Non Toxic Environments Home Health & Wellness

Sealers, waterproofers, water repellants...so many terms, so many different products! What are they and why do we need all of them? This episodes dives deep into the world of sealers to familiarize you with the terminology and descriptions so that you choose the right one for your job. Concrete driveways, stone showers, stained patios...we talk about them all!

You've all heard me say that no project ever goes perfectly smooth. Mother Nature can drop 10 inches of rain. Sub-contractors ignore your request to use the healthier product. Folks, these things happen all the time. It's not a question of 'what if', its a question of 'when'. So when the time comes, it requires quick action by the homeowner and/or general contractor to make sure things get back on track. Jay and I give some current real examples of this and how they got successfully resolved. Related Episode: Project Planning to Avoid Frustration

Last week, Jay and I talked about some of the more common myths and misconceptions we deal with regularly. This week, we're focusing on the individuals we would call our influencers...the legends, if you will. You may have heard of some or many of these folks, but we'll talk about why they were so important to us as we molded our careers. There you have it...Myths and Legends. Please let us know who your influencers are!

I know I've harped on the topic of internet research before, but this episode takes it much further. This week, Jay and I discuss many of the myths and fallacies of the green and healthy building process and hopefully, shed some new light on them for you. We'll talk about plumbing, flooring, VOC's and more. This was such a fun episode for us and I trust you'll enjoy it as well.

Roofing and waterproofing. A couple things that Jay and I get asked about regularly, but have yet to address here on the show. Since we're in the throws of a rainy spring, now is a great time to start this discussion. Whats the best roofing material for your home and is it affordable? If I'm planning a lower level in my house that will be a livable space, how do I keep it dry? Great episode for building geeks, for sure! Mentioned on the show: AFM DynoSeal

** ATTENTION ** This is the most important podcast we've ever done ** While the world deals with the COVID-19 virus, we asked our friend Dr. Lisa Nagy from the Environmental Health Center of Martha's Vineyard to come on the show to talk about her experiences and recommendations for protecting ourselves during this pandemic. What we got from Dr Nagy was a massive checklist for us all to be following, complete with links, product names...folks, I'm still stunned at how much information she gave us all. Pass this show around folks. This could make all the difference. Lisa Lavine Nagy M.D. Environmental Health Center of Martha's Vineyard Office Phone: (508) 693-1300 [email protected] http://www.lisanagy.com

We're obviously in the midst of a world wide health crisis and I know dozens of experts in the alt/health community are podcasting and YouTubing all about protecting our personal immune systems. My expertise is in the health of your home, so this episode is all about making your less less susceptible to viruses through the use of healthier materials and better design. Caliwel Home/Office Paint RS4 Air Purification System Ozone Generator I recommend

Hello my friends. Just a quick update to let you all know that the work is still going on here and we are ready to help. Jay and I will be back next week with a full episode of the show, so please be safe and well talk again soon. GDC/Building For Health

So often we have clients that are stuck spinning their wheels because of the fear of too many toxins and pollutants. They use the phrase "what if" when discussing their homes. What if is has asbestos...what of it has lead...what if it has formaldehyde... Folks, just about every home will has its own set of problems to deal with and these can almost always be remediated and fixed. Jay and Andy talk about these specific subjects of worry and more on today's show.

So many awesome questions being sent into the show these days, so Jay and Andy use this episode to discuss some of them. Piano's and radiators, lingering paint odors, and a followup question to a previous episode about countertops.

Granite or quartz? Laminate or Solid surface? Choosing the best material for your project requires an understanding of the function, costs, aesthetic and of course, the human health impact. In today's podcast, Jay and Andy talk about all the most common, and some less common, countertop options for your home project.

Its that time of year. We're getting antsy. We want to take on a project in our house but it can't be too big, since spring is around the corner and we'll all have yard work to do. So maybe that's why bathroom remodeling projects are always so popular this time of year. In this episode, Jay and Andy discuss some of the more common materials used and the ways to avoid mold and other toxicity issues. Consultation Services Amorim Wise Flooring

Inside of every home, there are obvious dangers and toxins that we can address, but what about those that aren't so obvious. Jay and I call those the hidden menaces in our homes and today, we tackle some of those. As the saying goes, "life is a journey". Well, living in a healthy home is a journey and one which has a different destination for everyone. We are not in pursuit of perfection, folks. We are in pursuit of tolerance, comfort and a space healthy enough to allow us to heal.

