Safe Carpet Removal...

The Hidden Truth about Most Carpets

Did you know that new carpet can be one of the most toxic things put in your newly built or renovated home? Sadly, this truth is generally ignored (or even hidden) by the general public.

Do you know what mainstream carpeting fibers are made of? Plastic. Yep, that's right. Plastic!

In talking with a woman who had been in the carpeting/textiles industry for many years I learned some interesting things.

I was informed that they push melted plastic through big machines (much like you would envision long doughy spaghetti strings being pushed through a metal strainer) and viola--carpet fibers are born! Simply tie this plastic to some more plastic backing, coat it with some more chemicals, and its ready to be shipped to your local carpet store.

Crazy, we know! Now the "new carpet" smell is making a little bit of sense. It also makes sense that you can get headaches, nausea, and even extreme physical reactions such as seizures from your new carpeting. Check the link below for a startling documentary on one little boy's severe reaction.

So, what are your available options besides this plastic, chemical cocktail?

Introducing a breath of fresh air: EarthWeave Carpet Mills Inc. and their BioFloor Line. This is 100% natural, untreated wool carpeting. The only color variations come from color of the sheep themselves. Perfect for families with small pets, children, and the chemically sensitive. It will also appeal to those wishing to turn their home's interior into a fresh, natural oasis. (Which we all deserve to have.) No chemicals are ever used during the process: all the way from shearing the sheep to attaching it to the 100% natural jute and cotton backing. Undeniably durable: 20+ lifespan and TOTALLY BIODEGRADABLE!

There are five different color lines to choose from and 4 different weave options. Wall to wall carpeting and rugs are both available. Visit A Splash of Green for more information. Online purchasing capabilities will be coming this Saturday, so be sure and check back and tell your friends!


To read the frightening carpeting documentary, click HERE.

      

EPA's Lead Program Solution. Is it really though?

The EPA is starting a program April 22nd that will force all renovators and remodelers that work in homes pre 1978 to have their company and their selves certified through the EPA. I took their certification class this last Thursday. There was some good information to take away from it, but what I don’t understand is that you go through a real technical way to collect all dust during the project then turn around and throw it in the landfill. That’s right if it is less than 220 lbs (which most projects will be) you can just go throw it in the landfill. Does this make a lot of sense to you? On top of that they are really pushing to use tons of plastic to cover everything, and you can’t recycle it. That’s government for you. Yes we have increased the indoor air quality, but what will the side effects of this program be in 5 or 10 years. When will man become the solution and not the problem?

Some Surprising Statistics

The reality of the following information is what drives our green passion and our company. It makes us want to share what we know with as many people as we possibly can.

Here are some surprising statistics:

Due to the human industrial revolution, we have lost 50% of our wetlands, 50% of our forests, and 70% of our marine fisheries.

Buildings consume 40% of the world’s energy and materials. When you factor building construction into that, the number jumps to 48%.

The National Toxicology Program has identified 246 substances that are either “known carcinogens” or “reasonably anticipated to be a carcinogen”, and most of them are still legal and used in products we use everyday.

A study by the Environmental Working Group tested the umbilical-cord blood of 10 American babies born in 2004 and found an average of 200 industrial chemicals and pollutants in each baby’s blood.

45% of carbon emissions come from buildings. (Cars are only responsible for a 1/3 of all emissions.)

An upfront investment of just 2% in green building design, on average, results in a lifecycle savings of 20% of the total construction costs---that’s more than ten times the initial investment!

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, roof installation is estimated to generate 7 to 10 MILLION TONS of asphalt-shingle waste ANNUALLY.

Americans spend 80-90% of their time indoors, typically without much, if any, fresh air.

Benzene, a known carcinogen used in waxes, paints, and paint thinners can lead to a decrease in red blood cells, and possibly cause anemia, bone-marrow damage, excessive bleeding, immune-system depression, and dry, scaly skin.

A $4 per square foot investment in building green nets a $62 benefit per square foot over 20 years.

Did you know that the average homeowner has enough cracks and peep-holes in their home to equivocate to a 4x4 ft hole in their ceiling?

Exposure to chemicals in mainstream building products today can create anything from nausea and headaches to reduced IQ, deficits in intellectual ability, poor short-term memory and poor attention span.

According to the American Lung Association, the EPA ranks poor indoor air quality among the top five risks to public health. The level of air pollution inside the home can be 2-5 times higher than outdoor levels.

