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Sustainable Building Materials 
There is more to building a sustainable house than energy efficient design, solar power and
rainwater tanks. An enormous amount of energy goes into building a home, so selecting the
right materials can make a significant impact on saving our environment. As covered in The
Affordable Sustainable Housing Guide, the amount of energy used in the construction of
a ‘standard’ home is the equivalent to around 30 years use.

Four of the key factors in selecting sustainable materials include:

1. Low embodied energy
2. Renewable resource
3. Low maintenance
4. Ability to absorb CO2
We’ll cover these now and list some options that are worth considering for your home. The
following list is not an exhaustive array of sustainable materials. They are a selection of
materials that are easily adapted to use in standard construction and that can make a
positive difference to the environment.

Imagine a building that actually absorb CO2

Concrete is a construction material that is very high in embodied energy. It does however
have the advantage of low maintenance and good thermal mass. To make concrete more
sustainable there is a relatively new product available called Eco-cement. Eco-Cement is a
new, more environmentally sustainable type of blended cement, which successfully
incorporates reactive magnesia, and wastes such as fly ash, plastics, paper, and glass.
Because of the magnesia, Eco- Cement absorbs CO2 and water from the atmosphere to set
and harden in concrete. TecEco, the producer of Eco-Cement, plan to make the magnesia
that is used in Eco-Cements with solar energy in a new kiln that combines heating and
grinding and captures CO2, further increasing the sustainability of the product.

In an article on Eco-Cement published in the New Scientist magazine,

Fred Pearce, science journalist stated:
“There is a way to make our city streets as green as the Amazon Forest. Almost every
aspect of the built environment from bridges to factories to tower blocks, and from roads to
sea walls, could be turned into structures that soak up carbon dioxide – the main
greenhouse gas behind global warming. All we need to do it is the change the way we make
cement.”
Using Tec Eco cement to make the built environment a storehouse for waste material as
well as a huge carbon sink provides a sustainable concrete. And combining it with recycled
reinforcing steel will add another dimension to the sustainability of your home.
For more information:
Tec Eco Cement:
http://www.tececo.com/simple.eco-cement.php
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A natural renewable resource
If you want to build a sustainable house, it is hard to top a polished timber floor as a choice
of floor covering for ease of cleaning and aesthetic appeal. You can achieve the textures of
old style classic country homes, or a high polish smooth finish, which can add value to the
most contemporary home on the market.
Let's have a look at the sustainability issue of timber flooring in two areas:
1. Sustainability of the material
2. Greenhouse gas emissions

1. Sustainability
Recent years have seen changes in response to community pressure to preserve our rain
forests as well as a viable timber industry for future generations. Of Australia's public
forests, almost half are in designated conservation reserves and around 25% is available for
harvesting. About 1% of this area is harvested in a year. Timber available in Australia for
consumers however is not all Australian grown nor can it all be considered plantation or a
sustainable resource. It is always best to ask your supplier where the timber was grown and
is it from plantation timber. If they can't answer those questions then consider purchasing
your timber from someone who can guarantee the source of your timber.

Plantations for Australia: The 2020 Vision is a strategic partnership between the
Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments and the plantation timber industry. The
vision of the Plantations 2020 strategy is to treble the area of commercial tree crops by
2020. According to the National Forest Inventory 2005, Bureau of Rural Sciences,
Canberra, there are about 1.7 million hectares of plantation forests in Australia of which
around 715,000 hectares are hardwood plantation timber. It takes around 40 years for a
hardwood tree to be ready for harvesting into building materials. Depending upon the
species, this may be less. Therefore if 1% of the available resource is harvested every year,
in theory a well maintained timber industry is sustainable.

2. Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Gunns Ltd is a major forestry company and has about 80,000 hectares of eucalyptus
plantation under its management. From those 80,000 hectares, Gunns Ltd achieved a
growth volume of approximately 785,000 tonnes. One of the advantages of a well-managed
timber industry is that trees take Carbon Dioxide out of the atmosphere as they grow -
storing the carbon. For every cubic metre of wood, 250kg of CO2 is taken out of the
atmosphere.

Oak has a mass of up to 800kg per cum. Therefore 785,000 tonnes of wood equals
approximately 980,000 cum of wood. This volume of wood will have removed around
245,000 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere - The equivalent embodied energy of 2500
standard homes 200m2 in size. Comparison of embodied energy in flooring covers:
Kiln dried sawn hardwood 2.0 MJ/KG (mega joules per kg) Plywood 10.4 MJ/KG
Synthetic rubber (carpet underlay) 110.0 MJ/KG As long as your hardwood timber floor is
from plantation forests, it is a sustainable and eco-friendly product - So you will feel great
knowing you are walking on a timber floor that is good for you and the planet!

