Radiation Exposure – How much is too much?

Quartzite radiation test
Radiation Exposure How Much Is “Too Much” Alex Stadtner, president of Healthy Building Science, wrote a blog in April 2012 entitled “Radioactive Granite and Quartzite – Risks from Radon” about discovering high levels of radiation in Quartzite and Granite used in residential building for items such as countertops, flooring, and bath and shower enclosures.  While
Read more
No Comments

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
Read more
1 Comment

Energy Efficient Home

Energy Efficient LEED Home
A Comfortable and Energy Efficient Home through Science – Part 1 I am a big believer in using principles of science and an understanding of the sun’s movement through the sky to enhance your comfort while also making it a more energy efficient home. I am going to devote the next few blogs to giving
Read more
No Comments

CO2 in Air – Why is my Air Stale and Stuffy?

CO2 in the air
CO2 in the Air – Why is My Air Stale and Stuffy? Carbon Dioxide and Its Relation to Your Interior Air Quality. CO2 in the Air. Why is my air “Stale?” Many of my clients often complain of either specific symptoms, general malaise, or “just not feeling right” when in a building they spend a
Read more
4 Comments

Asthma and Buildings

Asthma and Buildings
Asthma and Buildings – California and US Trends in Asthma Buildings are too often neglected in the asthma equation. Asthma is sometimes defined as a symptom of poor indoor air quality, and other times defined as a Building Related Illness. This blog references the recently released report, “Asthma in California: A Surveillance Report,” compiled by
Read more
No Comments

Building Biology 25 Principles

Building Biology 25 Principles
No one rating system can isolate every possible environmental angle, and the International Institute of Building Biology founders were certainly most interested in human health, but it is hard to imagine a more comprehensive healthy building checklist than what’s provided in the Building Biology 25 Principles. It is quite difficult to incorporate every principle into
Read more
No Comments

Efficient versus Healthy: A Knockout Punch for Green Building

Efficient vs Healthy Building
Recently appeared in the NorthBay Biz Journal, GreenScene by Alex Stadtner A battle has been raging in the design-build community for decades. Much is at stake, yet few are paying attention. Here’s the blow-by-blow from a battle that affects everyone. Ringside. Energy Efficient versus Healthy Building. A hush before the bell rings… When “green building” is mentioned
Read more
No Comments

Air Quality Results from Green Festival San Francisco

Green Festival VOC Pie Chart
Air Quality Results from Green Festival San Francisco We’ve been swamped so the release of the air quality results from Green Festival San Francisco has taken longer than expected. Hopefully those who were at the Green Festival are still curious! I don’t have enough time to provide too much commentary or interpretation of the results…
Read more
No Comments

Toxic Building Materials in Residential Construction

toxic building materials
Toxic Building Materials in Residential Construction A reporter from Angie’s List Magazine just asked for my opinion on toxic building materials in residential construction… and while writing my response I realized there was some valuable information to share. Hopefully Angie’s List Magazine will decide to run the piece. Here is my response to some great
Read more
No Comments

Safer Foam Insulation – Reducing Dangerous Flame Retardants

safer foam insulation
Safer Foam Insulation Flame Retardants Doing More Harm than Good? Safer foam insulation is on its way to becoming a reality in the US construction industry. Momentum for eliminating unnecessary flame retardants from buildings is growing exponentially. The fire safety benefit isn’t adding up to the known hazards associated with halogenated flame retardants. Leading the
Read more
No Comments