Green Building Blocks for Modular Homes
In times where environmental concerns are raging and fuel prices soaring, being green is more than just a fashionable trend. It is a social responsibility and ultimately the means for social survival. Amazingly, despite a marked increase in technological advances in building materials, there has been little penetration into the construction market in making these changes toward a “greener” home market. The same can be said of modular homes which despite clear savings in time, money and resources, owns less than 20 percent of the market even in popular areas.
The fact is building account for a large part of our environmental problem. According to the New York Times, buildings in the United States account for 39 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions, 65 percent of waste, and 70 percent of electrical use. But despite this, innovative products available are used relatively infrequently that could make a tremendous impact on these factors.
Products now available include eco-friendly concrete that significantly reduces carbon dioxide emissions and wall panels that utilize wheat straw, grass and sorghum stalks. In the near future, eco-friendly drywall products will be available replacing gypsum dry wall. This alone could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 25 billion pounds per year according to Kevin Surace, founder of EcoRock, quoted also in the New York Times. Normal gypsum requires heat to produce drywall normally, and EcoRock’s product does not require any.
In line with these technological advances in materials, modular home construction offers the easiest use of the prefabricated materials into practice. By incorporating newer materials into a factory setting of production, waste in minimized to the greatest extent. Large volume usage makes these items more cost effective to builders, and transporting these materials to one central location is cost-containing as well.
The time is now to shift home construction focus onto “greener” pastures. As part of this, modular home construction is the obvious choice.
Michael Zenga
ZN Custom Building
Tags: environmentally friendly homes, green, green building, green homes, modular home, new home construction, why modular is best
Michael Zenga, the Modular Building Specialist, founded ZN Custom Building, in 2002 which specializes in building modular homes in the Boston, MA area. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Boston University and Master's Degrees from Boston University, Harvard University, and Bentley College.