For further information visit:

www.cmit.csiro.au/brochures/tech/embodied
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http://www.plantations2020.com.au/plantations
http://www.gunns.com.au/Forest/plantations.html
Check out these Eco timber options:
http://www.ecoselect.com.au/eco_select.htm
http://www.ecoash.com.au/
http://www.fscaustralia.org/

Prevention is better than the cure

Timber floors continue to grow in popularity as a floor finish. Knowledge about some of the
problems before installation of your timber floor can ensure a long life with minimum
maintenance on a new timber floor.
Shrinkage
Shrinkage is perhaps the greatest concern when installing a new timber floor. Shrinkage in
timber floors is caused by moisture being removed from the timber once installed. To avoid
shrinkage in timber floors, the timber needs to be a suitable moisture content before it is laid
and fixed in position. Every 4% increase in the moisture content will increase the width of
the floorboards by about 1%, depending on the species and the cut. So if your room is 3.6m
wide, a 1% increase in the width of the flooring will add up to 36mm, enough to cause
significant problems. Expansion of the flooring will occur if the moisture content of the
flooring is lower than the long term moisture content of the air in the home it is being
installed in.

To minimise your chance of any problems:

Check the moisture content of the flooring before installation. The moisture content should
be around the same that your home will be. This can easily be checked via a moisture
meter and you can ask your supplier or builder to confirm the details. The flooring will need
to be acclimatised if its moisture content isn’t congruent with the final expected levels. The
Building Code of Australia prescribes a moisture content range for kiln-dried timber of 8-
14%. A variance of up to 4% is generally considered as acceptable between the Expected
Moisture Content and your timber Moisture Content. The National Timber Development
Council provides a climate control map. They recommend an average moisture content of
12% for coastal areas
Resources:
Timber Development Council
www.timber.net.au

Floor finishes
Many types of floor finishes are currently available in the market place. A little research and
preparation will get you the right product for your situation. The key to applying
commercially available products is awareness and ventilation. If the product’s odour is
offensive that in itself is a warning that care should be taken. Ventilation is required during
application of the product as well as afterwards, during high levels of off gassing.

The choice of floor finish will be determined by the appearance you require, your level of
sensitivity to toxins and the area the flooring will be located i.e. high traffic or the likely level
of changes in humidity. Timber is a natural product that responds to changes in weather
conditions. Unless Tongue & Groove flooring is placed in a permanently controlled constant
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environment, then expect it to move in response to changing environmental conditions.
Some movement usually occurs in timber floors after laying and although floor finishes may
slow this movement they will not prevent it. In applications where greater movement is
expected after finishing (e.g. from seasonal changes, use of wide boards, air-conditioning
installed after floor installation), a flexible finish is recommended that will allow boards to
move individually. If flexible finishes are not used, adjacent boards may become glued
together by the finish, penetrating into the joints. With subsequent shrinkage, wide gaps
between groups of four or five boards may occur or boards may split.

Timber floor finishes can be grouped into four broad categories:

1. Oil-Based Finishes
Oil-based finishes are the more traditional types of finish manufactured by reacting a natural
oil (e.g. linseed and tung) with another chemical. Varnishes and the traditional tung oils fall
within this category and are associated with the polished and waxed timber floors of the
past. These types of finishes are still commonly available and require greater regular
maintenance than the other finishes. However, with the use of acrylic floor polishes, they
have become easier to maintain. These finishes will darken with time. They are flexible and
are very unlikely to edge bond boards.

2. Composite Oil-Based/Solvent Borne Finishes

Finishes containing oil-based alkyds with the addition of urethanes provide a finish with
reasonably good abrasion resistance. These finishes provide a subdued, satin to semi-gloss
appearance and are very unlikely to edge glue boards. They darken with time and require
more frequent maintenance particularly in high traffic areas than polyurethane. Acrylic floor
polishes may be used to protect the finish.

3. Solvent Borne Polyurethane Finishes

Solvent borne polyurethanes (one pack and two pack) were developed during the 1950's
and 1960's. They provided a harder finish, generally with limited flexibility but much greater
abrasion resistance. Consequently, this greatly reduces the level of routine maintenance.
They currently provide some of the hardest finishes available today with gloss levels from
matt through to a very high gloss. These finishes, as with the oil-based finishes, will
generally darken with time and although hard, may scratch if care is not taken. Repairing
such damage is often not as easy as with other finishes. The odour after application is also
very strong with these products. Due to their high strength and generally limited flexibility,
edge gluing of boards can occur, unless an appropriate sealer is used.

4. Water Borne Finishes

Water borne polyurethane/acrylic mixes and straight water borne polyurethanes are gaining
in popularity. They are generally applied over a sealer (either solvent or water based), which
not only enhances the colour of the timber but also greatly reduces the risk of edge
bonding. Matt through to gloss finishes are available and many of these finishes do not
darken significantly with time. There is little odour associated with water borne finishes. The
ingredients in floor finishes will vary depending upon the type of finish selected, whether it is
water based or oil based. For more information on the flooring you select refer to the MSDS
(material safety data sheet) for the product you select. This will provide information on the
ingredients. The MSDS may not however provide details on the solvents used in the
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mixture. Ingredients in some floor polishes include xylene, kerosene, mineral turpentine and
petroleum.

