Top Reasons to Go Green with
Concrete Floors:
Building homes that are green and
environmentally friendly has become the mantra for more and more
builders and homeowners, as they discover how easy it can be to
attain all the benefits of sustainable construction without
sacrificing aesthetics or breaking the budget. In fact, going green
often saves money, especially over time, while being kinder to
planet Earth.
Decorative concrete flooring is a perfect
example of this synergy of beauty, sustainability and economy,
giving you a durable, low-maintenance floor that will last the life
of your home. Concrete floors, when left exposed, conserve resources
by functioning both as a foundation slab and finished floor. This
eliminates the need for carpeting and other floor coverings that
would eventually require replacement. In addition to conserving
materials, concrete flooring offers many other environmental
benefits, such as contributing to better energy efficiency and
improving indoor air quality. The topics listed above are the most
compelling reasons to go green with decorative concrete
floors.
In response to growing environmental and economic
forces,
architects, engineers, developers and owners are
seeking efficient and
innovative building solutions that conserve
non-renewable resources.
Increasingly, concrete is being recognized for its
strong environmental
benefits in support of creative and effective
sustainable development.
When considering the lifetime environmental impact of a
building
material – extraction, production, construction,
operation, demolition
and recycling – concrete is an excellent choice to meet
these goals.
Green facts about
concrete
- Concrete is
produced locally from abundant natural resources.
- Concrete can be
made with reclaimed industrial materials that would otherwise burden landfills.
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At the end of a concrete building or pavement’s
usable life,concrete
can be recycled.
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Pervious concrete percolates stormwater into soil,
recharging aquifers and
preventing polluted runoff from overwhelming streams and lakes.
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Concrete’s thermal mass reduces temperature swings
in buildings and
conserves energy.
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Use of Insulating Concrete Form for above-grade wall
systems provides
for increased R values, reducing heating, cooling and infrastructure
costs.
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Concrete’s light color reduces the heat island effect,
lowering urban energy
use.
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Concrete’s light color reflects more light at night,
reducing
lighting infrastructure and energy costs.
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Impervious concrete roofs support green landscaping,
reducing water runoff and
reducing heat island effect.
-
Concrete
structures are durable.
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Concrete helps achieve LEED
certification.
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