<div dir="ltr">There are a few pages online that provide recommendations for building materials for people with multiple chemical sensitivities.<br><br><b><a href="http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/helping-people-multiple-chemical-sensitivity">http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/helping-people-multiple-chemical-sensitivity</a></b><br><div style="margin-left:40px" id="stcpDiv"><h3>Recommendations to architects and builders</h3>
<p>If you are tempted to take on a client with multiple chemical sensitivity, here are some guidelines:</p>
<ul><li>Don’t give health advice. Remember, you are not a doctor.</li><li>Don’t make any health claims for a house you build.</li><li>Don’t propose specific materials as “safe.” It’s better to say, “If
you or your doctor provides a list of the substances that need to be
avoided, I’ll do my best to comply with that list.”</li><li>Manage expectations from the start. Make no promises related to your client’s symptoms.</li><li>Be sure to include a great deal of extra time in your construction
schedule for materials research and selection. A useful resource with
information on the ingredients found in building materials is the <a target="_blank" class="" href="http://www.pharosproject.net/">Pharos database</a><span class=""></span> maintained by the Healthy Building Network.</li></ul>
<h3>What materials should be avoided?</h3>
<p>Since some people with multiple chemical sensitivity become ill when
they smell shampoo, it’s basically impossible to come up with a list of
“safe” building materials. That said, here are oft-repeated
recommendations noted by other writers:</p>
<ul><li>Ceramic tile is better than carpet.</li><li>Linoleum is better than sheet <span class="">vinyl</span>.</li><li>Low-VOC paints are better than conventional paints.</li><li>Solid-wood furniture or cabinets are better than furniture containing particleboard or plywood.</li><li>It’s best to omit wood-burning stoves and fireplaces.</li></ul> </div><a href="http://www.nkba.org/Learn/Homeowners/Tips/Safety/DesigningAndBuildingWithChemicalSensitivity.aspx"><b>http://www.nkba.org/Learn/Homeowners/Tips/Safety/DesigningAndBuildingWithChemicalSensitivity.aspx</b></a><br><br><div style="margin-left:40px">Common irritants include: cleaning agents (<u><b>bleach</b></u>, soaps and
detergents), paints, and varnishes (including sealants, caulks and
glues), as well as upholstery, carpet, furniture and cabinetry that have
been treated or manufactured with common chemicals such as formaldehyde
resins (a known carcinogen), pesticides and other toxic solvents.<br></div><ul style="margin-left:40px"><li>Natural hard surface flooring such as cork, linoleum, wood or
tile instead of carpeting, laminate or vinyl to minimize off-gassing and
the harboring of dust mites, mildew and/or bacteria. </li></ul><div style="margin-left:40px"> </div><ul style="margin-left:40px"><li><b>Low/No VOC paints and finishes over their high VOC brethren – look for third party certifications such as Green Seal (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.greenseal.org">www.greenseal.org</a>) or Green Guard (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.greenguard.org">www.greenguard.org</a>) for assurance of low VOC levels.</b></li></ul><div style="margin-left:40px"> </div><ul style="margin-left:40px"><li>Vintage
furniture has likely already off-gassed its toxic components so
consider buying used. If new furnishings is what you need, look for a
manufacturer’s membership in the Sustainable Furnishings Council (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.sustainablefurnishings.org">www.sustainablefurnishings.org</a>) which promotes the manufacturing of sustainable, low toxicity products.</li></ul><div style="margin-left:40px"> </div><ul style="margin-left:40px"><li>Stock
or semi-custom cabinetry that has earned the Environmental Stewardship
Program seal from the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA - <a target="_blank" href="http://www.greencabinetsource.org">www.greencabinetsource.org</a>).</li></ul><div style="margin-left:40px"> </div><ul style="margin-left:40px"><li>Custom
made cabinetry and furniture that uses only no added formaldehyde
plywood, particle board and/or medium density fiber board (MDF) along
with low VOC finishes and adhesives. </li></ul><div style="margin-left:40px"> </div><ul style="margin-left:40px"><li>Countertop
materials that don’t contain high VOC glues, resins or other toxic
binding agents and can be maintained without the use of high VOC
sealants and cleaning agents.</li></ul><div style="margin-left:40px"> </div><ul style="margin-left:40px"><li>Untreated natural
fibers such as wool, cotton, jute, etc. rather than synthetic fiber
materials for window coverings and furnishings.</li></ul><div style="margin-left:40px"> </div><ul style="margin-left:40px"><li>Materials that do not require toxic cleaning agents for routine maintenance.</li></ul><div style="margin-left:40px"> </div><ul style="margin-left:40px"><li>Analyze
and supplement, where necessary, the home’s ventilation including
upgrading kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans, installing a filter on a
forced air furnace and/or installing a room air exchanger.</li></ul>Patrik<br><div><div><br></div></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Apr 21, 2015 at 4:24 PM, Ryan <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:yandoryn@gmail.com" target="_blank">yandoryn@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><p dir="ltr">Things that trigger chemical sensitivities and allergies are not necessarily things that are "smelly."<br>
In fact, they usually aren't.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Good ventilation would be so awesome.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Building materials is not short for dust. It's short for things you build with, such as lumber, paint, so on and so forth. The way that these are treated or produced or the materials themselves can be volatile, releasing things into the air that cause health issues for people.</p><div class="HOEnZb"><div class="h5">
<div class="gmail_quote">On Apr 21, 2015 4:18 PM, <<a href="mailto:hol@gaskill.com" target="_blank">hol@gaskill.com</a>> wrote:<br type="attribution"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><u></u>
<div style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif">
4) set up/install fans/ventilation<br><br>this is the number one thing we can do other than eliminating transient point sources<br>
<p>On 2015-04-21 15:14, Robert Benson wrote:</p>
<blockquote type="cite" style="padding-left:5px;border-left:#1010ff 2px solid;margin-left:5px">
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<div>are "building materials" short for construction dust? what are we even taking about here? the most olfactory offensive substances i've encountered we're compost methane - which has been fairly sever at times.<br><br></div>
things we could do: </div>
1) clean bleach all trash/compost bins/buckets</div>
2) sweep & mop all construction areas after work is done for the day.</div>
3) cover all building materials with tarps/cloth</div>
4) set up/install fans/ventilation</div>
5) make sure fans are on prior to events</div>
<br>
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