Well folks, I'll warn you that this episode contains some extremely horrible audio. Between my cold and difficult audio connections, this one might be tough to get through. But we really wanted to get this episode out there for you because its got some excellent information. Thank you for your patience!

Excellent discussion today with Matt Grocoff, an American environmentalist and sustainability advocate, writer, speaker and founder of the THRIVE Collaborative. He is known for his work on net zero energy and net zero water buildings and for the rehabilitation of the oldest home in North America to achieve net zero energy. Matt shares his own personal story about his home, along with the massive development projects he's undertaking in Michigan and elsewhere. Veridian Development: www.VeridianAtCountyFarm.com How to Invest: https://localstake.com/businesses/veridian-at-county-farm/preview

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! Ask us a question right here: mailto:[email protected]

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.

As long as I can remember, 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, folks. Quality is more expensive and most healthy homes are built to a much higher quality standard than the average home is. Jay and I 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, so all of us here are working 10-12 hours days just to keep up with demand. 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. On this episode, Andy gives us a preview of some of those new products and even hints at some major changes on the horizon for him and his company. Its a laid back episode to reflect a more laid back time of 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! PLEASE>>> Follow Brandon's Blog Purchase a copy of Brandon's book here: Cancer and EMF Radiation

You're investigating noxious, unfamiliar odors in your home and need to hire a professional. 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 to. Home Air Check FRAT Video

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.

I know we spend an exorbitant amount of time discussing things you shouldn't use in your home, so we decided to start talking about the things we do like. First off, Jay and I talk out flooring options for your home. We break down the "green" attributes of various floors like cork, bamboo and wood, we discuss colors and trends, then we top it off with a quick guide to pricing so you can know what to expect as you start your research. So if you're designing a new home or remodeling your existing space, this is definitely an episode you don't want to miss!

Water is essential for life, yet can cause so much destruction. Building a healthy home requires the use of many materials, very few as important as what we'll be discussing today. Etienne Gubler of Siga North America joins us today to discuss how his company's tapes, wraps and membranes can eliminate the destructive element of water intrusion, and allow our well-built homes to last far beyond the typical service life we get here in North America. Plus, we take a few questions from the mailbag. Siga - https://www.siga.swiss/us_en

Jay and I today take a deep dive into the extremely important topic of chemical offgassing. What is it? Where does it come from? How long will this last? What are my choices for dealing with it? Folks, I know that I believe every episode of NTE is important. But this one it at the top of the 'important' list! In my eyes, the elimination of offgassing of your building materials is the most crucial aspect of healthy home building or remodeling. I expect you'll listen to this episode a few times, as there's lots of information in it that will help your project. Whether you're painting your home, replacing the carpet or just want to keep the indoor air as pristine as can be, this episode is for YOU!

If you've ever wondered what Jay and I do for show prep, this episode is basically just that. We talk, laugh, commiserate and come up with ideas. Jay and I were talking earlier this week about some trends in the healthy building industry, and it occurred to us that we should immediately stop talking and jump on the microphones to continue the discussion. I'll admit, I did talk about one or two scary trends that we're facing (insert spray foam insulation here), but i promise that 90% of the show is positive!

Its a common theme with many of our episodes. Jay and I will always remind you to prepare your surfaces, prepare the area, manage your expectations! Let me be honest, folks. Chip and Joanna dont actually remodel a bathroom over a weekend!! It cant happen. It takes planning and lots of it. I recorded an audio article for a magazine a few months back about this topic and I thought you all would enjoy it. After that, I'll read a question I got from a customer I haven't worked with since 2005. Boy, I'm getting old! I think he actually started buying from my company in 1996. But all that experience I have sure comes in handy for these kinds of questions. Enjoy!

