A 14-point Plan for Healthy House Construction

Once you understand the basic concepts, healthy house construction is no more difficult than unhealthy house construction. However, it does involve more than just selecting non-toxic materials. It also requires an understanding of how a house functions - for example how a house "breathes" naturally (and why that may not be desirable), and how heating and ventilating systems interact. This paper will list fourteen dos and don'ts to use in designing and constructing a house that will not make the occupants sick.

1. Do build in a clean locale

Site selection is the first consideration in healthy house construction because if the outdoor air quality is poor, then the indoor air quality will be poor also. It is possible to install filtration equipment to clean all of the air indoors, but this can be expensive. While filtration may be necessary in some instances, it is often easier to build in an unpolluted area in the first place.

2. Do build an airtight structure

An airtight structure will minimize the amount of uncontrolled infiltration. This not only improves energy efficiency, but when coupled with a mechanical ventilation system, it gives the occupants maximum control over the indoor air. When outdoor pollution is occasionally high (e.g., neighbors applying lawn chemicals), the ventilation system can be temporarily shut off, and the indoor air will not be affected by the outdoor contaminants. An airtight structure also minimizes occupant exposure to insulating materials.

3. Do install a radon removal system

It is difficult to predict if radon will be a problem in a particular house. The house must be tested for radon after it is built. It is easy to take some basic precautions in new construction, that may or may not need to be employed later. It is much more difficult to mitigate radon in a completed house if those precautions weren't taken initially. For example, a sub-slab piping system can be installed when the foundation is being built. If measured radon levels in the finished house are high, it will be a simple matter to hook up a suction fan to the piping. If radon levels are low, the system won't be necessary, and the sub-slab piping will remain unused. The expense should be considered low cost insurance.

4. Do install a ventilation system

People need fresh air. Mechanical ventilation can supply that air at the correct rate whenever it is required. Relying on infiltration for the occupants' air supply is unreliable at best and, more often than not, insufficient. There are many approaches: supply ventilation through a fresh air duct to the return air side of a furnace, central exhaust, heat recovery ventilation, etc. The different systems have various advantages and disadvantages, but all can provide the occupants with fresh air.

5. Do use metal or solid wood cabinetry

Kitchen and bathroom cabinets are...