A company called Serious Materials has introduced a more environmentally friendly drywall called EcoRock. The product is made from waste products from the steel and concrete industries. Apparently the process of making traditional gypsum-based drywall releases a tremendous amount of CO2 into the atmosphere.
In fact, the construction and operation of homes and buildings accounts for over 50% of the CO2 released each year, compared to 9% for passenger cars. It will be very important over the next several decades to do all we can as a society to reduce these emissions.
Here at Landmark Services we have been teaching our clients (and sometimes learning from them!) about the importance of energy efficient homes for almost 20 years. Readers of this blog know that we do not use fiberglass insulation, for example, because there are better alternatives for making homes energy efficient (namely cellulose and sprayed foam insulations). We know that even historic buildings can be made to be energy efficient.
It's encouraging to see the host of new products on the market made from recycled materials. For a first hand look, I encourage Boston area readers to visit the Nexus Green Building Resource Center in downtown Boston. They have product samples, literature, and classes on materials and methods being used to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings.
We're Landmark Services, the Old House Experts in Massachusetts. If you're interested in the renovation of historic homes, barns, or churches, take a look at our website. Also, please note that our blog has moved and is now located within our website here: www.landmarkservices.com/blog . All new posts will be located there. Thanks!
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