Practical Considerations To Make Your House Healthier & Less Toxic
"Creating a non-toxic home environment is an investment in your family's well-being."
Deirdre Imus
Imagine living in a house that secretly harms you. A place where your health silently erodes due to hidden toxins lurking in the walls, air, and water. Shockingly, for many of us, this isn't a dystopian nightmare, but our daily reality.
The average person spends the majority of their time indoors, unknowingly exposed to a cocktail of chemicals, mold, and electromagnetic radiation within their very own homes. This number has risen significantly with the increase in remote work, highlighting the paramount importance of understanding and mitigating potential indoor environmental hazards. Yet, the symptoms of this "toxic load" often mimic common ailments, leaving us searching for solutions in the wrong places.
Paula Baker, co-author of Prescriptions for a Healthy House: A Practical Guide for Architects, Builders and Homeowners sheds light on the often overlooked aspects of our living environments that can significantly impact our well-being. With a background in Architecture and Building Biology, Paula delves into the key factors that make our homes toxic and ways to reduce this toxic load.
I’m fascinated by the topic of simple yet overlooked strategies to reduce environmental factors negatively impacting our health, including ways to reduce toxins in our home and to make our house healthier in general. This article delves into the hidden dangers lurking within our houses, offering practical guidance on uncovering and combating these threats. We'll explore the five key areas of indoor health hazards, the importance of building biology assessments, and essential strategies for building and maintaining a truly healthy home.
How To Make A Healthy House
1. It's incredible that so many of us can spend so much time in our houses and not realize that the environment may be creating toxic stress and hurting our health. What are the key factors to reducing the toxic load in a house that is already built?
The key indoor health hazards that are most commonly found in an existing home can be categorized into five main areas:
Harmful chemicals
Byproducts of combustion
Mold
Other naturally occurring hazards
Electromagnetic radiation.
With an existing home an Indoor Environmental Quality Assessment is the best place to begin because each home, like each person, has its own unique health issues. Both visual inspection and air sample testing in the hands of a trained professional will reveal priorities for health. Special attention to places where the home has been affected by water leaks or floods, and where there are odors is important. Older homes may contain harmful substances such as lead, and asbestos and are usually less water and air-tight than newer homes. Newer homes are more likely to have materials that have not fully outgassed and contain more synthetic finishes which directly or indirectly can affect our health and well-being.
Water quality should always be tested and can usually be greatly improved upon.
It is also important to assess the electromagnetic radiation (EMR) levels with specialized assessment tools. Building Biology-trained experts around the country can perform air, water, mold, and EMR home inspections and assessments. A listing of certified specialists can be found at the Building Biology Institute website.
In some areas there are Industrial Hygienists who will also work on air and mold aspects of residential assessment.
2. What are some key components of building a healthy house?
Examining existing homes and where they fail to protect our health informs us of how to build better new homes. Besides avoiding things that cause ill health, the best designs can also deeply nurture and enhance our lives and play a large role in creating a sense of well-being. Hopefully, everyone reading this has experienced homes where they felt especially welcome, nurtured, enlivened, and embraced.
Unfortunately, homes often have the opposite effect and the occupants are often unaware of this until their health is compromised. Building Biology dives deeply into the principles that nurture human health in the built environment in a myriad of subtle and not-so-subtle ways and has always been our guide to successful design.
In our own architectural projects, beyond specifying the healthiest ingredients, we prefer to work exclusively with mass wall systems that are vapor-open and very durable. A successful wall system will help produce good acoustics, a balance of healthy humidity, a comfortable indoor climate, and a balanced subtle electro-climate.
A few other key components to building biology success are:
Choosing a healthy location
Avoiding air exchange between the garage and living space (consider a detached garage with a breezeway)
Isolating the mechanical room
Detailing a well-drained elevated slab on grade whenever possible (rather than a basement and crawl spaces which are so often sources of mold and pest invasions)
Designing well-sloped roofs with generous overhangs
Assuring good perimeter water management practices
Designing in climatically appropriate passive heating and cooling features,
Using radiant heating as opposed to ducted central air handling,
Designing an area for removing shoes combined with easily cleanable floors (no wall-to-wall carpeting)
Including features for water damage protection from domestic plumbing and occupant use such as floor drains and flood control shut-off devices.
Adding in mechanical filtration and air exchange wherever the climate and circumstances warrant
Building in electromagnetic radiation (EMR) protection, including ethernet connections, bedroom night-time shutoffs, proper household wiring, and shielding from exterior sources when required (read this for how to do that).
3. When buying a home, what are some of the most important qualities to look for in the site?
When considering the purchase of a home, it is essential to meticulously assess various qualities in the site. Locations with inherent problems can impact both well-being and budget. The evaluation of a site encompasses potential naturally occurring and manufactured hazards.
Some naturally occurring hazards to look for are:
Radon
High water table
Unfavorable microclimate
Unsuitable soils
Fire danger
Geopathic stress zones
Manufactured site hazards to watch for include:
Air quality
Light and noise pollution
Water quality
Contaminated soils
EMR issues from surrounding installations such as cell towers, and power lines and smart meters.
Another thing to consider is past and future pollution potential. If the land was used for industrial activity in the past, there is a higher chance of pollutants in the soil and water. It is also important to see if the land is in zoning that may allow for undesirable density or activity in the future. Consider looking at the zoning in surrounding lots and their uses.
There is much to evaluate when choosing a site, so it may be beneficial to hire one or more consultants, especially if remedies to suspected problems are costly. Some of the specialists to consider are phase I environmental inspector, geotechnical engineer, septic engineer, water quality specialist, and electromagnetic evaluation and remediation specialist.
