Materials and equipment are often chosen because they look good or are inexpensive. These attractive or inexpensive materials may have high upkeep costs or wear out quickly. A better long-term strategy is to keep durability and long-term costs in mind when selecting construction materials and equipment. Before selecting materials or equipment, ask yourself:
-
How long will this last?
-
How often will I have to refinish or refurbish it, and what will that cost?
-
How often will this need to be cleaned or serviced, what products or technical expertise must be used, and how long will each cleaning or servicing take? What will it cost each time?
-
How much electricity or fuel is it going to use, and what will that cost? Will using this raise or lower the whole building's energy use?
-
How likely is this material or equipment to break or become damaged, and what will it cost to fix it?
-
When this material or equipment is at the end of its useful life, how much will it cost to get rid of it? Remember that it doesn't always cost to get rid of something—some materials and equipment can be sold or donated for recycling or remanufacturing.
Budgets usually don't allow purchasing "the best money will buy". Check out the information in Incrementally Greener—Improving Sustainability Over Time Through Operations and Maintenance (Optional link for FSweb users) for cost-effective methods to improve the quality and durability of existing buildings.
When designing new buildings, include as many of the following ideas as practical to improve the durability and quality of the building:
- Keep the building dry. This is the first rule for ensuring long
life. Mold is the most conspicuous problem in wet buildings, but
dampness can cause almost all building materials to deteriorate,
including concrete
and brick. Here is some information to help keep buildings dry over
time:
- Durable roofing and siding materials that are installed properly
last longer and have lower maintenance costs than less durable
materials. Generally speaking, mineral products are more durable than
organic
products, and solid wood is more durable than processed wood. However, "generally
speaking" doesn't always hold true. For instance, the fastener holes
on a cheap metal roof (a mineral product) may enlarge and begin
leaking within 5 years, while a well-done cedar shingle roof (an
organic product) may last 20 years or more. Good judgment, extensive
product
knowledge, and careful examination of manufacturer's information
are often needed
to select durable materials.
- Flashing, sealing, roof overhangs,
and ground slope are important in all climates. Check out the Forest
Products Lab's Build
a Better Home Web site for information on how to keep moisture
out of a foundation, install flashing around windows and doors,
and make sure your roof doesn't leak.
- Irrigation should not spray
the building—use drip irrigation
instead of spray heads if you need to irrigate landscaping near
the building.
- Plants
can damage building materials directly and by holding moisture
against the structure. Keep plants trimmed at least 6 inches
away from foundations
and siding.
- In wildfire areas, more distance is needed between
plants and structures, as explained in the National Interagency
Fire Center's Firewise Web site and Colorado State University's Protect
Your Home from Wildfire.
- One of the most common locations for
early framing decay in wood structures is where a porch or deck
meets the building. The Forest
Products Lab's Details
for a Lasting Deck shows how to frame a deck or porch properly.
- Choose windows and doors carefully.
Fiberglass, vinyl, and wood windows with exterior vinyl or metal
cladding are all energy
efficient, low-maintenance, and durable. Low-emissivity coatings
and inert gas between panes improve window performance in hot and
cold climates. Thermal breaks are important. Don't forget that
even with thermal
breaks, steel is a good thermal conductor, and aluminum is even
better. It's tough to find energy efficient windows and doors with
metal frames.
- Durable roofing and siding materials that are installed properly
last longer and have lower maintenance costs than less durable
materials. Generally speaking, mineral products are more durable than
organic
products, and solid wood is more durable than processed wood. However, "generally
speaking" doesn't always hold true. For instance, the fastener holes
on a cheap metal roof (a mineral product) may enlarge and begin
leaking within 5 years, while a well-done cedar shingle roof (an
organic product) may last 20 years or more. Good judgment, extensive
product
knowledge, and careful examination of manufacturer's information
are often needed
to select durable materials.
- Design details must match the local conditions. For
instance, a cold roof with adhesive ice shield at the eaves
and valleys is
important in most of Montana and northern Idaho where frequent
cycling between freezing and thawing temperatures can produce
amazing winter ice formations on roofs. Large overhangs or
shade structures
are important throughout most of the South and Southwest
to prevent excessive heat gain through windows during the summer.
