet, parquet board And cork covering. The latter has become very popular relatively recently. The technologies of the German company Meister in this area are considered advanced.

Insulation

Expanded clay ( expanded clay gravel) - environmentally friendly, durable, but ineffective and difficult to install. Not for indoor use.

Glass wool is an effective insulation material, but it crumbles a lot and over time can “sag” and leave uninsulated areas.

Polystyrene foam and expanded polystyrene are durable, accessible, but they do not remove vapors from rooms to the outside well, forming condensation and fungus on the walls, they are flammable and release harmful substances in the event of a fire.

(mineral wool based on stone) protects well from heat and cold, is safe for health, recommended for use in children's, health care institutions and residential premises. This non-flammable material, which does not emit toxic gases during a fire.

The international Group of companies Rockwool, with its central office in Denmark, is the leader in the production of stone wool. Insulation under this brand has been produced since 1937.

The given list of products and environmentally friendly subspecies, of course, is not complete. Before going to the store, you should study in detail the information about the composition of the product you are interested in and the availability of the necessary documentation.

Why should you choose environmentally friendly building materials?

The answer is extremely simple - to be healthy and keep your loved ones healthy.

The problem of using environmentally friendly materials in construction began to be widely discussed by the public relatively recently. One of the reasons for the close attention of the press to this topic was the facts of people turning to doctors with complaints about headache, nausea, eye irritation and other various allergic manifestations.

All patients have one thing in common - living in new or recently renovated apartments using non-ecological building materials. The first acute reaction to toxic substances released by such materials is called "housing syndrome", the symptoms of which disappear over time. If you live in such an apartment, your health may gradually deteriorate due to the accumulation of harmful substances in the body.

All this may not happen if you find out in advance what the cottage or house where your apartment will be built from is built, and when choosing materials for renovation, give preference to the most environmentally friendly ones. High-quality environmentally friendly products are never cheap, but is it worth saving on your own safety and the health of your family?