Prescriptions for a Healthy House, 4th Edition: A Practical Guide for Architects, Builders and Homeowners

I may be biased about the importance of this book: I have ME/CFS/Mold Hypersensitivity, and I'm acutely aware of what a moldy building will do to me (it's not pretty). And unfortunately the reality of most residential construction in the USA is that by the time health issues stemming from the building are discovered, the builder is long gone and no longer liable for any defects in design or construction. Almost no builder thinks they're building a home that's unhealthy, but as Baker-Laporte explains in Prescription For A Healthy House, building science changed when we started air-sealing homes to improve energy efficiency--and the understanding of the run-of-the-mill builder has been slow to catch up. Additionally, new products are introduced every year, and although it's often possible to make an educated guess about how toxic or effective a product may be, often we won't know until it's been around for 30 years.Building a healthy home is a huge topic, touching on literally every part of a home from the foundation to the roof, which is why the book is over 1000 pages. While the book does take the time necessary to explain and illustrate why healthy building practices may be more desirable than the status quo, perhaps a third of the book is strictly product and product manufacturer recommendations--an invaluable resource given the previously-mentioned intransigent and inexact natures of modern building science.The amount of information in this book is at least equal to what you might get from a semester-long course in healthy homebuilding. If you want to build a healthy home the first time, and avoid the hassle and expense of retrofitting your home after you find the basement is flooding because the foundation was done improperly, or the home was cited wrong, or you've got mold because the walls are insufficiently vapor permeable...buy this book. For someone building a home it would be a bargain at twice the price.

This book is a god send for everyone, particularly people who are aware they have been affected by chemicals in their home environment. Then there are the millions who are ill and uncomfortable, and have not yet identified it is due to the slow degrading of their health by building materials and cleaning supplies that steadily pollute the buildings in which they live and work. This book is vast, well organized, meticulously researched, and a miracle. It offers information which is not easy to acquire about building or repairing a home in which one can thrive, or in which to recover from the degradation of one's health due to chemicals in the environment. This book is for everyone -- those who already know they have been exposed to toxic materials, and those who want a home that supports the flourishing of their children and themselves. I bought 5 copies for family, friends and the professionals who are helping me reclaim my home from the poisoning of inappropriate materials. It has been a 7 year journey to get to this point, and to find this extensive book being published just at the time I have needed it, has been an unexpected and wonderful blessing.

Eagerly awaited after the 3rd Edition. Particularly relevant as many green guard products are not California Prop 65 compliant nor the healthiest available (like some of the commercial caulks). All of this took on far more relevance after my wife was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. We found Table 13-1 Types of Adhesives particularly helpful as we live in North Carolina and have had to compensate for what could have and should have been done either at the time the home was built or by previous homeowners. What this book does so well is tie home design, construction and materials together so that the reader gets both the big picture and the details. Case in point, I will never buy a home with a traditional dormer ever again because of their design vulnerabilities.

I used the past (3rd) edition like a healthy home bible--so I was already a fan--then this 4th edition came out, and WOW! It is full of very timely info on all types of products and actions to make your home even healthier. It answers questions I have had and ones I didn't even know I had. Thank you thank you!

I purchased the Kindle version and am amazed at the detailed information in this book. If you are thinking of building a new home or remodeling the one you have, read this book before you start the planning phase.There is so much one would typically overlook when trying to build a healthy home environment and the authors really cover it all. There are also oodles of tips to remedy and rescue an existing home and bring it back "to life." Highly recommend to people who want to make their home the best environment possible.

After reading Paula Baker-Laporte and John Banta's Prescription for a Healthy House, I feel I can be a good steward of my community and a good steward of the environment in ways I had previously not known: by the choices I make about the structure of my home and by the materials I select to build my home. The book is a thorough and comprehensive resource, and reading it is an education in all the systems to be considered when building - including important aspects often overlooked: "Contractual Agreements between Owner and Builder" (Chapter 7), "Construction Cleaning" (Chapter 8), and "Environmental and Materials Testing" (Chapter 24). And to my great relief, the authors continue past the building of the home to the living in the home. They understand the health of the home and the occupants is a dynamic relationship; the occupants must pay attention to the on-going health of the home. Thus Part III: "Furnishing and Maintaining a Healthy Home". I am grateful for Paula Baker-Laporte and John Banta's knowledge, wisdom, expertise, and experience, and for their healthy and reasonable perspectives and approaches. I feel confident I will feel at ease in my new home because of their book and the wealth of resources and options it offers. Cynthia Schulz