There are nationally recognized green building certifications such as LEED developed by The U.S. Green Building Council and Energy Star. LEED has some non-toxic standards, but that is not the entire focus. BuiltGreen is another green certification. Bau Biologie incorporates both green and healthy home practices for new and existing buildings, but I’m not aware of any Bau Biologie certification program for homes. Safer Building offers a certification which states that a home or building is maintained in a less toxic manner than normal. Safer Building sells several how-to guides which contain the information to help you get certified. I have no idea what information is in those how-to guides. This proposed certification system is based on years of research and compiled with the help of many others (thanks). This is a standard for the general public, I realize that some people may have negative reactions to some criteria on the list, such as natural lighting negatively affects those with light sensitivities. If this were an actual certification system, people in those situations could still be certified without fulfilling a certain criteria. Their certification would have any exceptions noted on it. The certificate will be a full disclosure statement, stating how each of these items was remedied (or not remedied in an exception basis). Each criteria should have multiple means of being fulfilled so that there are very few exceptions. Each criteria should also state why the criteria is important – there’s a lot of work to do on stating that importance and I’m hoping somebody else takes on that responsibility. Many certification systems are based on a point system. Points are either based on how many criteria are fulfilled or how well criteria are acheived. For instance, a home that achieves 2 milligauss EMF level might receive one point. 1.5 milligauss would be 2 points, 2 milligauss would be 4 points, etc. A similar point system could be employed with this certification which would elminate the need for exceptions. All reductions of toxins in the home are good. References to house/home in this certification refer to all buildings on the property and the property itself unless otherwise indicated. There may be steps in later stages of the Non-Toxic Home Certification Program which you may want to do in earlier stages. Many persons with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) would include most items from the first three stages and some from stage four before considering a home MCS-safe. Those items marked with a blue bullet can sometimes easily be done with little or no cost. |
• Removal of all air fresheners, especially plug-in air fresheners from the home and quit using them. There would be a list of approved natural air fresheners. • Switch to natural laundry products. This includes not using chlorine or chlorinated products, using a natural laundry detergent (best if safe for septic system) or baking soda and/or vinegar, natural fabric softener (or none), natural dryer sheets (or none), and natural (non-chlorine) bleach (or none). • Switch to natural or organic lawn-care products. Remove chemical pesticides and herbicides. Posting a Pesticide-Free or Salmon-Safe or No Spray sign in your yard once you have switched, is recommended. • Switch to natural, non-toxic cleaning products.. Also remove solvents from the home. • Switch to natural, non-toxic personal-care products. • Hire a professional mold inspector who knows about natural mold remedies to inspect your home. Then employ the recommended methods for eliminating mold and potential mold problems. • Smoking is not allowed in the home. Signs to indicate this are recommended. Some states do not allow smoking in public buildings or within 20 or more feet of entrances (including windows) to the building. Although your home is a private building, you may want to consider similar rules. • Any asbestos in the home is properly remediated. • If there is an attached garage, permanently separate it from the house, sealing the doorway with Denny Foil or some other odor barrier. Alternatively, make the garage non-toxic and quit using it as a garage. • Seal off toxic areas, such as attics where there may be toxic insulation, with Denny Foil or other odor barrier.
• An Air Circulation System. There may be an actual system or just good cross-ventilation provided by windows and screen doors. This may be included in the mold elimination program. • Air Filters or NASA recommended House Plants to filter the air. Air Filters should be changed regularly. Alternatives for cleaning the air are Salt Crystal Lamps, Bees Wax Candles with natural wicks, or any combination of these items. • Water Filters. Most homes are on community water systems where the water is treated before entering the home. Most community water systems use chlorine to treat the water. Chlorine is a toxic chemical. Most community water systems also use flouride to treat the water. Even if your community water system does not treat the water with toxic or (in your mind) questionable chemicals, the water may pick up other things (minerals, bacteria, etc.) on it’s way through the pipes to your house. Water filters should be changed regularly. Alternatives are well water, where the well is tested regularly, and bottled water. Bottled water in plastic bottles runs the risk of the plastic leaching phthalates and other toxic chemicals into the water. Whatever method you choose, you’ll want to use non-toxic water for showers, baths, etc., as well as for drinking. • Natural lighting. Change your home to increase natural lighting. This may include windows, skylights, and full spectrum lighting. Full Spectrum CFL’s are available if you want to save energy also. CFL’s contain mercury. This is a very small amount of mercury, if the bulb is from a reputable company, (less than a watch battery, amalgam filling, or mercury thermometer), but mercury is toxic none-the-less. CFL’s should be treated as hazardous waste. Natural Life has simple recommendations for how to clean up a broken CFL. Philip’s has pledged to remove both lead and mercury from its light bulbs. Full Spectrum LED’s are available and LED’s are mercury-free. LED’s are more expensive than CFL’s and you may need special light fixtures to use them. There is also fiber-optic technology which will bring the natural sunlight indoors. This fiber-optic technology is sometimes referred to as hybrid solar lighting. For homes in areas where natural lighting is not always available, due to weather or trees, natural lighting from the sun will need to be supplemented by other means. • Carpet Removal. Carpets hold in toxic chemicals. All floors should be naturally sealed (Natural Shellac or other natural sealant) wood or bamboo, stone, ceramic tile, concrete, marmoleum, or other natural material; and can be covered with natural fiber area rugs. You may need to seal subflooring with natural sealer and/or Denny Foil before adding new natural flooring. • Shoes are removed before entering the home. There are signs directing this, and a designated area where shoes can be left. Shoes carry dirt and man-made chemicals from elsewhere into the home.
