Lisa Kauffman Tharp has been plagued by an unusually high sensitivity to substances in the environment. So she was determined that her new home in Concord, Mass., would be built to eliminate the biological irritants and synthetic toxins that wreaked havoc on her life. Here’s how that house was built.
Here are some of the key goals focused on in the design and construction of Lisa’s house:
- Elimiminate ground contact to minimize moisture infiltration and mold growth
- Use fast, efficient panelized construction with formaldehyde-free sheathing
- Insulate well (with 2-in. XPS foam on the exterior and open-cell spray foam inside the wall cavities)
- Install fiber-cement siding over furring strips for a durable rainscreen siding assembly
- Use the best materials for a durable and weatherproof roof
- Use passive solar and hydroinic heating; forced-air heating systems can circulate dust and other contaminantsÂ
- Use mechanical ventilation to provide fresh, clean air to the home
- Install a whole-house water filter
To learn more about how this healthy house was built, watch the video above, or read the Fine Homebuilding article Building a Healthy House (online subscription required to read the article).
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Looks good. Approximate cost per square foot? If you look at our chemical illness blog, thechemicaledge.com, you'll see why we're interested.
Thanks.
DavidOTN