Smog and Particulates

Particles_Blue Oxygen
Smog and Particulates How Fine Particulates Affect Exterior and Interior Air Quality No matter how well our “Green and Healthy” homes are designed and built, our interior air quality can only be as good as our exterior air quality (our “source air”), unless we add active air filtration into our building design.  But how do
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Energy Star now “Elder Star” Certified Design

Energy Star now
Energy Star now ‘Elder Star’ certified design I recently heard the term “Elder Star” compliant homes, just like the “Energy Star” appliances and lights that we have grown so familiar with. And I thought it was so apt! It’s high time we all spent a little more time thinking about meeting the needs of our
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Corporate Responsibility – MLK and B the Change

MLK B The Change
Corporate Responsibility – MLK and B The Change Landing in flood-stricken Boulder and uniting with fellow B Corps from around the world is inspiring. There’s just no other way to put it. Corporate Responsibility is going to the next level, and the “B The Change” phenomenon – already so powerful – is in its infancy
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EMI and LEDs – Not all LEDs are the same!

Dirty Electricity from LEDs
EMI and LEDs –  Not all LEDs are the same! Electromagnetic Interference (EMI, aka: “Dirty Electricity,” or “High Voltage Transients”) is a term coined for quick transient pulses, harmonics, spikes and dips in the electrical power in a home’s wiring that deviates from a purely 60Hz sine wave.  These often occur due to computers, other
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How to Clean Up Mold?

Mold Clean Up - When to Call in Professional Remediators
Most of this blog on how to clean up mold is from the “Help Yourself to a Healthy Home” guide from HUD. We generally suggest hiring an established remediation company with professionals certified by the IICRC… but many cannot afford to pay for that service or don’t feel it’s necessary. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for
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Blown-in-Cellulose Insulation

blown-in-cellulose insulation
Blown-in-Cellulose Insulation Test Results On a recent project, we recommended a homeowner try Blown-in-Cellulose insulation as a healthy alternative to other insulation choices. Blown-in-cellulose is known in the healthy materials world as a pretty safe insulation choice. But just to be sure the product was safe, we sent a wet sample to a lab for
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Mold in the Home – What to do?

mold in the home
Mold in the Home – What to do? What to do about mold in the home, how to avoid it, how to clean it up, is mold testing a good idea? etc. This blog focuses on residential mold tips. Many of these best practices are drawn from the following government-sponsored resources on healthy homes: Help
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EMF at High Performance Schools

Kids Going To High EMF School?
Do you want to send your kids to an EMF hot-spot with unknown health ramifications? Are some existing symptoms a result of EMF? Reducing exposure to Electromagnetic Fields or Radiation (EMF or EMR) is a contentious debate in public health and green building circles across the United States. OSHA does provide rather liberal exposure limits for
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Residential Wiring Issues & High Magnetic Fields

residential wiring issues
PART 3: Tracking Down Unnecessarily Strong, Stray Magnetic Fields Many people are concerned about the Low Frequency, Alternating Current, Magnetic Field Radiation (further referred to as Magnetic Fields or MF) that is emitted by our modern electrical system and the devices we use every day. The following blog tracks down what can cause residential wiring
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Sick Building

What is a Sick Building?
What is a Sick Building? There is often confusion over the definition of a sick building syndrome. We hear questions like, “Is my building sick?,” and, “How do I know if my building is sick?” Therein lies much of the confusion. Buildings don’t get sick, people do! Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) Determining if occupants suffer
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