Last week I was working with a client going through her second mold remediation when I caught a massive flooring issue that everyone else involved in the project had completely overlooked.

As a licensed general contractor and holistic construction consultant and I see this same costly mistake over and over again. Everyone gets so focused on selecting the lowest VOC, non-toxic flooring materials (which I love!), but they completely ignore proper installation. I've seen flooring failures in multimillion-dollar homes with engineered and solid wood floors, so price point won't save you from this.

In this case, my client Lisa was living in a six-year-old production build where the rain gutters weren't even connected to drains, there was no vapor barrier under the slab, and here's the kicker-during the first mold remediation, nobody touched the flooring. Turns out there was mold growing on the backside of every single plank because moisture was wicking up through the concrete slab.

I'm sharing my 3 step Holistic Homes Healthy Flooring Strategy so you never have to live in fear of what's happening behind your floors. We're talking foundation knowledge, material matching, and installation intelligence, including the moisture test that made one contractor ask me "What's that?" (which is terrifying). You can have the most expensive, lowest-VOC flooring in the world, but if it's installed wrong, you could still end up with mold growth on the backside.

In today's episode, we're chatting about:

• The production builder disaster

• My 3-step flooring framework

• The calcium chloride test

• Good, better, best flooring options

Most homeowners think a "leak detection system" covers everything in their house, but the truth is your whole-home device only monitors plumbing lines. They leave out the drain lines that cause some of the most expensive water damage!

In this second part of my leak management series, I'm breaking down the critical difference between plumbing lines (hot and cold water coming into your home) and drain lines (water going out through showers, toilets, and sinks). Understanding this distinction is key to creating a comprehensive monitoring system that actually protects your investment.

You'll discover why I believe every single home in America should be required to have a whole-home leak detection device, how to strategically place battery-operated detectors for drain line monitoring, and why that dishwasher drip pan could save you thousands in water damage. Plus, I'm sharing real stories from my own home where these systems caught leaks before they became catastrophic.

This episode is about taking the fear out of the "what ifs" and giving you a dashboard for your home just like you have in your car. No more lying awake wondering if something is leaking behind your walls—these safeguards will give you the peace of mind every homeowner deserves. My goal is for you to feel confident and safe in your home without that gnawing fear eating you alive.

In today's episode, we're chatting about:

• The three types of leaks

• Whole-home leak detection systems

• Strategic battery-operated detector placement

• The layered approach to leak management

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One in every 60 homes will experience a devastating plumbing leak this year, with the average insurance claim reaching $14,000 in damages—but most homeowners have no idea it's happening until it's too late.

As a licensed GC and holistic home consultant, I've seen too many families devastated by water damage that could have been prevented. In today's episode, I'm sharing my three favorite "no-brainer" leak management strategies that I implement in every project, whether you're building new, renovating, or have been living in your current home for years.

I'll walk you through exactly how to install access panels for "x-ray vision" behind your walls, where to strategically place battery-operated leak detectors, and why I believe every single home in the US should be required to have a whole-home leak detection system.

Look, I want you to sleep peacefully at night without wondering "is that toilet above my head leaking?" There should never be lingering questions about what's happening behind your walls, especially if you're coming from a moldy situation. This is part one of my two-part leak management series, and I'm giving you all the practical takeaways and resources you need to safeguard your home before disaster strikes.

In today's episode, we're chatting about:

• Access panels everywhere: How to get "x-ray vision" behind your walls

• Strategic leak detector placement

• Whole-home leak detection systems

• Real-world implementation

Resources Mentioned:

Access Panel Guide

Access Panels

Whole Home Leak Detector

Connect with me:

• Instagram

One in 60 homes will experience a plumbing leak this year, resulting in over 1,400 insurance claims daily with an average payout of $14,000, but most of these disasters are completely preventable.