Neither Jay nor I can ever admit to "knowing it all". Far from it, in fact. Both of us need to refer to others on a regular basis and of course, we rely on the internet to help. Sometimes we need contact names for specific professionals. Other times...we just need inspiration to get us through a rough day or a difficult project. So when those times come...and they come often these days...here's some of the sites we go to. . . . . . We spoke about many of these, but some we didn't get to. Enjoy! https://livingsystemsarchitecture.com/about-us/ https://www.rammedearthworks.com/ https://www.tenfoldengineering.com/ https://www.care2.com/greenliving/healthy-home https://ecorglobal.com https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsr2Hd7I26dTIlWCCywvC9g/featured IEP Radio. Michael Schrantz is an IAQ expert that I refer people to. He's got a great Youtube channel of his interviews. https://buildingbiologyinstitute.org Rateitgreen.com https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com http://www.thegreendesigncenter.com 'NONTOXIC' for a 5% discount

This is our monthly episode where Jay and I open up the mailbag and answer listener questions. However, the first half of the show, Jay and I discuss some of the new home projects I'm currently working on and some of the more critical issues that our clients are facing right now. Mold, moisture and more! This is a really good episode and should be quite helpful to anyone who's building now or is planning to build soon.

I know we've done some episodes on our FRAT system before, but there has been quite a bit of activity with formaldehyde testing in the last few weeks and I wanted to share some findings. The average home can have 5,000-15,000 different chemicals in the air at any given time, so I suppose it seems like a drop in the bucket if we eliminated just one. But formaldehyde is a key trigger for allergies, asthma and chemical sensitivity, so that's our main goal here. Its a short episode today (very stormy weather here) but the last few minutes of the show you have to stick around for. I have a special request of all of you. FRAT video www.degreeofgreen.com

I imagine you've heard an episode or two of this show, so you may know that we always emphasize surface preparation and testing as keys for a successful project, no matter the task. The surface that a sealer, coating, floor covering, etc, is going on, is called a "substrate" and we will always insist that the substrate is in the proper condition before covering it up. So what exact IS a substrate made of and how should you prepare it? Thats what we tackle today. Its not a sexy show, but its uber important for you and your construction team to be able to speak the same language. Substrates we discuss: Earth Concrete (basement) Concrete (slab on grade) Concrete (elevated deck) Concrete (decorative surface) Concrete (Vertical) Drywall Wood (framing) Wood (subfloors) Wood (sheathing) Wood (cabinetry & millwork) Wood (flooring) Wood (exterior decking/fencing) Wood (exterior siding) Wood (misc) Metal (interior) Metal (exterior) Vinyl Flooring Carpeting Existing Painted Surfaces (interior) Existing Painted Surfaces (exterior) Fabric

Absolutely fascinating episode this week, folks. I'll admit...Feng Shui has always been a little too 'woo-woo' for me. And if I had to hear one more TV interior designer say " oh the Feng Shui of this place is horrible...", only to move a chair and say VOILA!.... This topic scared me a but to bring up because I didn't want anyone else to get that same impression that I had, but I was dead wrong. Joining us today is Shivam Kohls, who is not only a Feng Shui practitioner, but she's an author, life coach and an all around EXPERT on personal well-being. I actually feel better myself just from listening to her! I encourage you all to to go her site and to sign up to download her e-book "Stress Less and Get Your Life Back". Please remember Shivam's motto: The journey IS the destination

As the saying goes, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and over again, expecting different results. By that definition, the home building industry should definitely be deemed insane. So if we know that typical building methods are dangerous, why do we keep allowing it to happen? Probably because of the cost increases...either perceived or real. So lets have that conversation today. Then from this point on, I want you to ask these questions to your contractor or architect. There is a healthier alternative for just about every material used in home building today. We just need to start asking WHY.

We are definitely in the midst of the construction busy season, so Jay and I are getting lots and lots of great questions coming at us. We decided that one episode per month will be dedicated to answering questions that will help all of our listeners with current projects. We're calling it our Monthly Mailbag Bonanza! This week, we deal with epoxy paint, roofing, decking and a few other hot topics. Hope you enjoy!! The sponsor for this episode is Green Design Center, www.thegreendesigncenter.com and the Caliwel Anti-Microbial paint made with BNA. Make sure to use the coupon code 'NONTOXIC' at checkout and receive 5% off your entire purchase. Just a little thank you for being one of our loyal NTE listeners!