This is why you need to choose your products carefully:

According to some research, Xylene affects the brain. High levels from exposure for short
periods (14 days or less) or long periods (more than 1 year) can cause headaches, lack of
muscle coordination, dizziness, confusion, and changes in one's sense of balance.
Exposure of people to high levels of xylene for short periods can also cause irritation of the
skin, eyes, nose, and throat; difficulty in breathing; problems with the lungs; delayed
reaction time; memory difficulties; stomach discomfort; and possibly changes in the liver
and kidneys. It can cause unconsciousness and even death at very high levels of exposure.
After re-coating floors your carpets, draperies and other cloth materials may absorb solvent
odours of the floor finish being used. So, it is always a good idea to remove such items or to
cover them with heavy plastic before application of the floor finish. Adjacent rooms with
fabrics should be isolated from the application area to prevent this from happening.
Remember that low allergy does not mean no allergy, and may still affect sensitive people.
Natural products, oils and resins may also affect sensitive people. There is an increasing
range of readily available alternative floor finishes on the market that do not have the high
level of toxins that the commercial products have, so speak to your local flooring expert to
see what is available in your area.
More information:
Non Toxic floor finishes: http://www.livos.com.au/

It looks like timber and feels like timber…

An alternative to timber flooring that grows faster than timber, is up to 70% harder than tas
oak and is 2.5 times more stable dimensionally than commonly used timber floorings.
Generally bamboo products come pre-finished with non-toxic glues and water based
coatings and is free of formaldehydes. Bamboo is an environmentally friendly, renewable
resource that has been used as construction material for thousands of years. Technically
considered a grass, bamboo has the ability to grow to maturity in 4-6 years. The root
system remains unharmed when harvested and allows for future growth. Ask your bamboo
supplier if they only supply products that are environmentally friendly, sustainable and
where Pandas not affected by the harvesting. Accessories such as stair nosings and edge
moulds are available to complement your flooring. Bamboo can be finished in a range of
alternatives including satin, or gloss finish with a select range of rich colours available. It
can also be supplied raw for finishing on site.
For more information contact:
Web www.ecoflooring.com.au

A sustainable brick? Absolutely Divine!

Another of the main contributors to embodied energy in a home is bricks. Bricks are a long
lasting, low maintenance product. So to be able to minimise the impact of the embodied
energy properties would provide a solid approach to sustainable housing. For an answer to
this issue, consider Timbercrete. Developed in Australia in 1994 by Peter Collier,
Timbercrete is a building product (bricks, blocks and panels) that can give your home a
distinctive appearance. Because Timbercrete is a brick with insulating values it helps keep
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your home cooler in summer and warmer in winter Timbercrete is made from blending
recycled timber waste such as sawdust or other cellulose material, cement, sand and
binders, and other materials into a building block with unique qualities. No tree has ever
been cut down specifically in order to produce Timbercrete. Recycled sawmill or other
cellulose wastes from plantation timbers are combined in harmony with other raw materials,
to produce bricks, blocks and panels of various shapes and sizes.

And look how it stacks up against conventional bricks

Timbercrete’s unique composition provides up to six times the thermal insulation of
conventional bricks. It also has great sound absorption qualities and has a high fire safety
rating, which in many cases outperforms other building blocks and bricks. Timbercrete also
asserts to have a greater load bearing capacity and bracing values than conventional
building blocks. Timbercrete bricks and blocks are typically larger and lighter than
conventional bricks, which in many instances can reduce laying costs and speed of
construction. The single skin range, gives you the option of dispensing with internal framing
in the conventional ‘brick veneer’construction. Therefore if you select to build in a single skin
construction with Timbercrete, the following materials are not required:
• Sarking Paper
• Insulation
• Timber frames
• Plasterboard
• Paint
• Skirting to protect Plasterboard

Design your own eco-friendly brick!

With Timbercrete you are able to specify the colour, texture, size or shape of your bricks.
Due to Timbercrete’s unique density and matrix, it can also out-perform other bricks, blocks
and concrete walls acoustically. Timbercrete has a unique ability to absorb and diffuse
sound, as well as preventing sound transfer. Because Timbercrete is made from sawdust, it
is very low in embodied energy. And the production process is far more energy efficient
than the conventional kiln dried process of clay brick manufacture.
For more information visit
http://www.timbercrete.com.au/index.htm

Summary
The reality is that every new home or renovation in Australia won’t be built out of mud brick
or straw bales. And the good news is that you can still have a sustainable house built from
readily available materials. By having a look at what is available, and making better, more
informed choices for your home you will get a great deal of satisfaction and pride in leaving
a positive legacy for the generations to follow. And the home will be more comfortable for
you and your family to live in also!