Construction materials

The materials are seldom very good or very bad. From an environmental point of view, the completely neutral ideal material does not exist. The block concrete, the brick then the gas concrete are the main materials used in the wet die.

The block concrete.

Today, more than 70 % of the built houses are built in breeze block. Even if its aspect and its color do not plead in its favor, it is nevertheless a material whose environmental impact is relatively weak. It is an agglomerate of aggregates (natural fine gravels, natural sands), of cement and water.

If cement is far from being natural and requires much energy to produce it (the furnaces often function like incinerators as for the animal flours), this energy expense is balanced by a dense mesh of producers which limits road transport. Its drying as for him is natural. Environmental side, the block concrete is relatively powerful with in particular an ecological balance-sheet (cooking, issuing CO ², … transport) overall satisfactory.

The brick

The brick has started its revolution for already a few years and gains market shares regularly. Force is to note that the new bricks of the type do not have any more large-thing to see with those which we know, their composition put aside. The brick is a genuine hygrometrical barrier since it does not keep the moisture contained in the air. The problems of mould are eradicated as well as the various kinds of allergy which are dependant for them.

Another asset, the mean method of gasket used for the bonding of blocks limits water consumption considerably, which is also good for the environment. Manufacture as for it appeals only to clay but requires a cooking which impacts the ecological balance-sheet of material.

Gas concrete

Older than it is thought (his creation goes up in 1927), the gas concrete also called is usually used. It is estimated, on a European scale, that 603 800 detached houses are built each year in .

It is a mixture of fine mixed siliceous sand, Portland cement, high-quality lime, of water and powder of aluminum (0,10 %). The paste obtained is run in moulds. Thanks to the aluminum powder, the unit takes volume, which allows the formation of the billion bubbles of air trapped in the mass. The material becomes thus a good heat insulator.

Begin the phase of hardening then. At this stage, one cuts the blocks, then they are annealed (between 170/190°) under a pressure from 8 to 10 bars. No solvent, no fiber, no (volatile Organic compound) is issued thereafter in the air. The implementation uses the technique of the thin gasket which abolishes ten tons of mortar!

Wood

Wood is an alternative which allures the purchasers. It accounts for only 4 to 5 % of the market. Return to the sources, need for a healthy and natural material, safeguarding of the environment often justify this choice. In a context of safeguarding of the environment and healthy habitat, the development of construction with structure wood constitutes a fundamental stake for the backup of our planet.

Indeed, wood, renewable construction material, require little energy for its transformation. In addition, the house wood, perfectly isolated, authorizes significant savings of energy for its heating. The behavior of material is overall good.

But if you are concerned environment, it should be taken care that wood used for the construction of your future house result from crops reasoned under our latitudes and not from exotic species imported under devastating conditions for the environment (label or mark ). More especially as their ecological balance-sheet will be particularly bad because in particular of their transport. Last significant item in a respectful step of the environment, the processing necessary to protection must be selected according to their environmental impact because they are often very aggressive.