Between 1980 and 1995, rates of childhood asthma DOUBLED.

BY HEIDI TANKERSLEY

Green Cleaning

I wanted to take a minute to address the issue of toxic cleaning products potentially used within your home today.

Its seems to be that in our “germophobic” culture today we are inundated with the idea that our homes cannot get clean unless we put on a gas mask and spray all surfaces with some potent mix of toxic chemicals. This belief is simply and absolutely not true.

It is unfortunate that in the name of “no bacteria” we have not only depressed the ability for our bodies to naturally fend for themselves, we have also created an indoor environment that is quite possibly more harmful than any bacteria would ever be.

How many times have you cleaned the bathroom with your nose and eyes burning? For the health of you—and even more so for your children’s or pets’ (who have a smaller body mass and can get a higher concentration of toxins in their body at a much faster rate)—it is time to debunk this myth.

What’s so wrong with my mainstream cleaners?

Currently, there are close to no regulations on chemicals used in cleaning products for the home. There have not been tests run to look at the cumulative effects of these chemicals on the body over time. Today, it is estimated that the average American has 700 pollutants running through his or her body. Now, imagine the amount of pollutants that your child will have in his or her body if exposed to toxic cleaners from birth on.

The chemicals you may clean with don’t just “disappear” down the drain. They get into waterways and return back to you! Even if they are being filtered out of your drinking water, they are still present when irrigating crops or feeding animals. This means these chemicals have made their way back to through your food. Not good!

The VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) and toxic chemicals you smell when cleaning with mainstream products are absorbed into your lungs and then enter your bloodstream. As surely as the breakfast you ate today went down into your belly to be absorbed, these chemicals enter your body through the skin or lung tissue. Over time (or sometimes immediately) you will feel or see the effects of these toxins. (i.e., headaches, wheezing, skin-irritations, dizziness; all the way to developmental disruptions in children or abnormal cell growth within the body.)

Think about it, what else it your body going to do with this stuff? Foreign chemicals floating around in your blood stream. Your body hasn’t a clue what to do with them. It is going to wreck havoc, one way or another.

(P.S. Even if someone else cleans your home for you, the chemicals don’t disappear off the surfaces—they rub onto your skin upon contact. And, the gases remain within your home, especially when the windows are closed! Plus, your cleaner will be grateful if you decide to make a healthy change in cleaning products.)

Here’s the good news: There are plenty of healthy, refreshing, and delicious smelling ways to effectively clean your house safely AND kill bacteria! You don’t have to sacrifice effectiveness and ease of cleaning when you are changing over to more natural products.

Natural cleaners create a breathable, clean, healthy indoor environment. Don’t be fooled by cheap cleaners sold the have “Natural” or “Biodegradable” plastered on the front of the bottle. There are no regulations as to what companies can or can’t put on the bottles.

If you are not interested in creating your own solutions, go to your local health food store to search out some reputable companies with a real concern for the consumer and the planet.

If you are interested in really going “back to the basics” with your cleaning products, start with an arsenal consisting of baking soda and borax for scrubbing tubs and sinks, vinegar (distilled white, diluted) for cleaning glass and insides of toilets, lemon juice as a stain remover, and a general purpose green cleaning solution for floors, countertops, furniture, baseboards, walls, and anywhere else that suits your fancy. (If you would like a “how to” tutorial on how to make a general cleaning solution, check out the video on our website under “Learn More”).

I hope you found this helpful and informative. I have the well-being of your family and children at heart when I share this information. Please try out some of these options and, even if the transition is gradual, being implementing green cleaning into your home. Your body and your family will thank you, and you will feel better for doing it!

BY HEIDI TANKERSLEY

What's Happening in Your Home?

Stop for a moment. Think about the place you live in right now.

The average American spends 14 hours out of everyday within their home. What are you encountering while you are there?

What is covering your floors? What kind of paints are on your walls? What cleaning products are you currently using?

Are your windows old and drafty? Do you have curtains or blinds hanging up?

What material is your home or living space insulated with? How efficient are your appliances at doing their specific job?

Do you spray your home for bugs? Do you treat your lawn, shrubs, or other plants?

Have you bought a new mattress or new furniture over the past year? What types of toiletry products do you have sitting inside your cabinets and use on your body on a daily basis?

Over time, we will discuss all of the topics mentioned above within our Greenovation Builders blog, as we feel they are imperative to learning more on how to create and maintain a green home.

BY HEIDI TANKERSLEY