8 Must Knows For Material Selection In Home Design
Introduction
Choosing the right materials for your home can be a challenge. There are so many choices out there, and they all have different pros and cons. Some are more affordable while others may be more durable or longer lasting. It’s important that you make a smart choice that aligns with your budget and design needs but also considers its impact on the environment. To help get started, here are eight must-knows for material selection in home design:
Learn the basics of materials.
Materials are the building blocks of your home. There is a wide range of materials to choose from, and each material has its own characteristics. Some materials are more expensive than others, while others can be difficult to work with. It’s important to know what you’re getting into before making your final decision!
Understand how different materials respond to light and weather over time.
- Understand how different materials respond to light and weather over time.
- Make sure your home is well lit, insulated and ventilated.
Consider the overall look and feel of your home, not just a single room.
When selecting a material for your home, keep in mind that it’s not just about the look of the flooring or wall covering. Also consider how the material will look with other materials in your space, as well as its ability to stand out from other elements. For example:
- If you are designing a room that has a lot of windows, consider whether you want to place furniture against them (and if so, how) because this can dramatically change how light shines through the space.
- Consider whether light-colored walls would complement dark wood furniture better than white or marble surfaces do; if so then by all means go ahead and use those colors! But if not then perhaps choose something else instead—just make sure whatever color scheme you choose works well together with everything else around it rather than being too different from what surrounds it
Know how much maintenance each material requires.
- Know what materials need to be maintained.
- Know how much maintenance is required for each material.
- Know how often you need to maintain the material, as well as how much time it will take (e.g., once a year or weekly).
- Understand if you can perform this maintenance yourself or if you’ll need a professional contractor’s assistance (and if so, how much that might cost).
Know whether your chosen material is recyclable, biodegradable or biofuel-friendly.
You’ll also want to consider whether your chosen material is recyclable, biodegradable or biofuel-friendly.
Recyclable materials are the best because they can be reused in other products and do not go to landfill.
Biodegradable products are good too, but they still go to landfill at some point (and take up space).
Biofuel-friendly materials are the worst because they are not renewable and contribute to deforestation.
Consider each material’s energy consumption in its production and use.
As you consider which materials to use for your home, it’s important to consider each material’s energy consumption in its production and use.
Materials have varying impacts on the environment–from their production all the way through disposal. The most obvious is that some materials are more sustainable than others; if you’re building a new house out of wood or bamboo, for example, these will be easier on the environment than if you were using concrete or steel. But even within categories like “sustainable” there are differences: while bamboo may seem preferable to concrete when considering sustainability overall (because its growth rate is so much faster), if we look at just one aspect of sustainability (ease of recycling), then bamboo loses its edge over other woods such as oak which can be recycled into furniture easily after being broken down into smaller pieces.
Other factors must also be considered when determining whether or not a particular material might have an adverse impact on our planet–for example: how long does it take for this material to break down naturally? Or how much energy was required during manufacturing processes?
Consider how the material is manufactured–and what impact that has on the environment.
The next step is to consider how the material is manufactured. Some materials are manufactured using energy and water, while others may be recycled or not. This can impact the environment in a big way: materials that aren’t recycled have higher carbon footprints than those that are. It’s also important to consider what impact your choice will have on sustainability–do you want your home to last? If so, it might be worth investing in more sustainable options like bamboo flooring or reclaimed wood furniture pieces instead of buying cheap plastic ones made overseas with toxic chemicals (which will probably break soon anyway).
Know the impact of your selection on the global economy.
It’s important to know that the global economy is a complex system, and your material selection could have positive or negative impacts on it. For example, a material that is easily recyclable may be made from a resource that is not renewable; while another option might be biodegradable but require more energy to produce than other options. The best thing you can do is educate yourself on how different materials are sourced and produced before making your choice!
In addition to being visually appealing and functional, smart material choices can also have positive environmental impacts
In addition to being visually appealing and functional, smart material choices can also have positive environmental impacts. Materials can be recycled, reused and repurposed; made from renewable resources; or made from sustainable resources. In some cases they might even be biofuel-friendly!
Conclusion
With so much to consider, it can be easy to get overwhelmed. But if you’re honest with yourself about your home’s needs and wants and keep an open mind when it comes time for material selection, you’ll find yourself on the right track toward making an environmentally friendly and sustainable choice that will last for years (or even decades) to come!