Environmental friendliness of finishing and building materials. Environmentally friendly materials for renovation and decoration of apartments Eco-friendly materials for renovation

Furniture and interior items

In order for the design of an apartment to be environmentally friendly, it is important not only to use environmentally friendly finishing materials, but also to use furniture that contains substances harmful to the body and the environment to a minimum or completely absent.

1) Cabinet furniture

The main part of the furniture modern apartment makes up cabinet furniture - cabinets, kitchen, shelves, tables.

You should avoid furniture made from chipboard (chipboard). As a rule, furniture made from chipboard is the most budget-friendly. If you go deeper into the process chipboard production- These are sawdust, wood shavings that are glued together with chemical resins (formaldehyde). Exactly these chemical substances harmful to the human body. When using low-quality chipboard in an apartment in large quantities, people experience headaches or even migraines. When purchasing furniture made from chipboard, it is important to look at the quality of the product and the environmental class. Chipboard is also divided into: E1 and E2, the meanings of which I described above. The highest quality chipboard is considered to be Austrian and German. In any case, formaldehyde resins are present in chipboard, and they can be released, albeit in small quantities, so I still recommend minimizing the use of this material in cabinet furniture.

If the task is to use smooth facades without wood textures, I recommend using MDF (fine fraction) - these are very fine sawdust that stick together under the influence of high temperatures due to natural wood resins that do not emit harmful substances.

2) Fabrics

The most environmentally friendly fabrics are natural fabrics. natural origin: cotton, silk, linen, hempa (hemp fabric), ramie (a type of nettle). Natural fabrics in the interior they do not cause allergic reactions and are completely safe for the body, but only on the condition that when growing cotton, flax and other things, the plants were not treated with harmful chemicals and pesticides, and this, unfortunately, is already quite rare. It is easier to harvest the crop by machine by watering the plants with chemicals.

The most popular are mixed fibers - synthetic and natural. This golden mean between environmental friendliness and practicality. And, as a rule, such fabrics good quality. They do not cause allergies and do not emit harmful substances. Fabric dyes and dyes: natural dyes are not so bright, so most often fabrics in eco-interiors are neutral gray or beige shades.

2) Decor items

Decor still does not significantly affect the microecology of the apartment, in my opinion. Its main purpose is that by decorating and selecting individual elements, you can add a sense of nature and visual environmental friendliness to the interior. For example, as coffee table or bedside tables you can use stump from valuable breed wood as an accent item.

Modern eco-friendly style - this does not mean using a large number of details, it is when each detail has its own role. Therefore, you need to carefully choose decor for eco style.

Let's sum it up

Modern eco style is not about bamboo and an abundance of “nature” in the room.

The basic rule of eco-style interior design is the choice of natural or safe materials for humans and the environment in decoration. It is also important to carefully select the material for the cabinet and upholstered furniture, focus on the class and environmental labeling. It is better to choose in the choice of fabrics quality manufacturers and strive for neutral colors in upholstery.

When choosing interior details, I recommend focusing on some natural art objects, for example, texture and structure unusual tree. There should not be many such elements; it is important not to overload the modern interior with details.

At the end of the article, I want to say the following: it is worth paying attention to natural materials in the interior, and do not forget to treat them with special compounds. To prevent the formation of mold and other microelements, care is needed. It's not as scary as it seems. For some reason, many people are afraid to use natural materials precisely because they need to be looked after. Believe me, it is not so difficult to wipe the material with a product once every six months.

I hope you found the article useful.

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Gerasimov Pavel

Have you decided to change your surroundings, started a renovation, but don’t know what materials to choose? Choose not a means, choose a result - safety, health and comfort. What could be safer than natural building materials? The advantages of environmentally friendly materials in the interior are increasing the number of their fans and connoisseurs every year. Here are a few secrets for the “discoverers” of these construction goods, which will allow you to adequately equip your home.

Safety criteria

Based on the concept of naturalness, many things can be called environmentally friendly, but not all of them can become finishing materials. In order for building materials to meet safety criteria, they must meet the following requirements:

• do not release toxic or irritating substances;
• the level of radioactive radiation should not exceed the maximum permissible;
• the environment should not be harmed during the production of the material;
• the material can be reused or safely disposed of.

Taking these features into account when choosing materials allows the consumer to verify the true safety of their further stay in the room, for the finishing of which eco-materials are used.

Popular types of environmentally friendly materials

Tree. One of the most popular and versatile eco-materials for construction and renovation. IN various types and forms it can be used for interior decoration of all parts of the room: floor, walls, ceiling. It is also used in exterior decoration and for the manufacture of furniture. When using wood, remember that it requires special care and conditions external environment. To extend its service life and increase its strength, wood is often treated with special harmless varnishes.

Stone. No less popular and practical eco-friendly material for finishing both interior and exterior. Natural stone also adds unique decorative possibilities to the interior. The wealth of textures, colors and processing methods allows you to harmoniously use stone in any design. This strong, durable and easy-to-maintain material will add status and respectability to any building or room. In the interior, natural stone is often present in the cladding of walls, floors and fireplaces.

