Modern homes are more efficient and functional than ever. New building technologies come out all the time to save homeowners money and reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. If you're thinking about building a home in the next few years, here's what you need to know about building materials that can help.

Solar Thermal Cladding

A home's cladding is its siding, which usually takes the form of a traditional material like brick, wood or vinyl. Solar cladding is designed to look very much like traditional siding while it absorbs energy from the sun. Solar cladding can be used to heat the home's interior, and the home's plumbing as well. Solar thermal cladding is the perfect product to accompany solar panels on the roof of a home.

Some homeowners worry about super-heating their home in summer. However, the cladding is designed to deflect summer sun. Homeowners who install solar thermal cladding on their home enjoy green heat in the winter and a reduced dependence on fuel like natural gas.

Grasscrete and Environmentally-Friendly Concrete

In its normal form, concrete is not an environmentally friendly material. Making concrete and disposing of it is bad for the environment. Still, concrete remains one of the most useful building materials in existence, and it is used regularly in the building of structures, walkways and driveways.

To solve this problem, engineers and scientists have been working hard to come up with a sustainable alternative. Environmentally friendly concrete, which is still under development, is designed to absorb carbon dioxide from the air. This concrete is in its trial stages, but it may soon be available to home builders everywhere.

In addition, a new product called Grasscrete is changing the way concrete functions while in the ground. Grasscrete is a concrete product with holes in the center to allow grass to poke through. Grasscrete uses less concrete (and thus is environmentally friendlier), and also enables water to be absorbed into the ground beneath the concrete. Grasscrete can be used to make driveways and walkways.

Rammed Earth

Rammed earth is a technology that has been around for thousands of years. In fact, some portions of the Great Wall of China is made using rammed earth! While this is not a new building technique, it is now gaining popularity with modern homeowners.

Rammed earth is made by building up forms to hold earth, and then tightly compacting the earth in between the forms. When the earth is dry and hard, the supporting forms are removed. Rammed earth is environmentally friendly because it's made from a completely natural material. Rammed earth is also fire resistant, and an excellent insulator.

Smart Home Technologies

Smart home technologies are taking over! They're easy to install, and can be installed after the fact. Many smart technologies help the home run more efficiently and conveniently. Common examples of smart home technologies include:

• Smart blinds. These products can be programed to raise and lower according to a pre-set schedule, or with the progress of the sun throughout the day.
• Smart locks. A smart lock can be operated via wifi and bluetooth on a smart phone or a computer console, for added security for homeowners.
• Smart thermostat. Many smart thermostats are designed to "learn" the behavior patterns of the homeowner, to turn on the thermostat at times when it's most desired.
• Home assistant. A home assistant enables the homeowner to control all of their home's smart devices from one easy to access location.

Green Roofs and Walls

Green roofs and walls are easily recognizable. These structures have soil and plants attached to them, either over a portion of the structure, or over the entire structure. Often, green roofs and walls have smaller plants like flowers and grass. However, some green roofs support large vegetation.

There are many advantages to green roofs and walls. Structures of this nature are good for biodiversity conservation. Some green structures are good for growing crops. Finally, these walls are excellent for stormwater management. Plants on the roof absorb the water, and a waterproof membrane on the structure helps protect the wall beneath.

Work With Your Home Builder

Waterways new home buyers who are interested in using cutting edge technologies to build their home can work with their home builder to integrate these materials into their residence. A good home builder will know what to do in order to ensure these materials are used to their full potential. If you're a homeowner who would like to start the construction of your modern residence, contact a reputable home builder in your area today.