I, Corinne Segura, am the site owner and main author of the site.
I hold certificates in Building Biology, Healthier Materials and Sustainable Buildings, and I am a Moisture Intrusion Inspector. I’m a guest author at Green Building Advisor and course creator at the Building Biology Institute. For 8 years I have worked as a Healthy Building Materials Specifier for new builds and renovations. As someone with mold and chemical sensitivities, I also have a lot of personal experience creating safer living spaces.
Guidelines for how the articles are written
My Professional Courses & Qualifications:
International Institute of Building Biology Certified Building Biology Practitioner (2016)
Cheryl Ciecko Architect Building a Safe Home (2019)
Building Performance Workshop Crash Course and Tiny Spaces Course (2020)
Maine Indoor Air Quality Council Residential Construction Trainings Foundations Course, Shell Course, HVAC Course, Renos Course, Wrap and Strap Course (2020)
Building Science Corp Renovation & Rehabilitation (2020)
InterNACHI Certified Moisture Intrusion Inspector (2020)
Cheryl Ciecko Architect Found Mold? (2020)
Cheryl Ciecko Architect Finding Defects (2020)
Parsons School of Design – The New School Certificate in Healthier Materials and Sustainable Buildings (2022)
Living Architecture Academy Biophilic Design: Science, Theory, Economics & Practice (2022)
My Personal Experience
I had extreme chemical and mold sensitivities when I first set out to build a chemical-free tiny house.
The research and testing of those materials is what sparked the creation of this blog. I wanted to make that information, which was difficult to find at the time, available online.
Building and Renovating
When I had to choose materials for my tiny house there were few resources to go by. Navigating which products to test was difficult. I would change a lot about that tiny house knowing what I know now!
After the build of my house, I decided to become certified as a Building Biologist Practitioner/Advocate. My full list of certifications and courses can be found at the top of this post.
Now I help people choose healthy building materials for new builds and renos, for conventional and unconventional building systems. We look at the pros and cons of different options, and what will work best for you.
I work alongside architects and building science experts to make sure your build is mold-resistant.
Trailers, Tiny Homes and Shelters
I have owned and lived in three customized trailers and built 2 custom shelters for chemical and mold avoidance. I now help folks buy or build healthier trailers, tiny homes, and shelters.
Mold Avoidance
When setting out in 2013 to pursue Erik-style mold avoidance, I faced some major challenges without the help of Facebook groups, books on this topic, or coaches.
After hitting mold for the second time, I started from scratch again. I became really hypersensitive to mold and chemicals and lived outside for many years.
My current interest in analyzing low toxin, low mold housing reflects this! If I could do it again I would now have the tools needed to find safe indoor housing and not spend prolonged periods of time sleeping outside.
For 10 years I have closely followed folks’ journeys with mold avoidance and chemical avoidance to see how people succeeded and why some failed.
This has helped provide a broad picture of the various roads you can take on your journey to getting free of mold.
