Why to use natural building materials?

In the project meeting in Italy we gave a short overview about the reasons why to use natural and local building materials. The main reasons are:

• local natural materials reduce transportation costs
• natural materials are more environment friendly
• using local materials is good for local economy
• using local materials enhances regional small production
• natural materials create a good interior climate and are good for health

So what are the most common local natural materials used in building? In Estonia we use:

• clay/earth (red, blue)
• lime
• sand
• different fibers (straw, bulrush, flax)
• reed (mats and boards)
• flax felt, flax tow, sheep wool and cellulose for insulation
• straw bales
• casein paint, lime paint, egg tempera, linseed paint, clay paint

You can read more about using natural building materials from http://www.ehituslahendused.ee/en/services and http://esb.wspoint.com/en/learning-materials.