What makes our homes green?
During the recent Go Green Expo, we were constantly asked “What makes your homes Green?” With green-washing rife at the moment, we believe this is an essential question – one that needs to be answered by all who make a ‘green claim’.
Some building companies use enhanced airtightness as the sole reason as to why they’re ‘green’. Enhanced airtightness means that less air escapes (or infiltrates) a house, reducing the amount of energy required for heating and cooling. In theory this leads to a smaller carbon footprint. Using the same logic, couldn’t you simply install solar on a normal house and achieve a similar carbon reduction?
To us, being a green building company means more than that.
At Premium Homes, we believe that being a green building company involves much more than improving airtightness. Let’s think about the materials used by many builders to achieve airtightness. Health Based Building point out that ‘The volume of plastic frame wrap in the average 3-bedroom home exceeds 40kgs. That’s a volume of plastic equivalent to 5,800 70-micron plastic bags.’ Where does this go when the house ends its life?
Insulation materials full of chemicals are commonly used by other builders and the materials in many SIPs panels and building products they use can be equally as toxic. What will happen to these materials when the life of the house has ended? What happens to occupants when VOCs are off- gassed into homes before being taken out by the mechanical apparatus essential to inhabit very airtight homes?
Premium homes achieves enhanced air-tightness without any plastic wraps or toxic building materials. In fact, our building materials are capable of filtering air, rather than adding to VOCs and toxins.
We use Magnum Board in place of plastic wraps, Gib Board and other RAB products.
In its news section, the Frame & Truss Manufacturer’s Association Of Australia (FTMA) says:
‘Magnum Board is a mineral product, completely free of toxins such as asbestos, formaldehyde or silica. It can be disposed of with no impacts to the environment. It is manufactured completely at ambient temperature.
The Magnum Board product line is CO 2 negative meaning the product and/or its process absorbs CO 2 and turns it into magnesium carbonate and that remains in the board until the board is retired from service, in which case, the magnesium carbonate can be recycled to make MgO and ultimately recycled into more Magnum Board.’
And Terra Lana sheep’s wool insulation in place of toxic, unnatural insulation materials…
According to Terra Lana, Terra Lana wool insulation is certified as Declare Red List Free, meaning it has been rigorously tested to be free of the 800 plus CAS number toxic chemicals that can be found in building materials, as well as being GREENGUARD indoor air quality test approved.
‘Recent research in New Zealand highlights that wool’s high biogenic carbon content – which can make up to 50% of its weight – boosts its sustainability as a building material. Using wool in construction can therefore help transform the built environment into a carbon sink,’ notes Dr Nilesh Bakshi, Lecturer in Architectural Science and Sustainable Systems Design, Wellington School of Architecture.
‘Starting September 2024, new international standards for environmental product declarations will account for the biogenic carbon in natural materials like wool. This change emphasises the value of incorporating wool into New Zealand’s construction industry for its carbon-sequestering benefits.’
Additionally, Terra Lana’s production process, which recycles both production waste and end-of-life products, helps maintain this carbon storage over time.
That’s how we’re ‘going green’.
Homes built by Premium Homes are more environmentally friendly and while realising there’s still a way to go, we are confident about our path to ‘going green’. Join us and make our journey toward sustainability yours too.
