As a certified Building Biology Advocate, I am often asked “What is Building Biology?” The answer is simple, but often ignored when designing our homes, offices, and schools. What is Building Biology? Building Biology is the study of the impact of the indoor environment on our health. Building Biology comes from the German term Bau-Biologie…
DIY Coffee Roasting
Interested in roasting your own coffee? Did you know it’s as simple as combining green coffee beans with a hot air popcorn popper? To roast beans properly: Beans must be heated to a high temperature. (370 degrees F to 540 degrees F) Beans must be in constant motion to prevent uneven roasting or scorching. Beans must…
How to Interpret ERMI Mold Tests
The ERMI (Environmental Relative Moldiness Index) test is a dust sampling analysis offered by several labs to evaluate the health of a building. ERMI uses a DNA-based method for identifying 36 different species of mold. Labs currently offering this test include: EMSL Analytical ($172-$350 plus shipping ) EMLab P&K (call the lab for pricing) EnviroBiomics…
10 Ways to Detox Your Home
What can we do to make our home a safe refuge? How can we ensure access to clean air and clean water? 10 Ways to Detox Your Home 1. Become aware. Don’t be afraid of information. While it can be overwhelming, knowledge is empowering. Dr. J. H. Tilden said, “Knowledge is power. Knowledge of how…
Baby Safe Indoor Air
It’s a simple way to boost your baby’s health, but it’s often overlooked. Clean air is one of the basic necessities of life. Unfortunately, due to recent changes in building construction, our homes are often more polluted than outside air. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “Indoor levels of pollutants may be 2 to 5 times…
Natural Air Fresheners
Air fresheners, in synthetic form, do little to freshen the air and do much to hamper our health. Their primary function of masking odors is accomplished either by deadening our nerves with a toxic chemical or interfering with our sense of smell by coating our nasal passages with an oil film. Thankfully, there are excellent…
