INDUSTRY INSIGHT: 
Beyond Green
Make Yours a Healthy Home
by Lilian Lee
Last year, the buzz was about green homes; this year, healthy homes are making noise. And beware homeowners, keeping your house “green” doesn’t necessarily mean you’re living “healthy”.
Since World War II, there has been an explosion in the use of man-made chemicals. Once the human body is exposed to these chemicals it is not able to process them. The toxins created by these chemicals first invade a body’s fat cells, then move on to invade the rest of the body and settle in the organs. For the three to nine million Americans suffering from chemical sensitivity, these toxins cause all sorts of problems including diabetes, multiple sclerosis, migraines, sinus problems, depression and more.
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The chemically sensitive, out of necessity for their own health, were the first to build to strict, toxin-free standards, but healthy houses are gaining national momentum. At the most basic level, they are designed and built from the ground up with minimal man-made chemicals and materials. The process of building chemical-free requires, to say the least, an active interest in and knowledge of what materials and methods developers are using to make your house toxin-free, not just green.
For example, don’t be tricked into
thinking that having an airtight interior to reduce heating and cooling costs is the green and environmental way to go. It’s more imperative to avoid toxic materials indoors so that troublesome air quality issues won’t corrupt an impermeable interior. Once they start gassing, formaldehydes from synthetic wall-to-wall carpeting or VOCs in paints can both emit toxins into living quarters. Furthermore, drafts in enclosed spaces lead to bigger problems than expensive bills, as moist air entering a wall cavity can cause mold growth.
For those building and maintaining healthy homes, there are many one-time decisions that can drastically reduce toxin exposure in the house. Once choice is to build the garage as a freestanding building to limit the chances of fumes entering the living space. For housekeeping, replace regular vacuuming with CentralVac, a vacuum system built into a home that sucks out the dust and carries it to a remotely located collection center outside of the house.
According to the American Lung Association Health House program, it costs three to five percent more to construct a healthy home than one built according to traditional standards. However, consider the savings in utility and medical bills, especially if living with young children who are still developing immune systems.