In today's episode, I'm breaking down the leak management strategies that should be standard in every home but rarely are. Whether you're building new, renovating, or have been living in your home for years, these safeguards can save you from catastrophic water damage and give you the peace of mind to sleep soundly without wondering what's happening behind your walls.

Plumbing leaks aren't always due to poor construction. Human error happens, accidents occur, and even the best built homes can develop issues over time. That's why I'm sharing 3 no-brainer leak management strategies:

• strategic access panels that give you eyes behind the walls
• battery-operated leak detectors for early warning systems
• whole-home leak detection devices that can shut off your water automatically during a catastrophic failure

These aren't just theoretical solutions, they're practical safeguards you can implement today. This is part one of a two-part series focusing on safeguards; part two will cover prevention strategies.

In today's episode, we're chatting about:

• Why 1 in 60 homes experience plumbing leaks and how to avoid being a statistic

• The strategic placement of access panels for maximum leak detection coverage

• Battery-operated leak detector placement guide for every area of your home

• How whole-home leak detection systems work and why every home should have one

• The difference between safeguards and prevention (and why you need both)

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• Instagram

Your contractor is probably recommending spray foam insulation without telling you about the class action lawsuits, permanent installation risks, and potential for years of toxic off-gassing.

In today's episode, I'm breaking down everything you need to know about spray foam insulation before making this permanent decision for your home. While spray foam offers excellent performance as an air barrier, vapor retarder, and insulation all in one, there are serious downsides that most contractors don't discuss: it's permanent (requiring expensive remediation to remove), it can off-gas for years if improperly mixed, and it requires perfect application to avoid moisture trapping and mold issues.

The biggest problem I see is that spray foam isn't just a simple material swap during construction. Closed cell and open cell spray foam have completely different R-values and permeability ratings, and you can't just decide mid-construction to switch to mineral wool or fiberglass without redesigning your entire building assembly. This conversation needs to happen during the design phase, not when your contractor is ready to spray.

In today's episode, we're chatting about:

• Why closed cell vs. open cell spray foam aren't interchangeable (and how this affects your building plans)

• The verification protocols every spray foam project needs (including third-party testing)

• Safer alternatives to spray foam and why they cost 30-50% more

• How to spot greenwashing in "non-toxic" spray foam marketing

• The real costs of spray foam failures and why perfect application is critical

Your builder might be skipping a required building code test that could save your home from mold, humidity problems, and toxic indoor air, and you probably don't even know it exists.

In this episode, I'm breaking down the dangerous myth that homes need to "breathe" through their walls and why this outdated thinking is creating serious health problems in modern construction. The truth is, your home should breathe like your body does, through a controlled system (your nose), not through random leaks in your skin. Yet builders are still constructing homes that pull in unfiltered outdoor air through walls, windows, and foundations, creating the perfect conditions for mold, humidity issues, and poor indoor air quality.

Here's what's really frustrating: since 2012, there's been a building code requirement for something called a blower door test that measures exactly how leaky your home is. This test gives you a specific number (ACH 50) that tells you how many times per hour your home's air is completely exchanged with outdoor air. Older homes from the 1950s-70s often test at 10-20 air exchanges per hour, which means you have zero control over your indoor environment. But many jurisdictions still aren't enforcing this testing, and contractors often don't even own the equipment.

The real problem isn't just energy efficiency, it's that as homes have gotten tighter over the years, mechanical systems haven't kept up. You end up with homes that can't breathe properly through their HVAC systems, creating a toxic indoor environment. Whether you're building new or renovating, understanding blower door testing and proper air sealing could be the difference between a healthy home and one that makes your family sick.

In Today's Episode, We're Chatting About:

• Why the "homes need to breathe" myth is dangerous for your health

• How to read blower door test results and what numbers to aim for

• Why your builder might be skipping required building code tests

• The connection between air sealing and mechanical system design

• When and how to demand proper testing during construction

Many of us get into this industry because we have personal horror stories with mold. For me, I bought a home that had floor to ceiling mold in the kitchen. It was completely invisible to the naked eye, until we started the renovation process and took walls down to the studs.

