Discover San Antonio's leading non-toxic home builders committed to creating healthy homes that prioritize your well-being and family's long-term flourishing.
A complete list of green, eco friendly non-toxic insulation options for homes and trailers. A guide to choosing zero and low VOC options, both natural/organic and synthetic. Includes a look at additives, chemicals, offgassing, costs, and R value.
Learn about the use and risks of asbestos, formaldehyde, PVC, VOCs, and other toxic building materials, as well as alternative items to create a healthier home.
Should you live in your home during a renovation? Explore the hidden toxins in construction & learn how to minimize exposure to best protect yourself and loved ones. Learn tips for living on-site & decide - remodel or relocate? Breathe easy & create a healthy home!
Alternative to wood built frame houses. Alternative wall types that are non-toxic and safe for the chemically sensitive.
Many of my clients are renovating their homes or making small improvements to their existing homes and want to know where to invest their money to make the most impact on healthy living. When you are making home upgrades, the most costly areas of creating a healthier home will likely be for air quality. Since this […]
Wanting to build a custom home without sacrificing your family's health? Prioritize family health with non-toxic & low-VOC glues & adhesives. Discover and compare popular options, like Titebond III vs. ECOS, & choose the right fit for your project. Build a healthy home today!
Should you live in your home during a renovation? Explore the hidden toxins in construction & learn how to minimize exposure to best protect yourself and loved ones. Learn tips for living on-site & decide - remodel or relocate? Breathe easy & create a healthy home!
Let's make choosing healthy non-toxic furniture easy. Here is all my research to help you choose healthier furniture.
"Doesn't a healthy home cost more to build than a regular home?" If you have had this thought, please raise your hand. You are not alone in that assumption! The truth is, health and wellness focused homes can cost more to build, but they don't have to! Living in a healthy home is vital for […]
Discover San Antonio's leading non-toxic home builders committed to creating healthy homes that prioritize your well-being and family's long-term flourishing.
Natural low-VOC, zero-VOC, and formaldehyde-free flooring options. Non-toxic laminate, vinyl, tile, engineered wood, carpet.
Discover San Antonio's leading non-toxic home builders committed to creating healthy homes that prioritize your well-being and family's long-term flourishing.
There are lots of healthy insulation options for your home. Learn how to choose the right option for your healthy, high-performance home.
Explore the essentials of non-toxic home building and renovation in San Antonio with a focus on protecting your kids. Learn how to safeguard your family from harmful toxins with expert tips and guidance.
Explore the world of non-toxic home-building in San Antonio with our latest blog post. From understanding the uses of plywood to navigating the shift from OSB, discover how choosing structurally approved, non-toxic plywood can transform your construction journey. Learn about adhesives, explore recom
Insulation in the built environment has been undervalued for too long. Fortunately, that
The amount of resources on the internet can be a little overwhelming, right? It takes a lot of time to sift through it all, verify that it is trustworthy information, and then make an informed decision. It’s nice to know that there are some websites you can visit that are guaranteed to have reliable, trustworthy […]
Our Picks for Affordable Non-Toxic Floors, Non-Toxic Paint, Whole House Water Filter, Whole House Air Purifier for creating a non-toxic home!
Follow these steps to create an energy efficient home that in turn produces a comfortable, healthy home for you and your family.
20 Steps to a Chemical-Free Home In this article, we´ll tell you how to create a chemical-free home by following these simple steps.
It is possible to create a home that produces as much energy as it uses (or more). Here, the experts give their thoughts and advice on creating homes that produce all of their own energy.
Five ways to reduce toxins in your home now. Budget friendly tips to reduce your toxic load and begin your natural living journey.
The amount of resources on the internet can be a little overwhelming, right? It takes a lot of time to sift through it all, verify that it is trustworthy information, and then make an informed decision. It’s nice to know that there are some websites you can visit that are guaranteed to have reliable, trustworthy […]
Many of my clients are renovating their homes or making small improvements to their existing homes and want to know where to invest their money to make the most impact on healthy living. When you are making home upgrades, the most costly areas of creating a healthier home will likely be for air quality. Since this […]
Learning how to have a chemical free home doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Follow these simple steps to build a non-toxic home!
