Is Your House Making You Sick?

Yes, it’s possible that that persistent sinus issue, cough, fatigue, or depression you’re experiencing is actually being caused by the house you live in!  
 
At Pippin Home Designs, we help to educate and inspire our clients towards better product selection and building practices.  The lack of awareness around these topics can ultimately lead to building related health issues, which for some people can manifest as acute, chronic, or even life-threatening illnesses.

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It’s standard practice for builders to select building materials for new and renovated homes. Unfortunately, most builders are accustomed to using the toxic building products that have become pervasive in the industry.  Practices to incorporate more sustainable materials has not yet become mainstream.  This places the burden of responsibility on the homeowner to insist on healthier choices.  It’s important that you be well informed about these products so you can assist the builder in making the right choices for YOU.  
 
In this first blog of the Sick Home Series, we discuss the many ways your home could be making you sick and why you should focus on designing health right into your home.

Photo credit: Luisella Planeta Leoni

What is a Sick Home?

In 1984 the World Health Organization (WHO) released a report suggesting that up to 30% of new and remodeled homes worldwide were the cause of illnesses related to poor indoor air quality.  This coined the term Sick Building Syndrome (SBS).

Sick Building Syndrome: 
A condition experienced by building occupants with acute 
health effects that appear to be linked to time spent in 
a building, but no specific illness or cause can be identified.

Indicators of SBS include: 

• Building occupants complain of symptoms associated with acute discomfort, e.g., headache; eye, nose, or throat irritation; dry cough; dry or itchy skin; dizziness and nausea; difficulty in concentrating; fatigue; and sensitivity to odors. 
• The cause of the symptoms is not known. 
• Most of the complainants report relief soon after leaving the building. 

​Sick Building Syndrome is rather vague and finding causes to your building related health issues can be a bit of a mystery.  The EPA has also designated the term Building Related Illness (BRI) to explain specific illnesses with known causes related to buildings.

Building Related Illness: 
Symptoms of diagnosable illness are identified and can be 
attributed directly to airborne building contaminants.

Indicators of BRI include: 

• Building occupants complain of symptoms such as cough; chest tightness; fever, chills; and muscle aches. 
• The symptoms can be clinically defined and have clearly identifiable causes. 
• Complainants may require prolonged recovery times after leaving the building.

Pippin Home Designs believes that there are many factors to consider when designing and building a home that can be healthy for the occupants.  Careful planning and education of the entire building team is essential in achieving the goal of a healthy home.

NOTE: According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average American spends about 90% of their time indoors.

That’s A LOT of time!  Imagine if 90% of your life, you were breathing in toxins, mold, and pathogens, drinking unclean water, exposed to chemicals off gassing from nearly every fixture and piece of furniture in your home, and consistently bombarded by radiant energy emitted from the many high-tech gadgets commonly used in most homes today.  Unfortunately, this is the typical standard of living even in the United States.  There is an alarming number of hazardous substances used in the home construction industry and though many known negative health effects have been determined, the prevalent use of these substances remains astounding.

Photo credit: Victoria Borodinova

Possible Symptoms of a Sick Home

• Headaches
• Rashes
• Throat irritation
• Breathing difficulties
• Tightness in the chest
• Runny nose
• Allergy-like symptoms, such as sneezing
• Burning sensations in the nose
• Dry, itchy skin rashes
• Dizziness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Forgetfulness
• Fatigue
• Irritability 
• Nausea
• Body aches
• Fever
• Chills

 
The symptoms listed here can mimic other illnesses such as the common cold, allergies, stress, or poor sleep so it can be hard to determine the cause of illness.
 
It’s important to pay attention to how you feel and take notice if your symptoms decrease when you spend time away from your home.  If symptoms return once you return home or when you spend time in a particular area of your home, then you can suspect mitigation is required.
 
Keep in mind that some hazardous household materials may cause NO symptoms till you’ve already acquired a chronic or life-threatening illness.

