Non Toxic Environments Home Health & Wellness

Here in Wisconsin, our summers are typically a bit shorter than most of the country.  So we embrace the days or warmth and sun and take every advantage of what those days hold for us.  Residential construction spikes during this time, so all of us here are working 10-12 hours days just to keep up with demand.  But when fall arrives, we finally have a chance to take a deep breath and go through som...

We have been SO EXCITED to bring you all an episode all about electropollution and we were finally able to land author Brandon LaGreca, who joins the show today to discuss his story, his new book and most importantly, how we all can protect ourselves with simple changes we all can make in our daily routines.  Pass this one along to your friends and family!   PLEASE>>> Follow Brandon's Blog Purchas...

You're investigating noxious, unfamiliar odors in your home and need to hire a professional.  Where do you go?  Who can you trust?  All too often, we get suck in "analysis paralysis" and either get recommendations from too many people or we hire someone who claims they can find the problem, but is woefully ignorant of the best testing methods.  Today, Jay and I discussing how to find the right IAQ...

If you think about all the items that go into a new home build, most people kind of forget about the glues, adhesives and caulks that are used during the build.  Caulking around doors and windows, adhesives under the sub flooring, glues for the cabinetry, etc.  While the amount of actual material doesn't add up to the volume of paint you would use, it can certainly make for harmful indoor air if t...

Jay and Andy get many questions like this on a daily basis, so they thought why not have the discussion on the podcast for all to hear!   Do I rip out and replace my cabinets, or can I refinish them? Can I seal the off gassing of my countertop or should I just get something new?  Do I remodel my entire home or just start from scratch. There are definitely pros and cons to both side of this topic,...

I know we spend an exorbitant amount of time discussing things you shouldn't use in your home, so we decided to start talking about the things we do like.  First off, Jay and I talk out flooring options for your home.  We break down the "green" attributes of various floors like cork, bamboo and wood, we discuss colors and trends, then we top it off with a quick guide to pricing so you can know wha...

Water is essential for life, yet can cause so much destruction.  Building a healthy home requires the use of many materials, very few as important as what we'll be discussing today.  Etienne Gubler of Siga North America joins us today to discuss how his company's tapes, wraps and membranes can eliminate the destructive element of water intrusion, and allow our well-built homes to last far beyond t...

Jay and I today take a deep dive into the extremely important topic of chemical offgassing.  What is it? Where does it come from? How long will this last? What are my choices for dealing with it?  Folks, I know that I believe every episode of NTE is important.  But this one it at the top of the 'important' list!  In my eyes, the elimination of offgassing of your building materials is the most cruc...

If you've ever wondered what Jay and I do for show prep, this episode is basically just that.  We talk, laugh, commiserate and come up with ideas.  Jay and I were talking earlier this week about some trends in the healthy building industry, and it occurred to us that we should immediately stop talking and jump on the microphones to continue the discussion.  I'll admit, I did talk about one or two...

Its a common theme with many of our episodes.  Jay and I will always remind you to prepare your surfaces, prepare the area, manage your expectations!  Let me be honest, folks.  Chip and Joanna dont actually remodel a bathroom over a weekend!! It cant happen.  It takes planning and lots of it. I recorded an audio article for a magazine a few months back about this topic and I thought you all would...

Neither Jay nor I can ever admit to "knowing it all".  Far from it, in fact.  Both of us need to refer to others on a regular basis and of course, we rely on the internet to help.  Sometimes we need contact names for specific professionals.  Other times...we just need inspiration to get us through a rough day or a difficult project.  So when those times come...and they come often these days...here...

This is our monthly episode where Jay and I open up the mailbag and answer listener questions.  However, the first half of the show, Jay and I discuss some of the new home projects I'm currently working on and some of the more critical issues that our clients are facing right now.  Mold, moisture and more!  This is a really good episode and should be quite helpful to anyone who's building now or i...

