A Healthy Environment — Building for Chemical & Environmental Sensitivity

The challenge was to design and build a green, living, eco-home with chemical and environmental sensitivity in mind, AND have a minimum impact on the available land, water and resources. We chose straw bale for many, many reasons. Here are some of the features that met the sensitivity challenges—

Breathing walls. Straw walls enable three complete air exchanges per hour so the air is always fresh and clean and dry AND the house breathes and lives. (The building code only requires 0.5 air exchanges per hour.) Humidity stays around 30% which is very low in the northwest.

Earthen plaster walls. Walls were covered in earthen plaster made from earth from the land the home is situated on. There are no pigments, no formaldehyde, no paints.

Floors. Floors are mainly hardwood coated with linseed oil, turpentine, and a drier—all of which are naturally occurring substances. There are no verathanes, urethanes, paints, toxic glues, or formaldehyde. Sub floors are shiplap (solid wood) rather than plywood (toxic glues and formaldehyde).

Electrical. The majority of the electrical wiring was installed at and along the base of the perimeter walls of the house eliminating EMFs. Major appliances are on outside walls.

Heat. The heating system is electrical which produces clean particle-free heat. Additionally, a wood burning air tight stove emits heat, not gases, because of the efficiency of the burn.

Insulation. R50 insulation is attained with straw, far exceeding fiberglass or other kinds of bats or foam boards.

Cupboards. Kitchen and bathroom cupboards are made from formaldehyde-free plywood. All glues are toxin free and surfaces are coated with water-borne sealants.

Countertops. All the counter tops in the kitchen are tile rather than arborite/formica. Bathroom counters are "Marmoleum" (battleship linoleum made with flax and other natural ingredients) secured with toxin free glues.

Cleaning. House cleaning is accomplished without any toxic substances. Walls are vacuumed. Floors are washed with water only. No bleaches or other toxic substances are used in the laundry or for personal care.

Structure. Manufactured joists and rafters are formaldehyde free. The rest of the structure is timber frame and post & beam. No pressure treated wood was used.

Ceilings. Ceilings are natural wood or untreated cotton fabric, without coatings.

Water pipes. Pipes are conduit-ed through the walls and free standing inside the cabinetry.

House site. The house is situated near, but not near enough to be affected by, the power lines on the west side of the property. Hedgerows and trees separate neighbors on three sides. The fourth side is the main road which the house sits more than 750 feet away from. In the community, burning outside is not permitted for any reason between April 15 and October 15 by fire hall order. We have not had any fires on the land for the past ten years. The gardens are organic without any toxic substance being added for at least fifty years.

Testimonial: "Ten years ago (1996) I was unable to live in a standard structure and built this house with what was available at the time. There are many more things that could be done today with new products arriving in the marketplace all the time, but this much has been sufficient to halt and improve my sensitive condition to the point where I can now travel, and eat out—as I choose—as long as I get enough quality outside/fresh air time indoors in my own home, or outside and plenty of healing sleep. I am able to stay inside my house totally, day after day, and not suffer any symptoms.

Many environmentally sensitive people have visited and/or stayed in this home without any difficulties, often commenting on how great it is to be able to breathe and rest without the challenge. Some conditions are healed almost immediately. Ttwo cats do not seem to have any effect on cat-allergy persons" MH