Healthy House Story
Some 12 or more years ago, information on healthy houses was spotty at best. The children and I were having multiple symptoms and illnesses and I knew we needed to move. So I began researching
allergies ,
allergic reactions
,
asthma
mold allergies, healthy building, and pretty much anything I could get my hands on that related to these. We were fortunate to locate a "healthy house consultant" who provided information and options on building an allergy-free haven to help us regain our health.
In a nutshell, we chose a poured basement, wood flooring on both levels (no carpeting), and a natural linoleum for the kitchen and baths. We also chose to seal the cabinetry to prevent much of the formaldehyde offgassing. The wood floors were sealed with a hard, low-tox coating, and the interior doors were solid wood (no particleboard).
In choosing the above, we avoided much of the problem with VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and formaldehyde that are typical in new construction materials. - Wood floors without carpeting cut WAY down on the dust problem (which especially affected my son with
asthma
).
- Sealing the cabinets with SafeSeal (AFM) prevented a significant amount of formaldehyde gas from entering the living space.
- Choosing natural linoleum (Marmoleum) instead of vinyl flooring, prevented the toxic off gassing common with plasticized floors.
- Choosing solid wood doors eliminated another potent source of
formaldehyde
.
Did the Special Materials Make a Difference?
We did slowly regain our health in a cleaner environment. Allergy attacks and allergic reactivities became fewer and farther between. The combination of a healthy diet, fresh air and supplements, in addition to a non-toxic environment, helped greatly. But that was many years ago now. Today, there are new and better options being offered all the time. Choosing green AND nontoxic has never been as easy as it is now. Build green. Remodel green. There are so many reasons to do so.
Return from Healthy House to Healthy Home
Go to Building Your Green Home Page
The time is NOW. The future is HERE. The color is GREEN.
|