Part 2 of our live event from Zuza's Way in Thiensville Wisconsin. This episode is the Q&A portion of our event. Several great questions from our audience that led into some great conversation with Dagmara Beine PA-C, who does a wonderful job helping us all understand how the home is a critical factor when trying to heal the body.

Oh boy this was a fun event!! So fun, that we had to break up the recording into two parts for you. Part 1 here is an introduction to Dagmara Beine and her practice, Zuza's Way, in Thiensville WI. Dagmara invited us to come record our show in front of a live audience so we could interact and answer questions. This episode, we'll hear all about Dagmara's story and why her approach to medicine fits perfectly within the NTE framework of Mind, Body, Home. For more information about Dagmara and Zuza's Way, please visit here: http://zuzasway.com

Today's episode is a fun mishmosh of topics related to household projects that are best done as the weather gets nicer. Jay and I virtually walk around your home and discuss areas of the home that you should inspect and repair before winter sets in later this year. We also reiterate some of the contractor related questions and advice that earlier episodes dealt with. Then finally, a frank discussion about project timing, expectations and what the customer needs to do to alleviate potential stressful situations.

I promise, I do not talk about these issues to alarm you into hiring me or buying the materials I sell. But I know that sometimes it would seem that way. Honestly, when things like this come up, I have no choice than to fire up the podcast machine and record the words that come out of my mouth without a script. Some recent clients have alerted me about language that home builders are using deep in the fine print of their contracts, that basically allows them to use whatever material they wish, no matter the health consequences. For an appointment directly with Andy Pace, please follow this link: www.degreeofgreen.com/appointment

Jay and I today speak with Michael Borden, who is arguably one of the worlds foremost authorities on the subject of Vastu architecture and construction. From his website: The principles of Vastu science that have been used in designing India's great and sacred temples can be applied to any building project. Michael has used these principles in designs from cottages to palaces, in schools and office buildings. The positive influence of the building geometry and layout is an excellent environment for a home or office. Just an outstanding conversation and something we'll be digging into even deeper at some point. Michael's website: http://www.vastu-design.com Buy his book about Vastu Architecture: https://amzn.to/2UTYZPo

Continuing with our theme of healing, today I get the pleasure of speaking with Selina Rose about her life struggles and how those shaped her into the diet and nutrition expert she is. She has developed a number of extremely worthwhile tools that you can access by signing up on her website. Please check her out!! Main website - www.selinarose.ca Eats & Asana website (to learn about Selina's course)- https://selinarose.info/eats-asana-program Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/Simplestressreduction/

The best thing about being a podcaster is the people I get to meet, both in interviews, and with our listeners. This episode was a long time coming...the first of a series of shows we'll be doing specifically about the healing side of Non Toxic Environments. Today, Jay and I are speaking with Dr. Lisa Nagy of the Environmental Health Center of Martha's Vineyard. Dr. Nagy's story is not only fascinating, but its incredibly encouraging. She has been through it all herself and is now working to heal the world, one patient at a time, as well as in her numerous speaking engagements, written papers and TV/Radio interviews. For more information about Dr. Nagy, please check out her testimonial videos from clients, as well as her speaking engagements: https://lisanagy.com/videos/

Today's episode is a conversation I had recently with Debra Lynn Dadd. Debra is inarguably the definitive voice in the arena of toxin-free consumer goods, and is someone I look up to and have a deep respect for. I read her first book, Nontoxic & Natural, and it had profound effect on how I proceeded in my business. Over the years, she has authored several more books on the subject, consulted with thousands of clients, as well as being a radio show host for a long stint. All while continuing to build up her immense collection of technical knowledge, which she chronicles on her website. Today, Debra will talk about new new endeavor, ZeroToxics.com This is shaping up to be a site you'll need to bookmark and refer to quite often. You can also check out her main site www.debralynndadd.com to learn about her work, find her product recommendations..even hire her to help with your situation.