What’s a Healthy Home?

As our culture has transitioned over the years, people spend a majority of their time indoors. The National Human Activity Pattern Survey (NHAPS), performed by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, found that Americans spend around 87% of their time indoors and an additional 5.5% inside vehicles.(1) This totals roughly 92.5% of our time spent in enclosed environments.

If this statistic feels unsettling, consider another significant finding. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoor air pollutants can be 2 to 5 times higher than outdoor levels. In some instances, these levels can exceed outdoor air pollutants by more than 100 times. (2) This indicates that the way we construct our homes, the furniture we choose, and our daily living habits have a profound impact on our health and well-being.

Key indoor pollutants include:

• Radon: A naturally occurring gas that rises from the ground and can accumulate in buildings.
  Carbon Dioxide (CO2): A naturally occurring gas, including that which we exhale, which can also build up indoors.
• Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10):
  • PM2.5: Very small particulates that can penetrate our lungs and skin, including smoke, cooking byproducts, and candle burning residues.
  • PM10: Larger particulates such as dust mites, mold spores, and pet dander.
• Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Radiation: Ubiquitous due to technology, EMF radiation is pervasive in homes and affects everyone, although some individuals are more sensitive to it.
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): Aerosolized compounds from various sources that can be detrimental to health.

While many of these pollutants can be mitigated through appropriate measures, they remain vastly understudied, leaving much to be discovered. In this series we will be taking a high-level view of these pollutants, what they are, how they impact our homes and what we can do about it. The aim is to inform and empower. Stay tuned….

If you’d like to jump into some of the nerdy details, IndoorChem is one of the leading communities giving attention to actual tests of the indoor microbiome. In the linked Youtube videos, Corbett Lunsford gives a summary of their initial study called HOMEChem.

Post by: Kent Mylin

Late in 2020 I tasked our team with helping to identify our core values. This was about identifying the values we felt we already represented. In my mind, the qualities were there, and it was only the identification and definition of those values that was lacking.

It was simple exercise for our employees — write down the first words or phrases that come to mind when you think of Metzler Home Builders. The leading “value” that came back was some combination of these three words:

fair / honest / transparent

In true Metzler Home Builders fashion, we put our heads together and came up with one word that encompassed this value – Integrity.

What does it mean to have Integrity as a custom home builder?

I believe it means being truthful in situations even when it isn’t comfortable or convenient. It means sharing with a client when we made a mistake, sharing why and how it happened, and offering a solution that is fair to them.

It may look like giving a credit to a client when they don’t even know something they chose cost less.

It could be explaining that a product came in damaged or was mis-ordered, and now our schedule will require modification.

I understand it isn’t popular to talk about the things we may not get 100% right as a business, but I believe if we operate with Integrity in all situations, we will continue to build trust with our clients that lasts a lifetime.

Post by: Jordan Metzler

Most of us have experienced it. A feeling of inherent safety. A space where you are seen, known, and loved. This occurs in many ways; with a particular person, being in a familiar place, or noticing a delightful feeling. We can even smell something, like the scent of grandma’s homemade rolls, that brings us a sense of peace. It is a place of refuge and protection: a sanctuary.

For me, I experience sanctuary most frequently when I am in nature. Seeing the wind in the trees, touching a flower petal, hearing the bird song, smelling the coming rain, tasting honeysuckle, or my favorite, being present to the sun breaching the horizon.

You may experience it in the warmth of your favorite blanket, the companionship of a caring pet, or the voice of that special someone.

We each sense sanctuary in different ways. It is beneficial to reflect on and understand where we find refuge and how we feel protection. These are things that allow us to realize peace and rest.

Why might these nuances be important in our craft? Our homes, workplaces, and created surroundings impact us consciously and unconsciously. The built environment can bring us comfort or it can bring us unrest. We are passionate about creating safe spaces. As you articulate what brings you comfort, we attentively listen, aspiring to craft an environment that beckons sanctuary.

Post by: Tim Zehr

A house is like a great piece of music. It takes years of incubation, thoughts and dreams. It invites you in to experience all it has to offer. It’s engaging and sustaining. It pulls on the greats of the past while being influenced by the ones of the present. In the end, you hold out a part of yourself for the world to experience for generations.

a home.

The connection between people and their homes are deep and multifaceted, transcending physical structures and embracing the interplay of memories, identity, and a sense of belonging. “Home” is not simply a place; it’s a sanctuary where the tapestry of life is woven.

I grew up in a family of seven and distinctly remember the rooms, colors and furniture engrained with emotional experiences. The hardwood was lovingly worn from the continual foot travel throughout the circulation spaces. Our kitchen and dining were connected and life took place in this beloved space. We had a formal living room where toys were cleaned up every day, china was kept behind glass doors, and my mom would sit and read when she wasn’t being pulled in six opposing directions. Juxtapose this to the informal living room. Toys were left scattered, siblings argued over games, and the furniture was well worn. Each room echoes with laughter, tears and the quiet moments that defined our experiences. Our homes give testimony to the family milestones, joys and sorrows that shape us.

In part, this is why I chose to design and build homes. A home becomes an extension of its inhabitants, mirroring personalities and providing an expression for identity. Choices made in the architecture, layout, finishes, and decoration reflect individual preferences, values and cultural influences. This alignment between personal identity and physical space influences the deep emotional bond that surpasses basic sheltering needs.

Often when I walk into a home, I see the spaces that are more loved than others. I notice the finger streaks as the kids ran through the hallway and the marks against the door where the dog wanted back in the house. These cannot be replicated in a new home but can be designed to foster the sense of belonging, creating space for new and lasting memories.

Recalling and savoring these memories are wonderful and needed, but I’m also a fan of the “so what” question… the practical application. Or as a friend of mine puts it, “What does this look like on Monday morning?”

Be intentional.

Take time.

Turn the screens off and engage with kids, siblings, friends, and parents.

Play a game.

Start a puzzle.

Or draw inspiration from my daughter’s current muse and craft miniature models of houses (currently a tree house she built – see image).

Create these experiences and let us know what your imagination is launching you into!

Post by: Kent Mylin