Clay. Natural raw materials that provide a lot of opportunities for creativity and design. The most popular product made from this material is ceramic tiles. It is advisable to use it in finishing and decorating bathrooms, toilets and swimming pools. Clay is an environmentally friendly building material of exceptional strength, attractive with a variety of possible textures and color schemes.

Ready-made eco-friendly finishing materials

Not everyone can afford or have the opportunity to use unprocessed natural materials for repair. That's why manufacturers offer wide choose ready-made finishing eco-materials.

For walls . The traditional solution for this area is wallpapering. Eco-friendly ones include:

• wallpaper made from mineral components - glass wallpaper;
• paper wallpaper;
• wallpaper made from natural and plant materials (veneer, bamboo, jute, reed).

Those who prefer painted walls should focus on safe paint when choosing chemical composition. Highly environmentally friendly Water-based paints are also harmless.

For floor . The most environmentally friendly flooring is made from wood ‒ solid board, parquet, parquet board, cork. Also safety, wear resistance and unique decorative properties The difference is between natural linoleum and ceramic tiles. And instead of artificial and allergenic carpets, environmental friendliness deserves the championship carpets with natural pile on a jute base.

For the ceiling . For this plane, you can use building materials used for wall decoration - wallpaper and paint. But first it is recommended to cover the surface with plasterboard. There is also another alternative and proven option for finishing the ceiling - a suspended ceiling made of fabric.

How to make the right choice?

The essence of the question lies in two aspects:

• the problem of choosing a truly harmless material, and not products presented as environmentally friendly;
• the correct choice of finishing material, which during operation will not become dangerous to life and health.

In accordance with these nuances, when choosing eco-materials for finishing, you should adhere to some rules:

1. Make sure you have an environmental safety certificate. You can recognize the safest building materials by their markings, which indicate that the product belongs to class E1, intended for use in residential premises. You should also pay attention to the country where the product is certified - European manufacturing countries have more stringent requirements and products more closely meet safety criteria.
2. Don't be shy, take a sniff. Some sellers may ignore the laws for the purpose of enriching themselves and post false information about the product. Appearance The product may also not arouse suspicion, but the smell will always give away a fake. Products that are not eco-friendly will have an unpleasant, pungent, synthetic or rubbery odor.
3. When choosing a specific material, consider all the details. That is, ask yourself the difficult question: “how to choose building materials?”, and, for example, “?”. After all, even eco-friendly paper wallpaper next to gas stove- it's not very safe.
4. Price issue. Good, high-quality product, made from natural raw materials and modern technology can't be cheap.

A home is a place where a person spends a lot of time, relaxes, raises and raises children. Therefore, it is worth making every effort and opportunity to make life in it comfortable and safe.

The quality of at least a third of the finishing materials present on the CIS market is questionable. Such finishes are dangerous due to the emission of toxins. Only an environmental assessment can reveal their harmfulness, which, of course, none of those who decided to save on the cost of materials will order. How much do these people value the health of their family? Still, it would be wrong to blame them for carelessness. Buyers in civilized countries should trust certification and be sure that all materials on the shelves of construction markets are environmentally friendly. The problem lies elsewhere: our environmental requirements lag behind European ones by 10-15 years. In addition, there is a fairly extensive black and gray market, the products of which do not undergo any certification at all.

In reality: “the salvation of drowning people is the work of the drowning people themselves.” To protect yourself and your family from toxic emissions, you need to learn to understand modern materials. This is not an easy matter, but there is no other way out yet.

Everything European sooner or later ends up with us, and this vector is probably not going to change direction. But there is also a positive aspect to this. Thus, the Western fashion for energy saving and clean environment is gradually spreading to the east. True, it is more difficult for domestic consumers: they need to learn to distinguish beautiful fakes from truly high-quality products.

How to choose environmentally friendly materials

The first thing that comes to mind when looking for safe materials is to look for something that is made from natural materials. This is what most people think. But it is not the raw materials that need to be evaluated, but the final product. After all, various substances can be used in production, which are not always safe. For example, natural wood, after being treated with inexpensive types of fire-fighting and bioprotective agents, ceases to be so natural. There are also stains, paints, varnishes and other finishing compounds that can turn safe wood into a toxic product. Natural wood serves as a raw material for wood-like materials such as fiberboard and chipboard. But their binder is by no means natural, and moreover, in products with a lower emission index of harmful substances E1, even toxic.

At the same time, not all synthetic materials pose a danger. The ubiquitous PVC (polyvinyl chloride), which is constantly accused of causing environmental damage, turned out to be harmless. PVC panels as well as window profiles, cable channels, floor coverings, etc. Contrary to all talk, they are allowed for use even in children's and medical institutions. But when PVC really poses a danger, it is during the combustion process. But that's another conversation. To summarize the chapter, the main criteria for choosing finishing materials should be announced:

• absence of toxic secretions (carcinogens and toxic substances);
• minimum level of radioactivity;
• modernized production with low levels of environmental pollution;
• possibility of recycling.

Are natural finishes expensive?

