Non Toxic Environments Home Health & Wellness

Oh its so nice to be back! Well, Im back anyways.  Jay is still on hiatus but will be on the air with me next week.  Today I'm talking about industry trends for 2020 and beyond, so please have a listen!

We're saying goodbye to 2019 and we just cannot begin to express our gratitude for making this such a wonderful year.  Through this show, we've reached so many new people and have been able to assist on hundreds of new builds and remodeling projects around the world. And while this all seems great...2020 is going to be EPIC!  I share a little bit about this in today's show.  

The year is winding down and the holidays are upon us.  Today. Jay and I take some time to give our thanks to those who help us, and help all our listeners.  Make sure to listen through the episode, because we also announce a new giveaway! You definitely want to take advantage of this.

We know how temperatures and humidity can affect the home and home projects during the warm humid summer months, but winter poses just as many problems.  Jay and I discuss these to help you avoid those pitfalls and keep your sanity while trying to get the house ready for family and friends visiting for the holidays. 

Thank you all for listening to the show...Jay and I are on vacation for a couple weeks to recharge.  Today's episode is just a short synopsis of the year and what to expect from NTE in 2020. We'll be back to you in a couple weeks!!

By request, Jay and I tackle a few questions from the mailbag this week including, polishing concrete floors, sealing out smoke from the adjacent apartment and paperless drywall usage.  Keep those questions coming in folks!  

You've heard this from your contractor, or maybe read it in an online chat group.  "That glue will never work" , "that paint only peeled because its one of those eco-friendly paints"...   Today, I'm talking about common misconceptions of the healthy building industry and I try to shed some light on these topics and allow you to breathe easy, knowing you DID make the right decision. 

How many time have you heard THAT line...Its not real, its just in your head.  Well today, Jay and I are taking on this topic directly and we'll actually prove that this statement is partially true.  Just because something smells bad, doesn't mean it IS bad.  I expect this episode to get a lot of feedback, so please let us know what YOU think.  

In the second part of this topic, Jay and I discuss the costs of the interior furnishings and finishes and how they can add up quickly.  Once again, we prove that building healthy does NOT increase the cost of your home.  Building with high quality, long-lasting materials does.  We discuss drywall, flooring, cabinetry and more.  

There have been three myths about healthy building that are still believed to this day: Its too expensive, the products and systems don't last as long, and you have very little options to chose from.  This episode is part 1 of 2 that will be dealing with the cost myth.  Healthy building is not more expensive.   Quality is more expensive and most healthy homes are built to a higher quality standard than the average home is.  We tackle the big ticket items today, like framing systems, HVAC and windows.  

Here in Wisconsin, our summers are typically a bit shorter than most of the country.  So we embrace the days or warmth and sun and take every advantage of what those days hold for us.  Residential construction spikes during this time, but when fall arrives, we finally have a chance to take a deep breath and go through some of new, fresh product ideas that have been presented to us throughout the year.  

We have been SO EXCITED to bring you all an episode all about electropollution and we were finally able to land author Brandon LaGreca, who joins the show today to discuss his story, his new book and most importantly, how we all can protect ourselves with simple changes we all can make in our daily routines.  Pass this one along to your friends and family!

You're investigating noxious, unfamiliar odors in your home and need to hire someone.  Where do you go?  Who can you trust?  All too often, we get suck in "analysis paralysis" and either get recommendations from too many people or we hire someone who claims they can find the problem, but is woefully ignorant of the best testing methods.  Today, Jay and I discussing how to find the right IAQ professionals for troubleshooting your home, and I talk about some current projects that you can probably relate t

If you think about all the items that go into a new home build, most people kind of forget about the glues, adhesives and caulks that are used during the build.  Caulking around doors and windows, adhesives under the sub flooring, glues for the cabinetry, etc.  While the amount of actual material doesn't add up to the volume of paint you would use, it can certainly make for harmful indoor air if the wrong products gets used.  

Jay and Andy get many questions like this on a daily basis, so they thought why not have the discussion on the podcast for all to hear!   Do I rip out and replace my cabinets, or can I refinish them? Can I seal the off gassing of my countertop or should I just get something new?  Do I remodel my entire home or just start from scratch. There are definitely pros and cons to both side of this topic, so lots of great information in this episode.