Keeping things simple can make a healthy home and lifestyle more cost effective. You don't have to spend a lot, but your whole family will benefit.
Danish non-profit organization Realdania Byg commissioned Vandkunsten archiects to design a holiday house clad in seaweed.
Choosing natural non-toxic insulation materials like hemp, cellulose (including Grass), wood fiber, straw & cotton lower the carbon footprint & health of homes.
Some small, practical steps you can take to make a huge different when you want to create a non-toxic home for your family.
Learn what to look for in the perfect home and how to ensure a mold free living environment so you can heal after toxic mold exposure.
Amazon.com: The Hand-Sculpted House: A Practical and Philosophical Guide to Building a Cob Cottage: The Real Goods Solar Living Book: 0783324954340: Ianto Evans, Michael G. Smith, Linda Smiley, Deanne Bednar: Tools & Home Improvement
Deciding to go down a path of toxin free living may entail making numerous well-thought out changes, but it doesn't have to be expensive. Some of the easiest
Our homes can be filled with toxins that we aren't even aware of. Learn more about how you can create a toxin free home.
Are You Concerned About The Chemicals That Surround You? A 2013 study by Environmental Defense, a Canadian environmental action organization, found
sustainable furniture, eco friendly furniture, eco furniture, green furniture
Do you have a toxic home environment? Take the toxic home quiz to find out. Then begin implementing strategies to create a healthy home.
"Hempcrete is the eco-friendly building material of the future". If you’ve been following for a while, you’ve probably heard or read something of the likes.
A quick-start guide for natural homebuilders to navigate code approval. Contains helpful tips for dealing with code officials and finding resources.
The prospect of home renovation is intimidating in and of itself, but when you are committed to using the healthiest building materials available, it takes the intimidation factor to a new level. I know because we recently completed a renovation on our new home—and even as a healthy home advocate I had my work cut out for me. As it turns out, many building materials marketed as “green”, “eco friendly”, or “sustainable” may be safer for the environment (often only marginally), but aren’t necessarily safer for humans. And to make it even more confusing and difficult (especially when trying to get your partner and/or contractor on board), manufacturers are adding odor blocking chemicals to products just so they can make the newly popular claims like “low VOC” and “low odor.” How to know what’s really in your building materials There are two main reasons identifying toxic vs. non-toxic building materials is so cumbersome: #1: misleading “green” marketing claims (like the “low VOC” claim mentioned above), and #2: the lack of transparency in labeling required for building materials. Unfortunately, the only ways to really know what’s in the material, is to become familiar with reading Material Safety Data Sheets (aka: MSDS) and/or call up the manufacturer to inquire about the specifics of what actually goes into their products. Luckily, I had Marilee to guide me through the process. I would confidently argue her knowledge from years of experience, level of detail, and degree of scrutiny is unmatched—especially when it comes to building materials’ impact on our health...and I’m excited to pass along what I learned to you. How we completed a non-toxic home renovation We were lucky that the interior of our home didn’t require extensive renovation, and on the exterior, we wanted a front porch and back deck with a screened in porch (Fun fact: we bought the home from an interior designer on the show Trading Spaces who had made some fab updates). Here’s the list of non-toxic, eco-and human-friendly building materials we used Non-Toxic Drywall—National Gypsum from Pyramid Interiors Most drywall found east of the Mississippi River is made of synthetic gypsum, which may contain mercury and other heavy metals, biocides, and other contaminants that end up in the dust inside our homes. What you want is natural, untreated, non-synthetic gypsum. After calling a local drywall supplier to inquire, I found out that I would be able to get natural gypsum through National Gypsum. Pyramid Interiors in Jackson, MS was nice enough to truck in National Gypsum Board (drywall) from their Little Rock, AR location to their Memphis, TN location to their Jackson, MS location all without charging me or making me feel like I was asking too much (and my order was only $300.00). We used this for the fireplace project, where we replaced the 28 ft mirror with drywall and plaster. Non-toxic Drywall Mud/Joint Compound—from Murco Premixed conventional joint compounds typically contain