And you thought your family and children were so safe inside the home environment cozily protected from potent health hazards! But did you know that the source of asthma, lead poisoning, and many such types of chronic health conditions could lie within your home environs?
According to a recent survey, it has been revealed that your family especially the kids are threatened with major health risks if the design/architecture, building, and maintenance of your home is improper.
So while planning out a new home or a home remodeling/renovation make sure that your home planner or design architect makes use of healthier home building techniques and technology. This shall ensure that your family and kids residing in such healthy homes are much healthier and safer!
You might incur higher expenses while constructing a healthy and environmentally friendly home as compared to normal homes. But the health and life of your children and family are supposed to be of utmost importance above anything else!
So while you are busy with your home plans or home renovation ideas spare a thought on the following points to build a healthier and safer home.
- Budget your home plans keeping in mind that you have to use non-toxic or less toxic building materials that are a bit more expensive than general building materials.
- General building and construction materials (particularly glues, paints, varnishes, insulators, etc.) are usually loaded with toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as urea, formaldehyde, lead, asbestos, carbon monoxide, etc. derived from petroleum. If inhaled continuously these toxins accumulate in the body leading to serious health problems.
- While constructing cabinets and countertops or for sheathing, sub-flooring, and roof decking the ideal choice is solid wood but if it is too expensive go in for exterior grade plywood only instead of particleboard/fiberboard that contains toxic glue mixed with wood chips.
- Avoid vinyl and wall-to-wall carpet flooring. Vinyl floors contain polyvinyl chloride (PVC) a harmful chemical while fully carpeted floors accumulate dust, dust mites, molds, etc. all of which are potent causative agents of allergy, asthma, and other chronic respiratory problems. Instead use healthier floor alternatives such as cork, solid wood, Marmoleum, tiles, bamboo, and so on.
- Always make use of strictly low-odor and non-toxic paints containing highly reduced amounts of VOCs such as paints comprising of just clay and pigments. Paints are usually loaded with high quantities of lead. Avoid using such paints completely.
- Avoid using resins and glues that contain formaldehyde, especially urea-formaldehyde.
- Avoid building bedrooms/living rooms over the garage space of your house. Toxic gasoline fumes can outgas from the fuel tank of your car and infiltrate into the bedrooms.
- Install carbon monoxide testers/detectors especially near furnaces, fireplaces, and garage areas of your home. Radon testers must be essentially placed in the basement areas of your home as this harmful radioactive gas occurring in the soil can seep into your home through the foundation.
- For the construction of a healthy home only hire registered professional home planners and home builders/contractors who have the required knowledge of building and planning healthier homes based on strict building guidelines.
Want to discuss more? Contact our remodeling consultant now.