A Healthier Home Exam:
What’s Included In Our Visit To Your Home?
A Healthier Home Exam can be hard to define.
Why? Because each home is unique. When we look at your home’s health status, we take take all of its circumstances into account.
Let’s say your home sits at the center of a local micro-climate. It changes based on weather patterns, moisture and temperature. Plus, your family and lifestyle also affects a home’s status. So does the history, age and size of the home.
All these things and more are factored into A Healthier Home Exam.
“
Rick is absolutely incredible….Rick came out and spent hours going over the house, learning its history, answering questions, and most importantly thinking critically. Having mold in your home is a scary place to be and the relief that my wife and I had knowing we had Rick in our corner was truly invaluable. ..
Cole A.
Applying the National Standards of Home Healthiness
Eight healthy homes principles make up a widely accepted national standard. At A Healthier Home, we apply these principles to your home. The principles provide a primary framework for the exam. Then, the standard they set establishes a baseline for your home’s health status.
The eight healthy homes principles applied in our exams include:
01
Dry
02
Clean
03
Safe
04
Well-Ventilated
05
Pest-Free
06
Contaminant-Free
07
Maintained
08
Thermally Controlled
You can download a copy of these principles here.
Ready to take steps toward A Healthier Home?
Meeting the Standard: When we apply these principles to your home, we use methods proven by science. Over several hours, we examine your home from top to bottom. Then, we combine science with common sense to show you what is needed to improve your home’s health.
Exceeding the Standard: Through our work with the Building Biology Institute and others, our expertise expands to include new areas in home health. Of course, we add these to every single one of our exams at no extra charge to our clients.
These include electromagnetic frequencies, energy audits, and mold exams.
Checking for High Levels Electromagnetic Frequencies (EMFs)
Our standard exams include checking electromagnetic frequencies (EMF) in your home. We alert you to any levels that may be hazardous to human health. EMFs find their way into your home from the electric grid, cell phone towers and phones, wi-fi modems, x-rays, microwaves, and more. The waves produced by devices like these travel across space and time. Their impact can be measured in terms of electromagnetic radiation (EMR). We believe that your family’s lower exposure to EMFs and EMR can support better health outcomes.
For instance, the negative impact of EMFs on human health is now a matter of record. First, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) has addressed EMFs and cancer. Second, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) now considers workplace exposures. Third, the U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency informs consumers about power line issues. Last, the European Commission and World Health Organization now inform the public about EMFs. Essentially, you now need to know how EMFs may affect the health status of your home.
Energy Assessments of Green, Smart, Sustainable and Typical Homes
A standard part of our healthy home examinations includes an energy assessment. Therefore, a good energy assessment should
- Be comprehensive and needs-based
- Optimize renewable energy sources
- Make the most of existing resources
Of course, your home’s energy footprint is made up of individual parts and pieces. These include the heating and air conditioning systems, insulation, humidifiers or dehumidifiers, duct work, hot tubs, saunas and more. Using current building science, we look at the way you use your home. Is it green, smart, sustainable, or just plain typical? In the end, your pattern of energy use reveals the best strategies to improve health, increase comfort, reduce usage, and save money.
A Healthier Home and “Mold Exams”
Happily, the “mold exam” part of what we do comes standard in every A Healthier Home exam. As outstanding mold hunters, we are always on the lookout. At A Healthier Home, we’re 100% transparent and unbiased when it comes to mold. Surely, we recommend testing when it’s needed, but don’t recommend it if it’s not. Always, we strive to provide solid, affordable solutions for mold issues in your home.
To Test or Not to Test? Our Answer to That Question
Testing can be costly. We initiate indoor testing in one of two ways: by client request, or by our recommendation.
Mostly, we focus on the healthy home exam first, and testing second. That’s because during your home’s exam, we may sample where and when needed, as we go. These may include:
When we have support for testing, we discuss this question with the client. Mostly, the decision to test or not is based on the desired outcome and whether testing will support it.
The following tests are offered as stand alone options. Sadly, these are not part of our base service.
Any recommendation to test is not motivated by sales. Our clients only pay for what they need, with no hidden expense. Together, we agree on the degree and frequency of testing.