Many years ago, in a post entitled “Snowed In”, I borrowed material I had written for Mother Earth News as they were considering my work for a regular blogging position on their web site.  I just went back to those legacy postings and reread many of them, and in so doing found a draft of a follow-up piece to “Snowed In” that I never published.

That piece included some very personal observations I had about building healthy and why it was important to me.  So here is the conclusion to that piece, originally written in January, 2013.  It reads as well today as it did back then with some good links to products and vendors that you might consider for a future remodeling project of your own.

Here’s part 2 of Snowed In:

I wrote in a recent post about how a recent snowfall in Chicago reminded me of the ways my home is special to me, and how my less-than-perfect, semi-green, striving-to-be-healthy home can be uplifting, even revitalizing at times.  I firmly believe that the best of our healthy homes support their inhabitants spiritually, intellectually, and emotionally.  And so as I talk about green or healthy homes, you’ll find that I sometimes prefer to talk about more than just the basics like material selections that improve air quality or construction details that increase energy efficiency or design choices that increase comfort.

Don’t get me wrong—these last few items are important, especially when it comes to educating consumers about what I mean by “green”.  But for me, green building is equally about the mechanics of building healthy as well as the journey that begins once you move in and start doing the things required to keep a home healthy.  It’s about creating a sanctuary where you and your loved ones feel safe and secure in ways that a conventional home simply cannot.  And it’s about the harmony and balance and vitality that are a natural consequence of living a healthy lifestyle in a more natural, less-toxic home.

In short, it’s about synergy.  That is, how a box of simple commodities like wood and copper and cement that we typically call a house interacts with your intentions, your lifestyle, and your environment to create something much greater than the sum of its parts—a home that stirs and soothes the soul.

But I digress.  Our recent snowfall also reminded me of how little things can make a big difference in green construction.

Take that lowly skylight that was the object of my last discussion.  When I added a bathroom to my home 16-years ago and decided to install the skylight, I recognized that punching a hole in my roof to accommodate a roof window was going to decrease my home’s energy-efficiency.   And in a city like Chicago, a mix of two-and three-story homes on 25-foot lots meant that the placement of that skylight on one of the shortest homes on the block had to be considered carefully so as not to restrict our privacy.  Moreover, the marginal costs to purchase the skylight, cut and frame the hole, mitigate the possibility of water intrusion, and run power to the unit were not insignificant to me at the time.

The costs and drawbacks of such an installation were obvious, but look at what I gained.   Since the skylight faces south mounted on a 10/12 pitched roof, it generates passive solar heat during the winter months, not to mention the extra dose of Vitamin D it offers anyone showering during the mid-day hours.  During temperate spring and fall days, I can open the skylight to let in fresh air and improve our indoor air quality without sacrificing comfort.  During warmer months, I also gained a place—coupled with a nearby ceiling fan—to vent hot air and cool the house down.  (This chimney effect is something my firefighting wife can vouch for personally).  And during the peak summer noon hours, I wedge a scrap piece of foil-backed  insulation into the opening to act as a radiant barrier to reduce the solar heat gain that we so enthusiastically embrace in winter.

Now thanks to Velux, the installation and control of skylights like mine are a snap and much more conducive to green building than they used to be.  There’s no longer a need to pull out a ladder and go through the manual gymnastics of adjusting light levels and opening size.  The newest Velux skylights are solar powered, thereby eliminating the added expense to run wiring to your roofline, along with the obvious savings on your electric bill.  These models also come with a complete line of remote-controlled radiant- and light-blocking shades so you can confidently locate a skylight with a south-facing exposure without worrying about excessive solar heat gain in summer.  And they have integrated rain sensors, letting you sleep better and giving you some peace of mind when you are away on vacation or the forecast is for overnight thundershowers.

Small things that make a BIG difference in the health and comfort of your home.  And a small step toward homes that aren’t just more comfortable, not just more energy- and resource-efficient, but also homes that genuinely stir and soothe the soul.