harmful chemicals including VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and SVOCs (semi-volative organic compounds) that ride on household dust. (Continuously, not just when they’re fresh.) Murco M-100 and Murco HA-100 contain none of these harmful chemicals, are affordable, and can be found at your local hardware store. We used this for the fireplace project as well on the drywall. Non-toxic Plaster—Vasari Synthetic plasters typically contain harmful ingredients including SVOCs which can outgas for the life of the product. Vasari lets you achieve an amazing venetian plaster-look, goes on like paint with a natural bonding agent, and is 100% natural. We used Vasari plaster to cover the drywall and finish out our fireplace wall and mantle. Non-toxic Interior & Exterior Paint—ECOS Paints and Sherwin Williams Duration ECOS is a non-toxic baby-safe paint that has no VOCs and no SVOCs. Nearly all no to low VOC conventional paints contain biocides which are SVOCS that ride on dust. Sherwin Williams Duration is a durable exterior conventional paint that cures to no odor very quickly. We used ECOS inside and Sherwin Williams on the outside addition. Caulk—Titebond Weathermaster A no VOC, no SVOC caulk for outdoor use that comes in many colors. It can bridge up to a one-inch gap and is easy to find at your local hardware store. Titebond Weathermaster also can be used as an indoor paintable caulk. We used this for the inside fireplace area project and for custom built-in bookshelves, as well as on the outdoor deck and porch additions. Exterior Wood—Cedar and Pine Natural untreated woods are best. Cedar is naturally rot and pest resistant which enables you to avoid pesticide-treated wood. We used cedar for all of the deck and porch flooring, wall and ceiling. We did use a copper (not arsenic) treated pine for the posts and joints, as pine is less expensive and we would not have direct contact, like walking on it barefoot. I believe we used the Preserve CA treated pine but I am confirming whether we did that one or the Preserve ACQ. Wood Stain—Seal-Once This is a non-toxic tintable exterior wood sealer and it creates a flexible breathable barrier that allows moisture to escape from the wood, prevents water ingress, warping, and cupping while allowing the wood to age naturally and evenly. We used Seal-Once Nano+Poly on all of the non-painted wood for our exterior additions. We also applied two coats of the clear Seal-Once Nano Guard to all six sides (front, back and four edges) of plywood used for our indoor bookshelves in order to help reduce formaldehyde emissions before painting. Additionally, we used their Nano-Guard for the brick ledge around our fireplace before priming and painting. Non Toxic Vapor Barrier— Tu Tuff If you plan to be at home during your renovation then the vapor barrier (plastic covering) used to cover your belongings should be Tu Tuff from Stocote. Tu Tuff is free of endocrine-disrupting plasticizers1 found in the typical poly brands. I actually did not know ahead of time to specify this and every time I came into the house, the plastic new-shower-curtain smell made me feel awful! As someone who is sensitive and very much feels my body reacting to exposures, I am beyond grateful I took the time and effort to figure out what was healthiest and make special orders when necessary. That and the fact that we were planning to get pregnant after moving in! I know it can be difficult to get a partner or contractor on board, but I can’t stress how worth it is in the end! I also can’t stress enough how important it is to be up front with your contractor and have constant communication with him/her. Be sure to find someone that is willing to do what you request and not push what they’re used to using on you just because they’re familiar with it. Remember, this is your home where you live and sleep every day and night! Make it your safe haven! BEFORE & AFTERS
Today we're talking to Martine Davis, Certified Building Biologist about how to make your home toxin free and common things in your home that could be making you sick. These include hidden mold, chemical toxins and EMFs. We'll also debunk some myths about mold and Martine will give you expert advice
With the planet in crisis, we need to do a lot more to improve the sustainability of where we live. Here are five eco friendly home building ideas.
Want to build your own completely customized, artistic, totally non-toxic house with a material that’s literally dirt cheap? Roll up your sleeves and dive into this primer on cob, an earthen mixture that is used to build fireproof, earthquake-resistant, natural structures from homes to pizza ovens. Here you’ll learn about the history of cob, see […]
Creating a toxic free home is possible! Here are 5 easy things you can do to start making your home a healthier environement.
