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It is also important to choose the right materials for building houses. Think about how important it is for the pigs to choose the right building materials for their home in the story 'The Three Little Pigs'! You must also carefully consider the materials for an energy efficient house.
When building an energy efficient house it's good to have a mixture of materials. When materials like bricks, concrete and earth are warmed up they stay warm for a long time. Think about a stone on a warm beach - it will still be warm after the sun goes down.
When lighter materials like wood are warmed up they cool down more quickly. This would mean a house made completely of wood that is well insulated, with large south facing windows, could easily become too hot when the Sun appears and too cold as it disappears. But if some walls are built with heavy materials then they will retain heat and let it out slowly. Some walls or floors inside could be built of a lighter material to balance out the effects of the heavier material.
Producing and transporting the materials used to build houses can also cause emissions of greenhouse gases. So, it is important to think about how building materials are moved and made.
Reclaimed materials are materials that can be used again; for example, bricks that have been cleaned of mortar.
Recycled materials are materials that need to be reprocessed before they can be reused. For example, tyres can be recycled and used as part of concrete mix in the foundations of buildings.
To have lower environmental impact it is better to reclaim materials than recycle them. Sometimes it is not possible to reclaim or recycle materials, but where possible it is always better to do so.
