Health
A Healthy Home is one that is toxin-free, dry, clean and free of pests. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), water efficiency, and a commitment to stocking the home with local and organic food and environmentally preferable products are vital steps in living a green and healthy lifestyle.

To prevent the likelihood of allergens and toxins like mold, carbon dioxide and radon, the Green Life Smart Life home will be equipped with an ENERGY STAR® Indoor Air Quality Package. Requirements include moisture control, radon control, pest barriers and an HVAC systems, as well as specifications for combustion systems.

To fill these requirements, the homeowners will install outdoor ventilation to include continuous air exchange and ventilation with heat recovery, HVAC zoning with remote monitoring and sensing climate control and indoor air quality monitoring with measures for air filtering, moisture and contaminant control. They will also use a central vacuum system which is vented to the outside, removing dirt, pollen, dust mites and other allergens and exhausting no dirty air into the home.

With paints and finishes being one of the leading causes of indoor air pollutants, all paint in the home will be low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds), which use water as a carrier as opposed to petroleum-based solvents, thus releasing less toxins into the air. The home will use environmentally preferable low off-emitting materials throughout the building process.

Maintaining IAQ begins in the building process by using only low -VOC sealants and adhesives, continues during the interior finish through contaminant control and continuous air filtering and then continues through the lifecycle of the home by never introducing pollutants into the atmosphere. Through air exchanges and the use of non-toxic, biodegradable and environmentally safe products the home will always maintain its healthy air envelope.

Learn more:
To learn more about Indoor Air Quality, visit the EPA website here. To learn more about ENERGY STAR®, visit the Green Life Smart Life Energy page.