330 East St, Williamsburg, Massachusetts

Where was this used? Poured concrete foundation with no additives. Concrete was made with cement, water, and aggregate (stone and sand). The forms to hold the foundation while hardening after it was poured were pressure washed to remove any potential oil or mold from previous use. Concrete blocks for the partitions, exterior walls and ceilings were poured into molds that had vegetable oil coating them to allow the blocks to be removed after hardening. Usually, a petroleum-based product is used, but in this case, it was vegetable oil. In order to minimize electromagnetic fields (EMFs), the concrete has fiberglass bars to reinforce it instead of the usual rebar which is made of metal (a conductor of electricity). Insulation is composed of fiberglass threads inside the concrete, and icynene (which is non-toxic) between the floors. There are steel frames for the interior walls. On the interior of the walls and ceiling, there is nontoxic plaster. There is a sophisticated radon mitigation system which involves a system of pipes below the concrete floor to move air out from under the concrete foundation. To avoid having mechanical equipment in the home that could give off EMFs, the furnace and ground source heat pump are in the garage. Insulated pipes run from the garage to the house to supply hot water. Kitchen cabinets are metal to avoid the VOCs in wood cabinets and minimize any chance of moisture damage or mold growth. The granite countertops in the kitchen were tested for radon and radioactivity. The kitchen sink is stainless steel and the bathroom sinks porcelain. Use of caulking was minimized, with 100% silicone applied where needed to prevent issues with moisture, for example to seal the seams between the kitchen counters and backsplash. Ceramic tile flooring has a physical non-slip texture (not a coating). The roof is metal and the siding Hardie board, a type of cement board known for its durability, which was painted with non-toxic paint. All paint on the interior was nontoxic and mold inhibiting (Keim brand). The 3 ERVs take air from outside the home, filter it and circulate it in with the HVAC, and a system takes air from the bathrooms and exhausts it outside. Normally just 1 ERV would be used for a house this size, so the air purification is quite sophisticated. Almost all the electrical wiring runs through metal tubes which shields the EMFs. To fit together the copper piping for plumbing, it was compressed together to make a waterproof seal rather than using the usual silver-lead soldering method.