EcoRock : The Drywall for Your Green Home
Are we rethinking how our homes are built? We are delivering new standards, like advanced framing, but we are delivering new materials as well.
As the new year begins, my wife and I are planning our projects around the house. We try to be smart, and take on projects that will improve the home, but we also do not want to tear something down just to have something new. One problem that we have faced is a front room, my son’s room, which is effected by the outside temperature to a greater degree than the rest of the home. Over the years we have made improvements, but one step that we have not taken is insulating the walls. To really do insulation right, we would have to remove the drywall, and then place new drywall in place. With all hands at work, this could be a weekend project, but we have put this on hold. I did think that if we do list this as a job for this year, I would like to try to find a better product than standard drywall. Maybe a drywall that made ecological sense.
With all of this talk about green or sustainable homes, you still have to dig to find the best materials. You will probably find that you have to order them from the internet. We are not really quite there when it comes to supply and demand and knowledge. Did you realize that Texas has one of the best potentials for wind energy in the United States, yet we do not seem to be taking the best advantage of that fact?I am getting more calls from potential clients who are asking about green products, because they are not sure where to go. Maybe I am wrong, and the demand is not there. Maybe people do not care about the product that goes into their home. Then again, we do have the Chinese drywall scare, so drywall may become a serious topic.
I know that there are people addressing the issue of basic building materials for our homes. I was happy to come across a short speech on Fixing Drywall to Heal the Planet, when listening to various TED lectures. It is good to see that a product like EcoRock is creating jobs, and I was intrigued enough to look a little more deeply into the firm producing this material. I found that Serious Materials has a blog, which is good for discovering some information on eco materials. If you are interested in an eco-drywall, then this product and company is worth checking out.
Will my wife and I use a new drywall? I am not in favor of tearing down the sheetrock, unless there is a real need. Plus, we have a few more major projects that would be more beneficial. In time we will begin this project, and I am glad to know that there is a material worth using.
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