Photo credit: Engin Akyurt

Possible Chronic and/or Life-Threatening Conditions

• Cancer
• Pulmonary diseases
• Pulmonary hemorrhage (bleeding lung) deaths in infants
• Carbon Monoxide poisoning deaths
• Childhood leukemia
• Birth defects
• Neurological and developmental issues in infants
• Mesothelioma
• Asbestosis
• Nervous system toxicity
• Liver damage
• Thyroid damage and hormone disruption
• Reproductive system toxicity

 
Shocking, isn’t it?!  These horrifying conditions are caused by average, everyday household materials that we can almost guarantee are in your home right now.  The hazardous substances that cause these issues have been in existence and used in homes for decades.  Awareness around these dangers is finally beginning to surface, however industry standards are slow to respond and most still turn a blind eye to harmful materials that could easily and affordably be replaced with healthy and sustainable options.

Photo credit: Paul Brennan

Possible Causes of a Sick Home

• Homes with poor ventilation or ineffective HVAC and dehumidification systems
• Radon (naturally occurring radioactive gas found in nearly all soils)
• Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs) (numerous chemical compounds that vaporize at ambient room temperatures found in many different household materials)
• Formaldehyde (commonly found in wood furniture and floors)
• Chromated Copper Arsenic (CCA) (found in pressure-treated wood)
• Phthalates (found in carpet backing, resilient flooring, wall coverings, acoustical ceiling surfaces, upholstery textiles, roof membranes, waterproofing membranes, and electrical cord insulation
• Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) (found in insulation and cushions)
• Short-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins (SCCPs) (found in rubbers, paints, adhesives, caulks, and sealants as either plasticizers or flame retardants)
• Polyurethane (found in spray foam and construction adhesive)
• Perfluorinated Compounds (found in wide array of consumer products and food packaging
• Molds and fungus (caused by excess moisture and humidity)
• Asbestos (found in some insulation)
• Carbon monoxide (from use of gas ranges, indoor and non-vented fireplaces, and other forms of combustion)
• High levels of dust
• Chemicals in the air from cleaning products and furnishings
• Pesticides and Herbicides, such as Glyphosate
• Insect or animal droppings

 
This is not an exhaustive list.  This is only intended to give you an idea of the extent to which your home could be making you sick.
 
At Pippin Home Designs, we think it’s disappointing that these toxic chemicals, unhealthy practices, and poorly informed professionals are still maintaining the baseline of expectations within the home design and building industry.
 
We hold firm that you CAN have your cake and eat it too!!!  You CAN have a stunningly gorgeous home, with the best views available, that is comfortable, functional, sustainable, AND healthy! 
 
Why would you settle for anything less?

Pippin Award-Winning Home for Green Design

Pippin IMPACT HomesSM Are the Answer!

Our response to all this nonsense is the Pippin IMPACT Home!  Pippin IMPACT Homes Intentionally Maximize Performance Adaptability and Comfort for Tomorrow.  In planning for the longevity of your health, Pippin IMPACT Homes combine the sustainability benefits of Green design and the efficiency benefits of high-performance to help our clients create their homes with the highest health quality they desire.  
 
The Pippin IMPACT Homes method seeks to educate all building team members on the use of readily available sustainable materials to create a gorgeous, comfortable, affordable, and durable home.
 
When utilized, Pippin IMPACT Homes are healthy, not only for the environment, they’re also healthy for YOU.  After all, you ARE part of the environment!  
 
If we reframe our relationship to Mother Earth and acknowledge that we are a part of the natural ecosystem, we can see that what’s good for her is good for us.  Of course, these toxins that pollute the planet pollute our bodies.  Of course, these practices that destroy nature destroys our wellbeing.  Why would we build homes full of toxins and then choose to spend 90% of our lives inside them?

Designing health right into your home is not only a feasible option, it’s intelligent
​planning that enhances the quality of your life and the value of your home. 

Green: It’s not Just a Color, It’s a Way of Life

Doing your homework and utilizing our expertise and guidance will assure that you know your options so you and your building team can choose building materials, finishes, and furnishings that support your health for the rest of your life!

You CAN have it all!

​Join me on December 21st when I begin the deep dive into why so many toxic chemicals are used in the built environment, how the homeowner has been kept in the dark, and what measures you can take to regain control over the health of your home.
 
I intend you seek and find wellness at home and in life.  You deserve it!
 
Inspired by you,

​Jenny Pippin, CPBD, FAIBD, CGP
Pippin Home Designs

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