The shocking truth is that our home environments are becoming increasingly toxic.

The air outside in many cases is cleaner than the air in our homes. The United States has an asthma rate that is almost 10 times that of China. According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, asthma rates in the U.S. are increasing.

‘A lot of the chemicals that have become very common in our world today, things like plastics, artificial colors, pesticides are really high on the list of suspect agents that promote cancer, that promote premature aging, that increase risks of chronic degenerative diseases. ‘
Andrew Weil

For some of our concerned clients we offer the means to test the quality of the air in the home. With precision and calibrated lab equipment we pump the air in your home over several hours into a sealed tube that traps pollutants. The toxins are then analyzed by our partner's lab using a method called IR Spectroscopy. The result is an easily understood report that spells out in English, the pollutants and chemicals in your environment. If you know what the problem is, then the issue can be corrected -- often with ease.

One of the core goals of a Green Home is to have an interior which is both comfortable and healthy to live in. We provide advise on materials and supplies that help contribute to a healthy environment.

As your home becomes increasingly tighter, toxins in the air will need to be vented. We recommend the use of a HRV (Heat Recovery Ventilator) when this is the case. Blower door testing will indicate when it is important for your home to have additional ventilation. We can also help you test for Radon. (We can help you fix your home, recommended if you have a radon level of 4 pCi/L or more.)

We are a proponent of cellulose for much of your insulation needs. (Video with Morley Safer, on the safety and environmental benefits of cellulose.)

When used in wall cavities, cellulose does a great job of filling all voids. Cellulose does a great job in tightening up your homes envelope and preventing air leaks. Cellulose has no VOC's - volatile organic compounds and is made from 87% recycled material.

It is imperative to stay away from products that can off-gas formaldehyde, like some of the earlier brands of fiberglass. Fiberglass is also required to carry health warnings on the packaging.

Although many of the foams are considered to be safe, we do have some concerns in that they are made from petroleum by-products. Even soy based foam is comprised largely of petroleum.

We've done a burn test of fiberglass, polyurethane foam and cellulose. Fiberglass melts at about 1000F and is not an effective fire block. The various foams we tested produce noxious sooty smoke when burned. Cellulose would not catch fire, even when under the intense heat of a torch for 5 minutes. The foams all melted and/or flashed in a few seconds.