Healthier Homes: A Blueprint for Creating a Toxin-Free Living Environment

by Jen Stout, Rusty Stout

Overview

We spend 90% percent of our time indoors and consider our homes to be safe havens from the stresses and dangers of the outside world, but what most of us don’t know is that the materials used to build our homes can contribute to our ill health. A typical home is filled with chlorinated solvents and 80,000 other chemicals which release into the air we breathe. In fact, three out of four homes have unresolved moisture problems that lead to toxic mold. Everything from lumber, carpets, paints, and adhesives all contain chemicals that can contribute to health issues such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, cancers, and immune system dysfunctions.

In Healthy Home Builder, Rusty and Jen Stout, nationally recognized healthy home building experts and founders of JS2 Partners Healthy Home Builders, recognize the need for a fundamental change in the way homes are built and did something about it. From their personal and professional experiences, Jen and Rusty redefine best practices for construction and share how you can build your home to be a safe and toxin free living environment. Whether you’re suffering from chronic illness or wanting to maintain wellness and vitality, this book if for you.

Healthy Home Builder is a soup-to-nuts guide for builders and DIYERs—starting with the design and site selection, progressing to the materials for the interior and exterior of the home, and addressing the finishing touches of interior design and furnishings—and it includes a gorgeous photo gallery of homes that have been built with health and wellness in mind.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781628604450
Publisher:	Victory Belt Publishing
Publication date:	09/27/2022
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	220,774
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

When Jen discovered her years of chronic and debilitating health issues were the direct result of a toxic black mold in her living environment, she set out to build the first truly chemical-free healthy home using modern day building materials in 2012.

Jen and her husband Rusty, a veteran homebuilder of 20+ years, founded JS2 Partners in 2018 and have quickly become nationally recognized leaders in all aspects of healthy home building and construction best practices. Armed with an arsenal of knowledge in home building, design and healthy living practices, this dynamic duo has made it their mission to build better lives through healthy home building.

Jen holds a Bachelor of Science Journalism degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder and Master of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University. Jen was previously the Executive Director of the Hill Country Builders Association in Central Texas following her career in marketing and business development.

Rusty is a past president of the Hill Country Builders Association Board of Directors and is a member of the Texas Association of Builders and National Association of Home Builders. Rusty serves as a building trades education mentor for high school students in the Highland Lakes and is an authorized OSHA trainer and NASP Safety Inspections Technician. Rusty holds a Project Management Professional Designation from Park University, is certified in Contracting Law through FPS and is a licensed realtor in the state of Texas.

Table of Contents

Foreword Erich Krauss 6

Preface: how JS2 Partners is paving the way for healthier homes 9

Part 1 Before you build

Chapter 1 The health risks of modern construction 23

Chapter 2 Evaluating your indoor living environment 43

Chapter 3 Choosing a healthy place to live 53

Chapter 4 Designing a healthy living space 63

Part 2 The building process

Chapter 5 Breaking ground 79

Chapter 6 Foundation 91

Chapter 7 Structure 105

Chapter 8 Roofing 117

Chapter 9 Exterior 129

Chapter 10 Interior 147

Part 3 Elements of a healthy home

Chapter 11 Air 161

Chapter 12 Water 173

Chapter 13 Energy 185

Part 4 Finishing Up

Chapter 14 Finishes for walls, floors + ceilings 199

Chapter 15 Smaller surfaces 209

Part 5 A guide to sourcing nontoxic furnishings

Chapter 16 Wood 223

Chapter 17 Metal + stone 241

Chapter 18 Fabrics, upholstery, foam + more 251

Part 6 Already home?

Chapter 19 Make an existing home healthier-starting today 267

Chapter 20 Got mold? steps for safe removal and regaining your health 299

Epilogue: starting your journey? Here are the next steps 313

References 324

Index 328