My Chemical-Free House
A Guide to Creating a Healthy Home
There are a variety of underlayments used under wood floors, click-together floating floors, as well as carpet and tile. Underlay can serve various functions like cushioning, sound deadening, leveling, uncoupling, and moisture resistance. The following underlayments are relatively high in off-gassing (too high for me): This post goes over the best non-toxic low-VOC options. Paper …
Hemp can be used in building homes in many ways but building with hemp is very different than building with conventional construction methods. Hempcrete can be tamped into board-formed walls, used as premade bricks, sprayed into cavities, or formed into precast panels. It acts as insulation and as an interior and/or exterior surface, though it …
Fully updated in August 2025 This is a complete guide to non-toxic decking – types, materials, additives, and brands. For most people, the main choice is between composite decking and solid wood decking. For the chemically sensitive, you will have to get samples yourself of the decking materials as well as the stains needed for …
Partially Updated in 2023, Updated for Substack in 2025 This list focuses on non-toxic prefabricated (“prefab”) homes. They must be both mold-preventative designs and low-VOC to be “healthy homes” in my book. I have reviewed them myself with input from customers and building science experts. Many need further closer inspection. When considering a prefab, it’s …
The following are concrete and natural earth-based wall build systems that do not off-gas toxins and are suitable for the chemically sensitive. These are alternative build types, the options for building a healthy home apart from the standard timber frame, fiberglass, and gypsum boards. Pumicecrete Walls A mix of pumice and concrete is poured into …
I have been helping folks create healthy homes for over 8 years now! A certified Building Biologist Practitioner, I began this journey with the build of my own tiny, chemically safe house, the place in which I started to recover from mold illness and severe chemical sensitivity. My main expertise lies in materials available in …
This article will discuss preventing mold in tiny homes that are custom-built. Usually on wheels, but much of this could apply to lane houses and other tiny homes not on wheels (though I don’t discuss foundations here). This will apply to some prefab but not all types. This post contains affiliate links to products that …
Some preliminary considerations if building a tiny home with healthy materials: 1. Choosing Plans Because I wanted a more modern style, I bought conventional plans from Leaf House. I wanted to change the layout to make the living room bigger, which entailed changing almost every other aspect of the design. In a tiny house, one …
This post contains affiliate links. Upon purchase, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Non-Toxic Shower Options that I Considered Tiles My first plan when designing my tiny house was to use tiles. But because grout without additives (plain Portland Cement) may not hold up in the long run to mold …