I know we've done some episodes on our FRAT system before, but there has been quite a bit of activity with formaldehyde testing in the last few weeks and I wanted to share some findings.  The average home can have 5,000-15,000 different chemicals in the air at any given time, so I suppose it seems like a drop in the bucket if we eliminated just one.  But formaldehyde is a key trigger for allergies...

I imagine you've heard an episode or two of this show, so you may know that we always emphasize surface preparation and testing as keys for a successful project, no matter the task.  The surface that a sealer, coating, floor covering, etc, is going on, is called a "substrate" and we will always insist that the substrate is in the proper condition before covering it up.  So what exact IS a substrat...

Absolutely fascinating episode this week, folks.  I'll admit...Feng Shui has always been a little too 'woo-woo' for me.  And if I had to hear one more TV interior designer say " oh the Feng Shui of this place is horrible...", only to move a chair and say VOILA!.... This topic scared me a but to bring up because I didn't want anyone else to get that same impression that I had, but I was dead wrong....

As the saying goes, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and over again, expecting different results.  By that definition, the home building industry should definitely be deemed insane.  So if we know that typical building methods are dangerous, why do we keep allowing it to happen? Probably because of the cost increases...either perceived or real. So lets have that con...

We are definitely in the midst of the construction busy season, so Jay and I are getting lots and lots of great questions coming at us.  We decided that one episode per month will be dedicated to answering questions that will help all of our listeners with current projects.  We're calling it our Monthly Mailbag Bonanza!  This week, we deal with epoxy paint, roofing, decking and a few other hot top...

Part 2 of our live event from Zuza's Way in Thiensville Wisconsin.  This episode is the Q&A portion of our event.  Several great questions from our audience that led into some great conversation with Dagmara Beine PA-C, who does a wonderful job helping us all understand how the home is a critical factor when trying to heal the body.  

Oh boy this was a fun event!! So fun, that we had to break up the recording into two parts for you.  Part 1 here is an introduction to Dagmara Beine and her practice, Zuza's Way, in Thiensville WI.  Dagmara invited us to come record our show in front of a live audience so we could interact and answer questions.  This episode, we'll hear all about Dagmara's story and why her approach to medicine fi...

Today's episode is a fun mishmosh of topics related to household projects that are best done as the weather gets nicer.  Jay and I virtually walk around your home and discuss areas of the home that you should inspect and repair before winter sets in later this year.   We also reiterate some of the contractor related questions and advice that earlier episodes dealt with.  Then finally, a frank disc...

I promise, I do not talk about these issues to alarm you into hiring me or buying the materials I sell.  But I know that sometimes it would seem that way.  Honestly, when things like this come up, I have no choice than to fire up the podcast machine and record the words that come out of my mouth without a script.   Some recent clients have alerted me about language that home builders are using dee...

Jay and I today speak with Michael Borden, who is arguably one of the worlds foremost authorities on the subject of Vastu architecture and construction.   From his website: The principles of Vastu science that have been used in designing India's great and sacred temples can be applied to any building project. Michael has used these principles in designs from cottages to palaces, in schools and off...

Continuing with our theme of healing, today I get the pleasure of speaking with Selina Rose about her life struggles and how those shaped her into the diet and nutrition expert she is.   She has developed a number of extremely worthwhile tools that you can access by signing up on her website.  Please check her out!!   Main website - www.selinarose.ca   Eats & Asana website (to learn about Selina's...

The best thing about being a podcaster is the people I get to meet, both in interviews, and with our listeners.  This episode was a long time coming...the first of a series of shows we'll be doing specifically about the healing side of Non Toxic Environments. Today, Jay and I are speaking with Dr. Lisa Nagy of the Environmental Health Center of Martha's Vineyard.  Dr. Nagy's story is not only fasc...

Today's episode is a conversation I had recently with Debra Lynn Dadd.  Debra is inarguably the definitive voice in the arena of toxin-free consumer goods, and is someone I look up to and have a deep respect for.  I read her first book, Nontoxic & Natural, and it had profound effect on how I proceeded in my business.  Over the years, she has authored several more books on the subject, consulted wi...