Get The Facts - Indoor Air Quality & Toxic Building Materials

Friendly Materials

I go to this web site for out-of-the-box thinking and profiles on materials I am generally not familiar with. When I do visit, I almost always learn something new and I like the methodology they use to evaluate the relative healthfulness of various materials. Their database of products is almost exclusively products from European manufacturers. I know for a fact however I can get at least one of their products here in the States as I have already spec’ed it for my development work and sourced it from a Brooklyn supplier. There are a handful of green building certifications that can increase the marketability of one’s home and in some cases are a source of information on healthy building materials. The Living Building Challenge is the only green building certification that requires any kind of validation after a building’s construction that proves it does what it was designed to do. It is a very rigorous and comprehensive certification. Living Building Challenge I go back to what Healthy Building Network says about their work:.”.….when we KNOW better, we DO better.” Please get to know the resources listed within these pages and you too will do better and lead a healthier, more productive life. If you are looking to purchase healthy home building materials locally, there are only a couple places left in the Chicago area that specialize in healthy sustainable building materials and who can advise those wishing to create a healthier home. The local expert on this topic is Andy Pace who founded the Green Design Center in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Coming from a family that worked in construction, no one knows this field better. I trust his judgment and sage advice. I would not hesitate to call Andy about any healthy home problem or situation you want to address. Another resource locally is E.L. Faust in Elmhurst. They built a local niche by primarily helping those who suffer from Multiple Chemical Sensitivities. Faust focuses on air purifiers, water filters, and like Mr. Pace, is a local supplier of AFMSafecoat products. A second local option is Karen Kalmek’s eco-friendly interior design services known as Green Home Chicago at her very handsome West Loop design center. And finally, I urge everyone to read fellow Bau Biologist Paula Baker Laporte’s book, Prescriptions for a Healthy House, which provides comparison lists and makes numerous explicit material recommendations for your healthy home. CONCLUSION