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

by Jen Stout, Rusty Stout

Overview

Most of us spend 90 percent of our time indoors, but our indoor environments could be causing us significant harm. Everything from flooring to paints to insulation contains chemicals known to contribute to health problems such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.

In this book, Jen and Rusty Stout, nationally recognized healthy home building innovators, teach you how to think like a builder so that you can construct a new home or upgrade an existing one to put wellness first. Making smart choices when it comes to building materials, moisture protection, and more can make all the difference in reducing your family’s exposure to toxins and living a healthier life.

Whether you are a home buyer, a homeowner working with a professional builder, a building contractor, or a DIY-er, Healthier Homes walks you through key considerations such as

• Site selection
• Designing a living space that meets your family’s unique needs
• Material choices for the exterior and interior
• Air and water quality
• Sourcing home furnishings and finishes
• Existing home upgrades
• Mold remediation

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781628604528
Publisher:	Victory Belt Publishing
Publication date:	09/27/2022
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	21 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Jen Stout 
Jen Stout holds a BA in journalism from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and an MBA from Southern Methodist University. When she discovered that her chronic health issues were the result of toxic black mold, she set out to build one of the first truly healthy homes using mainstream modern-day building materials. She was the executive director of the Hill Country Builders Association in central Texas when she met Rusty, and together they founded JS2 Partners. Since then, they have become nationally recognized leaders in healthy home building and construction best practices.

Rusty Stout 
Rusty Stout brings twenty-plus years of home building experience to JS2 Partners. He was president of the Hill Country Builders Association’s board of directors and is a member of the Texas Association of Builders and the National Association of Home Builders. He serves as a building trades education mentor for high school students and is an authorized OSHA trainer and NASP Safety Inspections Technician. He also holds a Project Management Professional designation from Park University 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