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Homeowners are becoming increasingly concerned about how the products they use in construction projects interact with the environment.
While many homeowners who purchase pre-built homes or those part of a tract housing development don't have a say in the type of materials used, they do make choices when constructing do-it-yourself home projects or during home renovations.
In a 2005 research project involving homeowners, the Portland Cement Association found that close to half of all respondents identified concrete as the most sustainable building product, with wood and steel as the second and third choices.
Three quarters of all respondents were aware of concrete block as a homebuilding product, coming in second only to wood. Overall awareness of concrete homebuilding among homeowners went up 30 percentage points from 1998 to 2005.
What does this mean for the homebuilding market?
"When people have the opportunity to make a choice about how their home is constructed or renovated, they look for construction products that will provide fire safety, mold resistance, durability, energy efficiency, low maintenance, excellent indoor air quality and superior insect resistance," said Harry W. Junk, Residential Markets Manager at the National Concrete Masonry Association. "This research reveals concrete masonry as a clear product of choice. Concern for the environment is growing and people are recognizing their responsibility for making good choices."
Called "The Homeowner Report," the survey's respondents represented all regions of the United States. Half of the homeowners surveyed live in ranch-style homes; one-third live in two-story homes.
Homeowners can download a full copy of the report at www.ncma.org/2005_homeowner_report.pdf.
For more information about building with concrete masonry, contact the NCMA at (703) 713-1900. - NU |
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