• The vacuum cleaner has both a HEPA and an ULPA filter. • The bedrooms are small areas. Bedrooms contain the bed and not much else. This helps keep toxins out of the sleeping area, which is important to help the immune system recover from toxins it encounters in a normal day. • Extra Filtration is placed in areas containing electronics such as computers, TV’s, and stereo systems. Many electronics are fire-proofed with PBDE’s. Alternatively enclose the electronics away from living areas. • Residual toxins are removed from the air. This can be done by leaving dry black tea bags throughout the house for a month, changed on a weekly basis. This pulls toxins from the air and gives the home character – what type of character, we won’t say. Leaving bowls of vinegar around the house is another option if the smell of vinegar doesn’t overwhelm the inhabitants. Bowls of sea water (or at least salt water) should also do the trick. Completely airing the house for a month will work provided there is good air circulation. • There is a constant supply of toxic remediation tools. You may want to include Tea Bags, Vodka, Baking Soda, Vinegar, Photocatalytic Spray, Zeolite, and Carbon Paper in your toolkit.
• If the cabinets, dressers, shelves, etc. of the home are not made with natural products, seal them, especially the interior of cabinets and dressers, with natural shellac or other natural sealant. Alternatively, line them with sheets of carbon paper or bags of zeolite which you will need to sit in the sun every so often. • Seal any cracks in walls with a non-toxic sealant, to reduce exposure to toxins trapped in the walls. Consider mud plaster or other natural plaster for all your walls and ceilings – use where appropriate. If repainting, use no-voc paints. (• Wood floors should already be sealed in Stage Two. No additional points in Stage Four.) • Airing station. This is a place outside your home where toxic things can be aired before being brought into your home. • Outside Junk Mail Recycling Station. Mail comes from some other location which may not be non-toxic. Recycle Junk Mail before bringing it inside your home. To remedy non-junk mail, try tea bags, carbon paper, and/or seal in ziploc bags. • Any gas or propane appliances are replaced with electric ones or permanently shut off. • Any lead paint in the home is properly remediated. • At least one of the following levels is metered or tested and the level in the home is a safe level: Carbon Monoxide; Radon; EMF’s. Carbon Monoxide is usually not a problem when there are no gas or propane appliances. Radon tends to be a problem in certain geographic areas (due to the geology) and not in others. Radon tends to be a problem in homes with basements in these geographic areas. The internationally recognized safe-level for EMF’s is be based on the ICNIRP recommendations (basically 2 milligauss) or a more precautionary standard such as that of Switzerland.
• Any asbestos on the outside of the home is properly remediated. • Any lead paint on the exterior of the home is properly remediated. If repainting, use no-voc paints. • Arsenic treated wood is removed and replaced with a non-toxic alternative. • Non-porous surfaces such as side-walks are eliminated. This keeps the toxins in the water from standing in one place and helps filter the toxins, rather than running them directly into the rainwater sewer. Porous concrete is available or use wood chips, gravel, oyster shells, or some similar natural material. • The roof is made of natural materials such as metal or is a green roof. If you’re replacing the roof, it is a good time to install skylights for extra natural lighting in the home. • Plant a screen of trees and/or bushes near the road and optionally along the driveway. Trees and bushes should be natives and use minimal amounts of water. This keeps the exhaust out of your house. |