Five Tips for Going Green
With Concrete
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Hi ,
In a month that brings us St. Patty's day, the start of spring and the greening of our lawns, what better time to explore some of the "green" attributes of building with concrete? Using concrete versus less-sustainable materials for flooring, countertops or exterior flatwork not only conserves resources, it can also save you big money, especially over time. Here are five tips for putting a touch of green into your concrete building plans.
Jim Peterson,
The Concrete Network
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1. Keep it light and bright
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Concrete pavements and floors can be great light reflectors, helping to brighten an area and reduce artificial lighting costs. Factors such as the color and sheen of the concrete surface will determine how much reflectivity you will get. Lighter colors and polished surfaces will provide optimum brightness. Learn more about polished concrete.
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2. Don't cover it up
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If you have a concrete floor slab, don't waste resources by covering it up with another flooring material that will eventually need replacement, such as carpeting. Instead, stain or dye your floor to complement your décor and leave it exposed. Not only will you save money, you'll also get a surface that's much easier to maintain. Learn more about conserving resources with concrete floors.
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3. Incorporate recycled materials
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A great way to green up your countertops while making them more aesthetically appealing is to use recycled or salvaged materials as decorative accents, such as recycled glass or stone. See these examples.
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4. Go local
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Did you know that most of the materials used to make concrete can be obtained locally, eliminating the consumption of fuel required to truck in materials from non-regional sources? Ask your contractor to make your concrete using materials close to home, such as aggregate from a local quarry and cement produced in a regional plant.
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5. Install radiant heat
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Embedding radiant heating cables into a concrete floor is a super energy-efficient way to heat a room, turning the concrete into an inconspicuous radiator that slowly releases heat upward into the living space.  |