There is a widespread belief among ordinary people that harmless natural finishes are necessarily expensive. But in practice this is not quite the case. Let us remember the “distant” Soviet times, when most materials were of natural origin, and for some reason synthetics were valued higher. But even today paper wallpaper are the cheapest, and at the same time the most harmless. Disadvantages that limit their popularity are high water absorption, low UV resistance and the ability to absorb odors. However, for a nursery or bedroom paper version wallpaper fits perfectly, especially if you choose a two-layer option - duplex.

This is another traditional and inexpensive finishing material that is harmless. There are practically no disadvantages to ceramics.
The raw materials for making ceramic tiles are clay and mineral fillers. Her decorative finishing consists of a small amount of natural pigments and mineral glaze. However, it is important to use harmless materials when laying tiles. adhesive mixtures.

Water-soluble paints They are not expensive, but they are safe. Water dispersions can be used to paint ceilings and walls. The surfaces painted with them will be protected from moisture, but will remain vapor permeable. For wall decoration also suitable various plasters on a mineral, acrylic or silicone basis. The last two types, despite clearly chemical name, are environmentally friendly.

Wooden floor today it is considered expensive, but many types of alternative flooring even more expensive. Please note the price parquet board- it is comparable to laminate and imported linoleum, but at the same time it looks noble and offers absolute environmental friendliness. To preserve the environmental properties of parquet, it is important to use high-quality varnishes that do not contain toxins. This applies to everyone else too wood finishes and solid wood furniture. These varnishes are water-based. For interior work they fit perfectly.

Natural stone- This is one of the first construction and finishing materials. Limestone, sandstone, shell rock and other common rocks cost quite reasonable money and can compete with many artificial imitations. At interior decoration natural stone, the same as in the case with ceramic tiles, it is important to use high-quality adhesive mixtures that do not contain harmful substances. These include adhesive cements, which contain cement, quartz sand and a small amount of modifying additives.

New generation environmental finishes

Relatively recently, textile wallpaper . This material is not woven, but is made from paper based with a decorative layer of flax, hemp, silk thread or wool fibers glued to paper. Such wallpaper is good for dry living spaces, but is susceptible to moisture. The modern synthetic analogue of such wallpaper is devoid of this deficiency. Even after antistatic treatment, synthetic fabric wallpaper remains harmless. In their manufacture, only those types of polymers are used that do not react with oxygen, do not emit unbound polymers and remain stable throughout their service life. If such wallpaper has a European quality certificate, then it can be used without fear even in a child’s room.

Glass wallpaper, as their name suggests, are made from the same components as mineral glass, i.e. sand, dolomite and lime. All these components are of natural origin, and in the form of a substance known as glass, they are also completely hygienic. Glass wallpaper does not rot, does not serve as a substrate for microorganisms and does not emit toxins.

Products made from natural cork cannot be called a fundamentally new type of materials, but in our country they became available relatively recently. Cork is the bark of the cork oak tree, native to the northwestern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. There is no doubt about the environmental friendliness of this material. Moreover, cork also has bactericidal properties. Even its agglomerate (crushed pressed mass) remains absolutely harmless, since the particles are held together naturally when heated. If the cork is used on the floor, it is opened protective composition. Modern cork coverings(most of them are produced by Portuguese and Spanish factories) are protected only by harmless substances ( natural wax, water-soluble varnish, etc.). By the way, cork agglomerate is excellent thermal insulation material. It is much more expensive than polystyrene foam or mineral wool, but the cost of total flushing will increase by a few percent. But using cork insulation, you can maintain environmental friendliness wooden building and even protect it from fire.

Cork on the floor also has a healing effect. It is believed that its elasticity is useful when walking, as it relieves the load on the musculoskeletal system. Cork is also a hypoallergenic material. This best choice for finishing a children's room.

Drywall cannot be called the latest material, since its history goes back several decades, but it fits all the parameters of a new generation material. Drywall is an environmentally friendly sheathing material. It does not emit harmful substances, but it is important to use it taking into account the humidity conditions of the room.
In ordinary drywall (non-moisture resistant), mold easily forms when moistened, and then this material becomes a breeding ground for harmful spores that belong to the group of carcinogens. Moisture-resistant drywall differs from ordinary drywall in the content of fungicides - anti-mold drugs. Drywall is an example of an inexpensive and harmless material. In terms of environmental friendliness, it surpasses even plywood, not to mention OSB, where the formaldehyde content is off the charts.

Harmful finishes

Obviously unsafe finishes include materials of both artificial and natural origin. Let's start with the last ones. The most harmful are chipboards with an emission class below E1, fiberboard, cheap carpets, artificial linoleum, vinyl wallpaper, cheap plastic panels, laminate made in China, oil and alkyd paints, solvent-soluble varnishes, scented upholstery fabrics (contain aniline), leather substitutes, expanded polystyrene (insulation and finishing panels).

In Russia, harmless materials are marked with the Ecomaterial symbol; in Europe - Der Blaue Engel, Grün Punkt. The emission class may also be indicated on the packaging of the materials. For indoor use, it is not recommended to use products whose emission class of harmful substances is lower than E1(i.e. E2, E3, etc.).