By ensuring a comprehensive assessment of the site and seeking professional guidance when needed, prospective homeowners can make informed decisions that align with their health, well-being, and financial goals. More details about site selection can be found in our book, Prescription for a Healthy House, in Chapter 6 “Site Selection”.
4. What are the major appliances that people should think about when it comes to the health of their home?
House appliances account for as much as 30% of household energy use, can significantly impact indoor air and acoustic quality, and can be a big source of electromagnetic pollution, so choosing wisely can greatly affect your well-being in your home.
What are the appliances made of? It is always recommended to learn as much as possible about the materials of the different components in appliances and to avoid plasticizers that contain BPA, BPS, and phthalates. Learn more here.
Just as important as picking the right appliance is learning how to clean and maintain them.
Here is a quick simplified list of things to consider when buying appliances:
Dishwashers: Consider energy efficiency, cost, and noise level, along with their impact on indoor air quality. Tubs made of polypropylene or stainless steel have trade-offs, with polypropylene being a healthier plastic option. Nylon-coated racks are preferable to PVC-coated ones. It is very important to choose a model with built-in flood control.
Microwave Ovens: Beyond food safety, be mindful of electromagnetic radiation concerns. FDA standards limit microwave radiation leakage, but leaks can occur over time. Awareness of potential radiation dangers is crucial.
Trash Compactors: Ensure ease of cleaning and check for a deodorizer chamber. Avoiding deodorizers with harmful chemicals is strongly recommended.
Refrigerators: Consider interior materials as plastics, motors, and insulation can contribute to off-gassing. Glass and stainless-steel interiors are healthier options. Choose quiet models with low decibel ratings. Be cautious of bright blue LED lights as they impact melatonin production. Also, consider how easily accessible the condensation coils and tray are for cleaning as these can harbor dust and mold respectively. Consider putting your refrigerator on castors so that it can be easily rolled out for maintenance.
Cook Tops, Ovens, and Ranges: Gas-fueled appliances release indoor air pollutants as bi-products of combustion; electric options are preferable for air quality but can generate high electromagnetic radiation fields with induction ranges being the worst. Note the clock on either electric or gas units can be the worst EMF offender.
Range Hood: Adequate ventilation is essential to minimize pollution and moisture. The range hood should be adequately sized and pull air out through the roof and not simply recirculate it through filters as many range hoods do. A quiet fan encourages more frequent use, and it only does its job when it gets turned on. Kitchen ventilation creates powerful suction in the house and can lead to dangerous depressurization and back-drafting if that air is not replaced with fresh air. Make-up air should be provided, and although the code mandates it for commercial kitchens, it is very often overlooked in residences.
Laundry Appliances: Gas dryers release combustion gases; condensing dryers without vents and that have reservoirs require careful maintenance to avoid mold reservoirs. One common source of mold is from front-loading laundry machines, which can easily harbor mold in the rubber gasket that seals the door. Though front-loading machines have many benefits, such as being more energy efficient and gentler on clothes, if they are not meticulously cared for they will almost certainly be an issue for those with mold sensitivities.
Central Vacuum System: In new construction you have the opportunity to install a central vacuum for powerful, quieter, and pollution-free cleaning, reducing the need for portable vacuums. Portable vacuums should have good HEPA filtration and be built so that no dust becomes airborne during the vacuuming process. People often don’t realize that using a poorly sealed or filtered vacuum can make the air more polluted by spewing dust!
Sauna: Consider saunas for relaxation and detoxification, but be cautious of electromagnetic fields and undesirable finishes in some models. (Note from Brian: one of the reasons we use the HighsrDose Sauna Blanket is because it is a low-EMF one.)
All motorized appliances also have electromagnetic radiation concerns. Some impacts can be minimized by planning appliance placement a safe distance away from lounging and sleeping areas. Smart appliances also emit unwanted radio frequencies. Other electromagnetic concerns such as MEP (dirty electricity) can affect more sensitive individuals and require expertise to resolve. More detailed information can be found in Chapter 22 “Appliances” in our 4th edition.
5. What are your recommendations for cleaning the home? What are your favorite products to use?
John Banta, my co-author, is a leading expert in developing protocols for cleaning toxic mold I have learned more about best cleaning practices from him than from my mother!
General maintenance and an effective cleaning routine are crucial in preventing and reducing the toxic load in a house. Those who are highly sensitive to mold and other toxic compounds, as well as those in the best of health, greatly benefit from regular and effective cleaning, A shoes-off policy at the entry with a bench, a place to store street shoes, and a generous collection of slippers does far more to keep a home clean than most realize.
The first step in a healthy cleaning routine is to use a high-quality HEPA vacuum, focusing on visibly dirty areas and soft surfaces. Vacuums should always be serviced and emptied outside to avoid releasing dust and dirt back into the house. As John often says, “ban the broom”. The brands that I recommend are Miele and Shark. These are 2 vacuums that have consistently shown to be effective at trapping dust as measured with a Particle Counter.
If your home has carpeting then it most likely needs to be vacuumed more frequently and far more thoroughly than you may imagine in order to maintain healthy air quality. Carpet and underpadding are reservoirs of dust, dirt, pesticides, and mold. Anyone who has ever ripped up old carpeting for the first time is usually shocked by the sheer amount of grime that has accumulated under it.
When it comes to cleaning products, soap and water are very underrated, and are the safest way to kill germs. Just add a small amount of soap or dishwashing agent to water to clean most things. One of our favorite cleaning products is Branch Basics, though there are plenty of other healthy and effective products now available. Some common household products that are also very effective are white vinegar, baking soda, borax, and hydrogen peroxide. There is a comprehensive product list in chapter 8 and a homeowner’s guide for general maintenance and cleaning in chapter 30 “Home Owner’s Guide to Maintaining a Healthy Home, which is new to our 4th edition of Prescriptions for a Healthy House.
To learn more, visit these sites:
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