The Build Outside the Box Guide to Natural & Alternative Materials

Have you noticed how every year things seem to get smaller, flimsier, and more expensive? Appliances that once were built to last decades, like stoves and refrigerators, last a few years at best. Fast fashion clothes tear the second time you wear them. Pick up a bag of your favorite snack and some of the product has been replaced by air but the price is the same (or more). Things that used to be made of metal or glass are now plastic. Nothing is designed to be repaired, only thrown away…Well, the same is true for houses these days. The average house in North America has a life expectancy of 25-50 years under normal conditions. Throw in a heavy windstorm and it’s much less. Quality goes out the window when the bottom line is all that matters. Houses are being built with spindly lumber and layers of cheap and toxic manufactured materials. And while the cost to build these boxes goes down the price to buy one continues to go up.Thankfully, there is a better way to build that's better for people and better for the planet. There are natural and alternative materials that are stronger, healthier, and can self-regulate humidity. In the book, you will find materials that are fire-, earthquake-, and hurricane- resistant. You’ll learn about materials that are locally available and have been in use for thousands of years. We’ll cover building materials that take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere as they grow. You’ll see how “one person’s trash” can be transformed into a home using repurposed materials. We touch on retrofitting and how natural materials can be used to make your existing home healthier and more energy-efficient. Read more