Healthy Residential Building Experience Exchange - Who Has Built Like This?

We had a so-called "radon foil" installed, but since it is a foil, it may no longer fall under "healthy living".

But for us, caution was more important than regret....

You can first check on the radon map how severely you are affected.... we have such a foil as well or will get one

We are planning a healthy living house built with bricks

That sounds like a prime target for bio-label charlatans. Or at least good work by the marketers if "healthy living" is associated with "brick." There is no hand-crushed whole grain brick made from renewable clay lumps raised in free-range conditions.

In principle, there are two types of bricks: the classic solid brick, which is nowadays unsuitable for monolithic construction (except maybe in 74 cm wall thickness, hehe); and the "porous brick" (with or without filling). The porous brick actually marks a turning point in the building materials market, which has somewhat heralded the introduction of a genetic engineering-like mindset into product development of building materials.

In this respect, it seems romantically naive to have the "reflex" to think of bricks when hearing "healthy living."

How does a radio alarm clock work when the mains power is off: with batteries or buffered by a hamster wheel? – I think you can do and overdo anything. I live in pumice and like clay plaster, and I wouldn’t stick petrochemicals on my house. But going to a naturopath with the package insert of tile adhesive would be just as much nonsense. I think healthy compromises are not so wrong to assume in the “golden middle.”

Radio alarm clock? ;-) Mobile phone alarm clock, of course.

Yes, and then the phone next to the bed too, of course ...(-;

d

First, you can look at the radon map to see how affected you are .... we have such a foil as well or will get it

We do, otherwise it might not have even crossed our minds. Our region is moderately endangered, other areas more so, none of the neighbors have done it....

Hello everyone,

Thank you very much for your numerous contributions. I really did not expect that.

I am interested in the following:
- With whom did you build? Architect, general contractor, ...
- How were the building materials chosen? By feeling, labels, architect’s recommendation?
- How high were your additional costs due to healthy living construction?
- Which bricks did you use? Unfilled or perlite-filled, processing with or without fleece?
- What is your floor structure? Insulation material, screed. A building biologist told me that wood fiber would be rather unfavorable here because of possible water damage.
- How is the floor in the bathroom sealed, especially with a walk-in shower?
- What is your roof structure? Insulation material, membranes.
- Did you build PVC-free?
- Did you use PU foam or how did you avoid it?

@ Bookstar: Which regulations oppose healthy living construction? I have not thought about that at all, so I would be very interested.
Regarding bricks: Are there not problems with sound insulation with unfilled bricks? I would basically prefer unfilled bricks, but I am uncertain about this.

@ Schnurrbart: I want to build healthy living, not ecological. But I don’t find that “selfish” at all, since it also benefits the construction workers and the environment. However, I do not want to install anything that is only good for the environment but bad for my health. Baufritz seems very competent to me but builds with wood, and is therefore not an option.

@ Josephine2489: The radon membrane is outside the house, right? Do you know what material it is? A building biologist recommended it to us as well. On the other hand, I read a recommendation from Austria where it is not mentioned, but rather drainage is recommended.

@ Snowy36: Yes, 100% is probably not possible either, but you also have to see what is technically necessary. For perimeter insulation, I would like to use foam glass, but I don’t yet know how much it costs and whether the budget allows it. Where do you have wood fiber insulation and which product?
We are in a medium radon area. Which membrane are you using? Have you ever heard of radon drainage? Or the recommendation to install a tight door to the basement?

@ 11ant: I think we had this discussion in another place before. I do not associate bricks = healthy, I simply want to build with bricks and healthy living. By the way, I do not need a radio alarm clock. But I once read that a network shutdown can be done in a way that small consumers still work.

Thanks again for your many contributions. I am looking forward to further discussion and exchange of experience.

Best regards
unser_schloss