4 steps to create a healthier home by partnering with a Building Biologist and Sustainability focused Interior Designer
What is a building biologist? I'm so glad you asked! I just found out recently that they even existed, but once you know they are available you can't image your life without one. Are you struggling with allergies, mold or water that tastes yucky? What about dry hair and skin? All of these can be directly related to how the systems in your home are functioning. A building biologist is a professional who specializes in assessing and optimizing the indoor environment of buildings, including homes, offices, and other structures. Building biologists focus on identifying and minimizing potential health hazards in indoor spaces and promoting optimal living and working conditions. Below are four things a Building Biologist can do to help you improve the health of your home.
Indoor Air Quality
Building biologists assess the air quality of indoor spaces, including the presence of mold, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), gases and other pollutants. If you are considering any home improvement project, I suggest testing your air quality before so you can be sure to address any issues as part of your renovation. They can test your existing conditions and provide a remediation plan for improving your “sick home syndrome”.
The Bartone Interiors Design team selects interior finishes and furnishings based on extensive research and partnerships with specific industry manufactures. This ensures you won’t bring any un-wanted particles into your home.
Water Quality
Building biologists test the quality of drinking water and test for the presence of contaminants in buildings and then provide recommendations for improving water quality. Poor water quality can contain various contaminants, such as bacteria, viruses, and chemicals. These contaminants can contribute to indoor air pollution, which can affect the health and wellbeing of occupants.
Mold growth: Poor water quality can lead to excessive moisture in the indoor environment, which can promote mold growth. Mold can release spores into the air, which can trigger respiratory problems, allergies, and other health issues.
Inadequate hydration: Poor water quality can lead to inadequate hydration, which can contribute to various health issues, such as headaches, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating.
Skin irritation: Poor water quality can cause skin irritation and other dermatological problems, such as eczema and rashes.
Ingestion of contaminants: Poor water quality can lead to the ingestion of contaminants, which can cause gastrointestinal problems, such as diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
Overall, poor water quality can contribute to sick home syndrome by introducing contaminants into the indoor environment, promoting mold growth, causing inadequate hydration, skin irritation, and ingestion of contaminants. It's important to address poor water quality in the home to help prevent or mitigate these health issues.
Electromagnetic field (EMF) assessments
EMF stands for electromagnetic fields, which are a type of energy that is present in the environment around us. EMF is produced by the movement of electrically charged particles, and it can be generated by both natural and human-made sources. Building biologists evaluate the levels of EMF radiation in indoor spaces, which can be emitted by various electronic devices and appliances and may have health impacts. Natural sources of EMF include the earth's magnetic field, lightning, and the sun's radiation. Human-made sources of EMF include power lines, electrical appliances, Wi-Fi networks, and cell phone towers, among others.
Exposure to high levels of EMF has been associated with various health effects, although the scientific evidence for these claims is still limited and controversial. The theory is that exposure to high levels of EMF in indoor environments can contribute to various health problems, such as:
Headaches: EMF exposure has been linked to headaches and migraines in some studies.
Fatigue: EMF exposure has been associated with feelings of fatigue and lethargy.
Sleep disturbances: Some research has suggested that exposure to high levels of EMF can disrupt sleep patterns, leading to insomnia and other sleep disturbances.
Dizziness and nausea: Some people have reported experiencing dizziness and nausea when exposed to high levels of EMF.
Skin irritations: EMF exposure has been associated with skin irritations, such as rashes and itching.
If you are concerned about EMF exposure in your home, you can take steps to reduce your exposure by keeping electronic devices away from your body, using wired internet connections instead of Wi-Fi, and limiting your use of electronic devices in general. Additionally, a building biologist can help you assess and mitigate EMF levels in your home.
Healthy building design
A Building Biologist can provide guidance and recommendations throughout the construction process of a new home to help ensure that the finished product is safe, healthy, and free from environmental toxins. They provide recommendations including site selection, ventilation systems and water filtration among other elements that get you a healthy home from the very beginning. If you are beginning a new construction project you can find a Building Biologist expert to help at the Building Biology Institute.
The Bartone Interiors design team specializes in specifying non-toxic architectural finishes that include flooring, wall tile, lighting and other furnishings that will keep toxins out of your home. We are the only interior design and architecture library in the Southeast to have a fully sustainable, toxin free library. Schedule a free Discovery Call to see how we can help!
