A Guide to Creating a Healthy Home
This website will guide you through the creation, renovation or redecoration of a chemical-free, VOC-free, mold-free house suitable for the environmentally sensitive.
I look at materials that apply to conventional houses, as well as unconventional homes like earthen houses, cabins and tiny houses.
I also look at trailers, campers, RVs and simple or emergency shelters.
This is a living guide – all posts are kept up to date as much as possible. I add new information and update links often.
More about my Consulting HERE.
What information is Deemed Credible and Used to Inform the Research
- Books on healthy home building, materials composition and chemistry (not self-published)
- Building Biology Institute official educational materials
- Material Safety Data sheets
- Information from the manufacturers
- Environmental organizations eg. EWG, Pharos, David Suziki
- Respected green building sites like Green Building Adviser and 475
- Experience: Reactions and tolerance of specific brands gathered from thousands of chemically sensitive folks
- My own testing to compare offgassing levels of different brands
- Luke Skaff, Electrical Engineer, who specializes in electrical and mechanical equipment like HVAC, air filtration and appliances, is a contributor on posts that are technical
- Carl Grimes, Industrial Hygienist, contributed to the post on mitigating offgassing and cargo trailers
- Education material from Cheryl Ciecko, Architect who specializes in mold prevention
Conventional Buildings and the link to CFS and MCS
Those with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS/ME), Fibromyalgia and other auto-immune illnesses are disproportionately affected by the toxic chemicals used in everyday materials.
From drywall, to paint, glues, pipes, plastics, vinyl, stains and finishes, insulation, plywood, curtains, composite woods, laminate flooring, mattresses, couches, cleaning solvents, and carpets – we are surrounded by chemicals.
In many years of consulting, almost everyone also has a mold problem in their living space.
Those of us with autoimmune illnesses can greatly improve our quality of life by removing the chemicals in our immediate environment.
It is the reason why we often feel so much better in a tent in the woods or on the beach of a tropical island – away from the onslaught of pollution, indoor chemicals, mold, and EMFs.
How Affiliate Links are Used
Over the years more companies that I have talked about in the blog have created affiliate programs to link to them, so over time, the blog has more links.
More and more products are now available on Amazon as well, which is the preferred supplier for many people in the US.
I do think in time the smaller companies I mention will also create affiliate programs, so in time more links may become affiliate links.
The blog is research-heavy and compared to other blogs and competitors, I make it a priority to provide information first. This means all of the “best of” in a category will be included whether they have an affiliate program or not.
None of the posts are sponsored and I have not allowed paid guest posts (or any guest posts so far) on the site.
Geographical Area
The blog focuses on products available in the US and Canada.
My Qualifications
I have a Certification in Buiding Biology. I regularly take courses such as those offered by Cheryl Ciecko Architect and other CEUs for builders.