Healthy Building Construction Materials For a Sustainable Building Design
Whether employees are complaining about an odd smell, or someone has chemical sensitivity, asthma, or common allergies – people are increasingly aware of the impact construction toxic building materials have on their indoor environment. Healthy building construction materials are an important part of every remodel and new construction project to help you create a green building sustainable design.
But how do you identify healthy building materials? How do you wade through the myriad of “green building” certifications?
We Help You Find Green Building and Healthy Building Materials
At Healthy Building Science, we help design teams specify healthy materials. During construction, we offer product submittal reviews and help ensure the General Contractor follows best practices during construction. From design through construction we help the team select healthy construction building material alternatives to create a sustainable building design.
We have books and databases about healthy materials at our finger tips. HBS routinely reviews Material Data Safety Sheets (MSDS) and technical data sheets, Health Product Declarations (HPDs), and we provide specific information about the relative health impact of building materials.
Healthy Material Consulting Benefits
We’re a third-party representative located in the San Francisco Bay Area, helping the owner/developer vet materials suggested by the architect, interior designer and general contractor. We have come to know that the “new car” smell isn’t particularly healthy. Through thoughtful material selection you minimize the risk of the “new carpet” or “fresh paint” smell. And minimizing new construction odors helps reduce occupant complaints. Studies show that cognitive function is significantly impacted by indoor air quality. Additionally, if you’re pursuing a 3rd party rating like LEED or the WELL Building Standard, carefully selecting healthy building materials helps ensure you earn valuable IAQ points.
Abbreviated Healthy Building Material Considerations:
- Composite wood (formaldehyde binders)
- Adhesives, paints and sealants (VOCs, antibacterials, nano-particles)
- Plastics (heavy metals, dioxin, phthalates, flame retardants)
- Wiring, electrical panels, GFIs, and switches (electric & magnetic fields)
- HVAC air filtration (pollens, molds)
- Water filtration (chlorine byproducts, heavy metals)
