Coronavirus drives construction of "healthy" homes
The health crisis has caused health to be a key factor when building a new development or a new home.
The real estate sector is no stranger to the situation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. It could be said that a real revolution is taking place in the real estate sector: eco-paintings, ecological coatings, ventilation panels for better energy efficiency, ...
These are just a few examples of the trend when building new homes or renovating existing properties. If the 'sustainable approach' had already been established in the architects' approaches, the health vector is now gaining strength.
Healthiness in buildings
In the words of Alfredo Sanz, President of the General Council of Technical Architecture of Spain (CGATE), "Just as sustainability demands have become a differentiating factor for developers, so will healthiness in buildings.
The solution, say the experts, is to rely on inert materials, that is, those that do not release or absorb substances or bacteria. Choosing paints with low VOC (volatile organic compounds) emissions or, ideally, free of emissions, is one of the first decisions that any developer or builder should make.
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Examples of healthy materials
The eco-paint Airlite, which has been applied in more than two million square meters in Europe (including Spain ) 100% mineral paint and has several certifications of sustainable construction.
"The studies carried out indicate its high efficiency in the elimination of viruses (such as flu and coronavirus), bacteria and fungi from painted surfaces and from the air", emphasizes María Martín, managing partner of Airlite.
Also the ceramics and stoneware from Iris Ceramics Group, eliminate almost all the bacteria, self-cleaning in exteriors and mitigating odors. Or Krion, a new generation solid surface for kitchens and bathrooms, mostly mineral, developed by Krion-Porcelanosa Group.
Isolations, more and more important
The materials that are seen are as important as those that go unnoticed because they are hidden. The multinational Knauf Insulation offers insulation solutions in glass mineral wool and rock that help to improve the interior quality of homes thanks to the natural binder ETechnology, based on renewable natural materials.
"These insulations have the most demanding international certificate of indoor air quality, the Eurofins Gold", maintains Oscar del Rio, general director of Knauf Insulation Iberia.
More info: The healthy materials revolution is coming to the homes (El País). Image: Samuel Scalzo on Unsplash.
