Specifications Overview

The owners designed and built this house to meet two main objectives:

  • Healthy House—in which a person hypersensitive to chemicals and EMFs (electro-magnetic frequencies) could live, and
  • Understated Quality—good materials and workmanship to make the house livable for the owners and enjoyable for the guests.

The owner served as both builder and helper to the subcontractors in order to assure that the materials and construction methods met both objectives.  

Eight characteristics illustrate these objectives:

  • Radiant, in-floor heat—clean and comfortable
  • Insulation—Demelec, sprayed, rigid, non-toxic foam makes tight, energy efficient house
  • Windows—numerous windows for light & scenery, commercial grade aluminum with thermal break for energy efficiency
  • Ventilation—fans in attic to bring in clean outside air and exhaust stale air in winter
  • Hardwood & Tile Floors—easily cleaned and durable
  • Solid Wood—for subfloor, wall sheathing, roof and cabinets to eliminate toxic glue that off-gases from manufactured wood
  • Brick & Slate—natural, low-maintenance brick exterior and durable slate roof
  • Corian Sinks & Counter Tops—durable, cleanable and high quality

From installation of the heating tubes in the floor (to improve heating efficiency) to the notched shelves in the pantry (to make the back of the shelves more accessible) the builder exercised hands-on attention that improved the quality of the construction and the livability of the house.

The owners were disappointed to not be able to move into the house as planned. Concerns related to a herbicide used by the power company to control tree growth under the power lines made it impossible for the chemically hyper-sensitive owner to live in the house. The owners hope the buyers will be able to take advantage of the many features that have been incorporated into this house and property.