When I was a tile contractor I struggled with asthma, from dust and paint fumes on job sites. I always worried about the health of the families when the job site turned back into a home.

Popular Home Remodeling Shows Show the Impossible

I was the kid with the perpetually runny nose after my family moved into a newly constructed home. My parents didn’t make the connection of how Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) impact indoor air quality. Many building materials like paints, carpet and vinyl flooring, even particle board furniture contain VOC’s that off gas and cause eye and upper respiratory irritation, nasal congestion, headaches, and dizziness.

How to Decrease VOC levels in Your Home and Improve Indoor Air Quality

One simple way to improve indoor air quality is to open the window unless the air quality outside is worse than indoor air quality. A shocking statistic repeated in my research was We spend 90% of our time indoors. I read a great article by Diane Maceachern on suggestions to enhance air quality, called Healthy Home Reduces Indoor Air Pollution From the Get Go. https://www.momscleanairforce.org/healthyhomes-reduce-air-pollution

Cleaning Product Decisions Matter

Changing to a healthier brand of household cleaning products is one of the easist ways to improve your home’s indoor air quality. Karuna Eberl says in her article on VOC’s for Family Handyman,that in the last couple of decades scented products like candles, room sprays and even trash bags became more popular. Eberl provides great tips to enhance indoor air quality. For example, use your nose, manufacturers use VOC’s in their products so the scent lingers. If your household product smells strong for days, it probably contains more VOC’s. https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/vocs-in-your-home-and-how-to-minimize-them/

Try a New Low VOC Paint Color

Painting a room in a new color is one of the quickest, easiest ways to transform your home. One of my favorite home improvement websites, The Spruce.com has an easy to use comparison guide that discusses important paint topics like cost, appearance, odor, health concerns and environmental impact. For example, choose water-based paints that off-gas less VOC’s than solvent-based paints. https://www.thespruce.com/low-voc-paint-and-no-voc-paint-1976533

Wood is the Way to Go

Wood floors are advertised as a good, natural option and I wanted to know what was available in low-VOC sealers. In my search, I found Homefree to be a user-friendly website for product sources. https://homefreehealthy.net/products . The best and easiest option for hardwood flooring is to purchase it pre-finished; the sanding and sealing take place at the factory instead of in your home. You will avoid all the dust and strong chemical smells of on-site hardwood floor installation. Your lungs will thank-you! Wood furniture is another good air quality option, because it off-gases less than particle board furniture. You can have a fun family adventure going to yard sales or thrift stored to look for pieces of wood furniture to fix up for your healthy home. Parents can teach older kids how to use hand tools and practice basic carpentry skills, while making repurposing a family tradition.

Best Sources to Grasp Big PIcture on Healthy Home Building Materials

The best overall source for healthy home building was the Whole Building Design Guide, https://www.wbdg.org/resources/evaluating-and-selecting-green-products, a comprehensive guide to educate yourself on selecting and evaluating Green products. I updated my Green terminology vocabulary while reading the WBDG. Circular Economy is a industrial system that is restorative or regenerative by design, instead of the old linear model of products made to be thrown away instead of repaired for further use. A personal example of my dedication to reusing products is the old family Maytag washer from the 1980’s. The washer only has three parts that need fixing, so if the parts are available the old Maytag washer will live in my home, instead of taking up space in the landfill. Think of all the money saved buying ten dollar parts instead of a whole new washing machine! The Whole Building Design Guide lists Product Certification Services like Cradle to Cradle. The Cradle to Cradle website explains more about the importance of the Circular Economy where resources are used in infinite cycles which reflects Nature’s processes. https://c2ccertified.org/topic/circular-economy

My Final Observation

I realize the cost of healthy home materials can be more expensive than the mainstream products. I think the extra cost for materials is worth it because it will improve the air quality in our homes, where we spend ninety percent of our time. It’s important to realize a home remodel does not happen the way it does on the popular home remodel shows on television. When you put all the contruction trades together to work on the same jobsite, they get in each other’s way and damage each others work. It’s not a good idea to move in immediately, the day the construction project ends, because the air quality will not be healthy. I have included some easy tips on how to chose healthy home products that contain less Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) that will make your home’s air quality healthier even if you do need to move in immediately. Another choice would be to stay with family or friends for a few days until the air quality improves a bit. I believe in educating your children about air quality and making the Circular Economy part of your family’s tradition.