Healthy Building - What is important?

But what about all the sources of volatile substances, adhesives, PU foam, and so on...

What can I do and what have you done to be able to live as healthily as possible here?

So I can say what we did: since the largest surfaces are the walls and ceilings, we had them painted with silicate paint (preferably on lime plaster) instead of dispersion paint (you can basically imagine dispersion paint as a sprayed-on plastic film with color particles and soluble biocides). The floors are covered with tiles and oiled solid wood planks that are nailed (but not glued). The furniture is almost entirely made of solid wood. Stair gates are coated with water-based varnish according to EN71 (standard for children's toys). Oh yes, we needed adhesive for the rubber floor in the basement, but we also used one based on rubber for that. You remove volatile substances from indoor air with good, constant ventilation. For this, a controlled residential ventilation system is worth its weight in gold. The walls are all made of limestone; with wooden panel construction, I would have real concerns with most manufacturers regarding the foils, adhesives, and glues used there everywhere. Styrofoam as external insulation, on the other hand, doesn't bother me much inside! But here I would pay attention to the exterior paint whether it contains biocides because these are washed out over time and eventually end up in your soil and thus also in your vegetable beds; children play with the ground, the stuff ends up in the groundwater, etc.

Our windows are made of plastic, and foam and compression tape were of course required for their installation; there simply was no alternative. However, their surface area is not huge. As I said, for Pareto, that is for 80% or more of the maximum achievable result, in my opinion it is enough if you pay attention to ceilings, walls, and floors plus good ventilation,

What is healthy building? Healthy for you or do you also want to consider the global CO2 consumption? Then massive building would be out of the question; concrete has one of the highest CO2 emissions. Cement is so CO2-intensive in its production that it is said to be responsible for up to eight percent of the global annual carbon dioxide emissions. On the other hand, you don’t need to worry about the emissions in your private living area if you build with concrete.

We specifically looked for a homebuilder who thought similarly to us and paid close attention to ecology and CO2 footprint, etc.

Be clear about what is important to you: just healthy living for yourself or also in a global context? How much money do you want to spend on it? Very eco-friendly is usually also a bit more expensive. What is it worth to you? I find it absolutely understandable when someone says: I’d like it to be green, but I also have to be able to afford it. For example, we flirted a lot with clay plaster, but then just applied paint on our Fermacell walls.

So clarify beforehand what the goal is, how can I achieve it, and what is it worth to me and where is the limit.

Very interesting topic, I must say, and totally versatile in interpretation.

I agree with many impulses and would like to add an additional perspective.

A healthy indoor climate is created by the exchange of "bad" / "used" air for fresh air.

Therefore, for me, the very first step is the consideration towards diffusion-open construction.

This means no ventilation system is needed for air exchange and actually not even an open window if the concept is properly thought through.

Diffusion-open building materials are in most cases simultaneously ecological and healthy, such as wood, clay, lime, cork, etc.

Many providers advertise diffusion-open foils, but I am not a fan of those.

Is that the "breathing house" again?

Healthy indoor climate is created by the exchange of "bad" / "used" air for fresh air.

That sounds like a) throwing open the windows or b) controlled residential ventilation.

Therefore, for me, the very first step is the consideration towards diffusion-open construction.

In new houses, virtually nothing diffuses through the outer shell anymore. That’s also why there is the Blower Door Test, to ensure the house is really airtight. Regardless of the construction method.

Therefore, no ventilation system is required for air exchange and actually not even an open window if the concept is properly thought through.

That is a concept from the 1920s, when windows were still built and installed so that drafts occurred. And indeed, then you didn’t have to open windows anymore.

Diffusion-open building materials are in most cases both ecological and healthy, such as wood, clay, lime, cork, etc.

What bad luck that you can’t build houses with that alone and are not allowed to. You still need walls made of bricks or timber framing (with the appropriate layers).

Healthy indoor climate is created by exchanging "bad" / "used" air for fresh air. Therefore, for me, the very first step is the consideration towards diffusion-open construction.

diffusion-open building materials =/= non-airtight house Every modern house is largely built airtight. Those who want fresh air must therefore ventilate manually or need a controlled residential ventilation system.