In temperate
rain forest areas of Washington and Alaska, a whole lot
of rainwater must be transported away from buildings. Using designs
from other
places or using outdated details can lower the durability
of
the building or increase costs unnecessarily. Make sure your
designer
knows the local conditions and building conventions.
- Engineered
lumber products formed from small pieces of wood and held together
with glues or resins are becoming
more available
and affordable. In many cases, engineered products
work as well as or better than solid sawn lumber. Engineered lumber
products have consistent quality and don't twist or warp
like solid
sawn
lumber often does. However, they should be used with
caution in damp or wet locations. Mold can damage processed
wood faster
than
sawn lumber. The glues in many engineered lumber products
will disintegrate over time if they are exposed to moisture.
Make
sure the product you choose is designed to work where
you want to put
it.
- Alternatives to light frame wood or steel construction
for low-rise buildings may offer improved durability and
energy efficiency in some climates. These construction methods
include:
- Durable cabinetry and trim is important in structures
that are likely to experience hard use, such as bunkhouses.
Although durable materials may cost more initially, they
generally will
remain serviceable for the life of the structure. Less
durable products may need to be replaced in 5 years or
less. Select solid
wood or plywood components, rather than formed wood products
with painted, plastic, or veneer surfaces. Pay attention
to drawer construction—often,
drawer sides, bottoms, and hardware on commercially available
cabinets are not very sturdy.
- Vermin and rot resistance can
be a challenge, especially in remote locations. Bugs, fungi,
and rodents
can swiftly turn
a serviceable structure into a crumbling mess. Check
out Controlling
Rodents in Forest Service Facilities: Reports from the
Field (Optional link for FSweb
users) for
help dealing with rodents. Quit
Eating My Signs! Pepper-Based Coating Discourages Animals
from Damaging Structures (Optional link for FSweb
users) and EcoCote
International have information on products
that keep animals, birds, and bugs from chewing. Building
Envelope Design and Mold (Web site available only
to FS and BLM employees) has information on preventing
and controlling mold. The Preservative-Treated
Wood (Optional link for FSweb
users) section of the
Facilities Toolbox has information on appropriate treatment
to prevent wood decay and boring
insect damage.
- Small problems can have a large effect
on the appearance, function, and maintenance costs
of a building.
Keep these
thoughts in mind when specifying details for structures:
- White grout in floor tile will not remain white. Specify a
dark grout color.
- Rubber or plastic base molding that is bent
and glued around the outside corners of walls will come loose.
Specify pre-molded
corner pieces.
- Rounded outside drywall corners
or square corners with corner guards extending at least 48
inches above the floor will curtail
the seemingly constant need to repair chips
at high-traffic corners.
- Electrical outlets do not have to be
hammer handle high from the floor. In most rooms,
especially offices,
electrical outlets
that are 32 to 40 inches above the floor
will be more convenient and less likely to be rendered
unusable
because they are hidden
behind heavy furniture. While you're at it,
install enough outlets to accommodate lots
of electronic
devices.
Doing so will keep people
from overloading circuits with multiple-outlet
extension cords and converters.
- Tackable surfaces
should be installed in offices and meeting rooms so employees
can
hang reference
materials and personal items
without using tape or poking tacks into
the drywall. In meeting rooms, tackable strips
at 40 inches
and 76 inches above the floor
allow flip charts and other materials to
be hung at both levels within reach of
most employees.
- Soap dispensers from commercial washroom
equipment suppliers that are designed
to work by pushing
the end of a stem-mounted
dispenser spout seldom survive more than
2 years. Specify touch-free soap dispensers
with
infrared
sensors or
use inexpensive dispensers
recommended by the soap supplier.
- For
structures occupied by field-going personnel, choose flooring
colors that
are similar to
the local dirt or that will minimize
the visibility of dirt and mud.
- Toilet paper dispensers and waste receptacles that protrude into toilet stalls should have rounded corners to minimize gouging and bruising employees and visitors.
- White grout in floor tile will not remain white. Specify a
dark grout color.