How to Ensure Your Home is Free of Toxic Fumes
Builders and renovators are increasingly understanding the need for sustainability. They realise that many of their customers require homes that make the best use of building materials and that are designed to reduce their carbon footprint, not only in the building of it, but into the future. Sustainability is gradually becoming more acceptable, but it is time it moved into the mainstream of society so that everyone uses sustainable practices as a matter of course.
In this way our planet will be preserved and our health will improve, as many sustainable practices are actually very good for our health as well as the pocket. If we live in a polluted atmosphere all the time it is bound to affect our health, often in ways we don’t expect. For instance, many years ago no one thought that tobacco smoke could kill, and certainly no one would have believed the second hand smoke could cause cancer, yet this has proven to be the case.
Why we get sick
Many people don’t understand why so many in the world today are stricken down with cancer, yet the very air we breathe contains carcinogenic substances and these often emanate from the things inside our home. Carpets, furnishings and even paint on the walls can release toxic fumes. Plastic garbage bags, the plastic sofa you relax on every night and even polyester bedding can be really bad for your health.
Try this: take a new dark green garbage bag, punch a hole or two in the base and fill the bottom third with potting mix. Add two or three plants such as petunias or pansies. Place in a light, sunny position, just as you would if they were in pots. Wait a few weeks and you will see that they do not thrive. In fact, they are very likely to die off. This is because of the toxic fumes that such bags emit. Every time you pull one from the roll and open it up, you breathe in the same fumes. This is just a small example of where those toxic fumes come from.
Choose a builder who cares
When building or renovating your kitchen, choose a builder who promotes sustainability. You can find out from their website what the vision is for their company. A company that is interested in being environmentally friendly will go to some trouble to recycle their waste and source materials that are not toxic.
They will be able to advise you on the best materials and the best practices to ensure that your home is free of materials that emit toxic fumes.