For today’s guest, Megan Carson, she was reaching a sever level of mold toxicity and couldn’t identify the source until having an ERMI test and an inspection. Luckily, she was able to get out of her lease and high tail it out of there! But that led her down the path to becoming the founder of Guided Well LLC.

She is a certified mold inspector and IEP with a specialized focus on client education and building defect identification related to poor building science and design in relation to indoor air quality issues. After her own four walls made her sick, she’s making it her mission to help other people out of that sort of situation.

For any of you home renters out there, we’re starting this conversation with some safe guards that all renters need to know about. From getting your own inspections (not through management) to discussing additional clauses in the lease to guarantee a way out if water damage becomes an issue. Then, we’re chatting all things remediation so you don’t have to go into the process already overwhelmed.

In this episode, we’re chatting about:

• Why Megan became a mold inspector
• The importance of good testing and validation before remediation
• How to vet a mold inspector
• What the sampling process should look like (hint: it’s not supposed to just be air samples in the middle of the room)
• Learning the difference between restoration and remediation
• Why encapsulation should only be used as a last resort

Connect with Megan:

• Instagram

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• More Resources

Less than 2% of homes survived the devastating LA fires, and they all share one critical feature that most builders ignore.

Four months after the LA fires destroyed over 16,000 homes across 50,000 acres, a clear pattern has emerged among the few structures left standing. I've been analyzing what separates the homes that survived from the thousands that burned to the ground. So let's chat about it, because the answer may not by what you expect.

The common denominator isn't expensive fire-resistant materials or elaborate sprinkler systems. It's the attic design. While most homes burned from the inside out due to their ventilated attics acting like wind tunnels that pulled in fire embers and fueled the flames, the surviving homes had sealed, non-combustible attics that prevented embers from entering and eliminated the airflow that feeds fires.

This isn't just a California problem. Ventilated attics create issues in every climate zone, from ice damming in freezing climates to mold problems in humid areas.

In today's episode, we're chatting about:

• Why ventilated attics act as fire accelerants during wildfires

• The specific design features that saved homes in both LA and Laguna Beach fires

• How sealed attics solve problems beyond fire resistance in every climate

• Why retrofitting existing homes requires careful architectural planning

• The construction cost considerations and performance benefits of sealed attics

Most people spend more time planning their wedding than the home they'll live in for decades, and that's a costly mistake.

Join me while I break down the critical six-month design development phase that should happen before breaking ground on your new construction or major renovation. As the founder of Holistic Homes, I've seen countless projects go sideways because homeowners rushed through this crucial planning period and I don’t want that to happen to you.

The six-month timeline includes specific milestones and I’m taking out all the guess work by going through the specifics of each month.

• month one focuses on floor plan development and pre-planning checklists
• month two refines the floor plan and exterior elevations
• month three dials in the building enclosure and material selections
• month four involves engineers and architectural details
• month five integrates your contractor into the process
• month six finalizes the construction document set and bidding.

Each phase builds upon the previous one, creating a comprehensive roadmap for your project. Most importantly, I explain why documentation is everything in construction. If your expectations aren't clearly specified in plans, material selections, and contracts, they'll likely be forgotten during the building process.

Connect with Christine!

Welcome to Season 2 of the Holistic Homes Podcast! Season 2 is all about in depth solo content from Christine!

In episode 5, Christine takes us on a deep dive into all things contractors! In this episode, Christine goes over why it's important to start with the right architect and architectural plans before selecting your contractor.

In this episode, Christine chatted about:

Getting clear architectural plans first

Why it's important to have clear architectural plans, even if you love and trust your contractor

Materials selection, paint selection, flooring, waterproofing materials expectations

Emphasizing materials selection portion

Not blindly trusting your contractor

Connect with Christine:

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