The home you live in and the furnishings in it may have been built with toxic materials. Paints, adhesives and new carpets may give off toxic gases, pipes may leach contaminants and many other materials contain harmful chemicals.

What you can do

Choose healthier building materials for home improvement projects.

Resources

Community Environmental Health Resource Center Tools for Detecting Hazards 

Health Care Without Harm’s Green Buildings: Alternatives to PVC

Healthy Building Network: Guide to Plastic Lumber

Healthy Building Network’s Environmental Impacts of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Building Materials report

Healthy Building Screening the Toxics out of Building Material 

Pollution in People’s Less-Toxic Home Repair & Construction Materials factsheet

Safer Products Project Carpeting & Flooring guide

The Green Guide’s Backyard Playground Equipment guide

The Green Guide’s Carpets guide

The Green Guide’s Flooring Materials guide

The Green Guide’s Home Renovation/Eco-Renovation guide

The Green Guide’s Paint guide

Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition’s Less-Toxic Home Repair & Construction Materials factsheet

University of Maryland’s School of Nursing’s Environmental Health Assessment Guide for a Home and Family

Washington Toxics Coalition’s Carpet factsheet

Washington Toxics Coalition’s Eliminating Vinyl in Your Home factsheet

Washington Toxics Coalition’s Healthy Homes and Gardens webpage