Published on April 9th, 2009
Building with reclaimed building materials is a great way to reduce the environmental footprint of a building. LEED and GreenPoints both award points for use of reclaimed materials. However, some reclaimed materials can be radioactive.
Fly ash is the material left over from burning coal. A waste product with little other use, it is sometimes added to concrete or bricks. However, if the original coal contained radioactive isotopes, those isotopes will be greatly concentrated in the ash.
Read the rest of this entry »
Published on March 29th, 2009
We recently tested several new homes for formaldehyde in the air. The newest home, advertised as a “green” home, had 300 ppb of formaldehyde. Children in homes with only 30 ppb can have decreased lung function. Between 60 ppb and 120 ppb, children are more likely to have asthma and chronic bronchitis. At 100 ppb, most adults experience eye, nose, and throat irritation.
Of homes that were less than 2 years old, every home we tested had at least 100 ppb of formaldehyde. The newer homes had 200 - 300 ppb.
The 300 ppb concentration we found in the newest home is equal to the 15-minute Short Term Exposure Limit (STEL) for occupational exposures. A worker in that home should wear a respirator to remain inside the building for more than 15 minutes. An employer that exposes workers to 300 ppb of formaldehyde should have a Hazard Communication Program to inform workers about chemical hazards and ways to avoid illness.
Read the rest of this entry »
Published on March 27th, 2009
Last fall, Cathy Woods removed her Jupurana Bordeaux granite counters because they were radioactive. She did not want uranium ore in her kitchen, and she did not want to breathe the radon gas emitted by the granite.
The showroom that sold Cathy her granite had a new shipment of Jupurana Bordeaux around the same time. That stone was more radioactive than the granite they sold Cathy. However, sales staff told customers their granite was no more radioactive than soil or water.
Read the rest of this entry »
Published on March 22nd, 2009
Do you want to learn more about green building and gain valuable hands-on experience by helping to build an earth sheltered home? There are several natural building internship and work exchange opportunities at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage in northeastern Missouri, an off-the-grid intentional community devoted to ecological sustainability. Read ahead to learn more about one particular earth sheltered home and green building construction work exchange.
Read the rest of this entry »
Published on March 19th, 2009
JELD-WEN, the window manufacturer, set out to find the house with the worst heating bill in the United States last year. They found it in Maine. A 119-year old farmhouse that incurred a December bill of $1,100, and had spent over $5,000 during the year in home heating oil.
What could be done to help the poor homeowners stuck with this atrocious energy sucker? JELD-WEN provided 35 new Energy Star rated windows, two AuraLast wood doors, and some basement insulation - free of charge. Did it make a difference? You bet.
Read the rest of this entry »
Published on March 15th, 2009
Some granite emits substantial amounts of radiation and radon gas. There is no way to tell which stones are radioactive just by looking. Testing is the only way to know for sure. However, the problem granites are more likely to be exotic and to have a lot of “movement”, such as swirls or banding.
Dr. Daniel Steck, a leading radon scientist, is conducting a nationwide survey of homes with suspect granite. Participation in the study is free, and homeowners get their homes tested for radon by one of the country’s most respected radon researchers. If a radon problem is discovered, Dr. Steck will help to identify and resolve the issue.
Read the rest of this entry »
Published on March 13th, 2009
There are many concerns about how we can prevent global warming. In every industry, whether it be transportation, agriculture, or the construction industry, there are questions about how to prevent global warming.
By building better designed, more energy-efficient, and natural homes, global warming will become less of a threat. One of the most basic necessities lacking in conventional homes is sufficient insulation.
Proper insulation will greatly reduce the need for constant home heating and cooling (and in turn, fossil fuels), as insulation will help maintain the temperature of a space. Straw bales stand out for their excellent insulative value, and for the fact that they are a totally natural and biodegradable material with minimal embodied energy.
Within the realm of natural building, many individuals choose straw bale house construction for these reasons.
Read the rest of this entry »
Published on March 11th, 2009
Opening windows is the easiest way to reduce formaldehyde concentrations in homes. The best option is to use only building products that emit little or no formaldehyde. However, when conventional building materials are already in place and emitting formaldehyde, the problem will remedy itself with time. Materials that are several years old emit far less formaldehyde than new products.
Formaldehyde is a pungent-smelling gas that irritates eyes, nose, throat, and lungs. It can also trigger asthma attacks, and it is a carcinogen. Some individuals experience nausea and difficulty breathing at 0.1 ppm. New homes can have more than 0.3 ppm. Some individuals become sensitized to formaldehyde and have symptoms at very low concentrations.
Read the rest of this entry »
Published on March 9th, 2009
When it comes to home insulation and energy efficiency, a bale of straw may seem like something only the Amish do, but in fact, straw bale insulation has turned out to be an excellent green building element.
In the class of unusual home building elements, is straw really a far fetched concept for insulation? Don’t worry, the big bad wolf is not going to blow this energy efficient home over. Straw bale homes are ultra sturdy, surprisingly fire resistant, and excellent at controlling the temperature in your home.
Read the rest of this entry »
Published on March 8th, 2009
One of the most sustainable ways to acquire materials for building a house is to collect parts from soon-to-be demolished homes. You can save money from buying new lumber, which in turn will prevent deforestation, and you can recycle other materials like doors, windows, and bricks that would otherwise continue to fill up landfills.
But perhaps you’re not sure how to go about deconstructing a house. Read ahead to find out how to safely deconstruct a home and build with reclaimed lumber, instead of destroying and ruining precious building materials.
Read the rest of this entry »
Building with reclaimed building materials is a great way to reduce the environmental footprint of a building. LEED and GreenPoints both award points for use of reclaimed materials. However, some reclaimed materials can be radioactive.
