How To Build A Healthy Home
We often talk about eating healthy and staying active, but what about living in a house that improves your health and wellbeing? Designing a healthy home can be easy and inexpensive; however, most builders don’t consider this because it takes time to research, learn and apply these techniques. Luckily, we have done the hard work for you!
If you plan on building or renovating a house, follow our 5 simple tips to achieve a healthy environment for you and your family.
Tip#1 - Let There Be Light!
Photo Credit: yourhome.gov.au
Natural sunlight is essential for overall health. It affects mood, lowers high blood pressure, promotes healthy bones and strengthens the immune system. When designing your home, locate the main living areas, such as the kitchen, dining and living room, onto the Northern side of your land. In winter, this direction receives the most amount of sunlight. When designed correctly, your home will be nice and warm during the colder months but not any hotter during summer, reducing the need to turn on auxiliary heating and cooling. If you are renovating or building on a small lot of land with limited light, consider adding skylights or small high windows near the ceiling. These are often called clerestory windows.
Tip #2 - Get Some Fresh Air
Did you know that poor indoor air quality can give you headaches, make you feel tired, and even aggravate asthma and allergies? To allow fresh air into your home, make sure you include breeze paths into your design. Place windows and sliding doors on the southern side of your home, with a similar spaced opening on the opposite side. If you’re afraid of leaving windows and doors open, you can install security screens. One of my favourite products is Invisi-gard 316 stainless steel. It’s incredibly strong, looks stylish, and will protect you and your property. It’s also more affordable and a better product in comparison to other name brands.
Tip #3 - Bring The Outside In
Photo Credit: Containergardening.com
Gardens are scientifically proven to relieve stress. They are also known to increase the value of a home by 15-25%. However, our busy lifestyles often prevent us from looking after one. Instead, you can incorporate natural colours and materials into your home. You can use wood, stone, bamboo and brick to create a direct tie to nature. You can also decorate your home with house plants such as Dracaena, Peace Lily and Spider plant. These are easy to look after (and keep alive) if you don’t have a green thumb. Having an outdoor space such as a patio or alfresco to relax in can also be beneficial for your health.
Tip #4 - Use Non-toxic Materials
Many building materials can affect the indoor air quality of a home by releasing Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that can cause very serious health problems. This can easily be avoided. When selecting finishes for your home, always choose low VOC paint as well as wooden or bamboo flooring for ease of cleaning. If you plan on having carpet in your home, make sure you choose one that hasn’t been treated with additional chemicals, like a stain-resistant or water-resistant barrier. Choose a non-toxic material like wool, cotton, coir or sisal, and make sure the installer uses a low VOC non-toxic glue. If you’re renovating your home, consider what products to reuse. Once the construction of your home is complete, make sure you ventilate the house before moving in!
Tip #5 - Insulate Your Home
Insulation acts as a barrier to heat flow, keeping your home cool in summer and warm in winter. Most builders will only specify R 3.1 insulation batts for your ceiling. However, this is not enough to create a thermally comfortable home, meaning you still need to turn on the air conditioner for heating and cooling. Make sure you add reflective foil insulation into your walls and roof, as well as increase the R rating of the roof insulation to R 4.1 instead of 3.1. If your house is insulated and designed correctly, you can reduce your energy bills by up to 50%. One of my clients can save over $600 on her bi-monthly electricity bill! Their home is incredibly comfortable to live in, and they hardly ever turn on the air conditioner. Another simple way of insulating your home is using weather strips to all windows, doors and sliding doors. This prevents air leakage so that your home stays at a comfortable temperature.
Healthy house design is essential for your health and wellbeing. I hope this article can assist you in creating a healthier home for you and your family. If you’re building for the first time or need someone to look after your building project, Happy House Co. is here to help.If you would like more information about our services, please feel free to contact me on 0433 453 177, or email hello@happyhouseco.com. We would love to hear from you!