The Holistic Homes Podcast

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:

Instagram

Being forced out of your home because the walls are filled with Black Mold is a nightmare. Finding no legal recourse for the damages inflicted on your health and your finances is even worse. So today, we’re digging into the legal side of holistic home building.

Kristina is a national trial lawyer who represents sick people against the companies that made them sick. She founded Just Well Law to help clients recover financially so that they can rebuild their health and their lives. Kristina’s experience with water damage in her home was absolutely devastating for her family.

From neurological damage inflicted on her children to a complete depletion of her entire family’s financial safety net, Kristina genuinely lost it all due to negligence on the builder’s part. After that experience, she was fight the system that has been repeatedly allowing this to happen.

Listen to this episode to understand exactly what you can do if you find yourself in a moldy home. Kristina really wants to drive the point home that you have to get out of that house. No matter what the financial devastation looks like, the deterioration of your health is not worth staying.

In this episode, we’re chatting about:

• How Kristina advocates for sick families
• Kristina’s personal experience with Black Mold in her home
• Insurance and builder accountability
• Who is ultimately responsible when negligence leads to an unhealthy home?
• What your options are if you’re experiencing untenable circumstances in your home

Connect with Kristina:

• Tiktok
• Instagram
• Website
• Linkedin

Connect with me:

• Instagram
• More Resources

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

In episode 4, Christine takes us on a deep dive into three strategies for building a water tight basements! In this episode, Christine goes over the pros and cons of various materials and construction strategies for basement build outs.

Listen to this episode to find out the nitty gritty on water tight basement materials, what to look out for and avoid, and specific calculations and tests you should be doing for your basement build out.

In this episode, Christine chatted about:

ICF material and off gassing

Sub-terranean basement vs partial basement vs walk out basement

Why it matters to properly water tight your basement for overall health and performance of the house

Avoiding water intrusion and toxins in your basement build out

Waterproofing on the exterior side

Proper drainage on interior and exterior of footing

Waterproofing of concrete walls

Vapor retardant on the bottom of concrete slab/floor

Dimple Mat

Insulating basement walls

Connect with Christine:

Instagram

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Vapor retardant

Dimple mat

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

In episode 3, Christine takes us on a deep dive about all things healthy flooring! Concrete, tile, wood, laminate oh my! In this episode, Christine goes over the pros and cons for each floor option, as well as specific tests you should do for different flooring options.

Listen to this episode to find out the nitty gritty on each flooring option, what to look out for and avoid, and specific tests you should be doing for your flooring choice.

In this episode, Christine chatted about:

Concrete flooring pros and cons, and specific ways to lay concrete floors correctly on new builds

Tile flooring and what test you should do for tile flooring

Special considerations for LVP flooring

Wood flooring pros and cons

Connect with Christine:

Instagram

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Calcium Chloride Test to test moisture content in the subflooring

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

In episode 2, Christine takes us on a deep dive about all things attics! Ventilated vs conditioned attics! In this episode, Christine goes over the pros and cons of ventilated attics vs conditioned attics.

Listen to this episode to find out the nitty gritty on ventilated attics and conditioned attics, what to look out for and avoid, and specific calculations and tests you should be doing for your attic choice.

In this episode, Christine chatted about:

Attic type pros and cons, and specific ways to calculate for ventilated attics

R Value requirements for conditioned attics

Why it matters to properly condition your attic for overall health and performance of the house

Connect with Christine:

Instagram

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Calculator for ventilated attics

Aeroseal for conditioned attics

Ecosealant for conditioned attics

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

In our first episode of Season 2, Christine takes us on a deep dive about all things architects! From advocating for yourself when meeting a new architect, to why it's important to have as much details in your architectural plans, to examples of possible details you may want in your architectural plans.

Listen to this episode to find out why it's important to vet your architect, and to get an idea on some of the details your architect should add to your architectural plans.

In this episode, Christine chatted about:

Why you should vet a potential architect (and ask a lot of questions!)

How to advocate for yourself when meeting with a potential architect

Why it's important that the architectural plans are as detailed as possible

Some examples of details you might want in your architectural plans

How detailed architectural plans sets up the entire project for success

Connect with Christine:

Instagram

Resource mentioned in the episode:

Selecting the Right Architect and Contractor

A healthy home doesn't start and end with construction. Every single product, from cookware to perfume, can have a huge impact on your overall health. So today, I'm joined by Wendy Kathryn , a clean living coach and environmental toxins attorney. She's also the host of Toxin Free-ish Podcast where you can find all things toxin-free living, for real life.

When it comes to household products, greenwashing is rampant. So we're really getting into the knitty gritty with this conversation so you can feel more empowered the next time you head to Target. At the end of the day, you'll probably even save money in the long run! Because here's the thing - there is no reason for every household to have 10 different cleaning products. Let's get back to the basics and cut out the things that are cancer causing and ruining your air quality!

Even beyond the products themselves, Wendy has some really great, actionable tips that you can start implementing today to feel better in your home. Did you know that your indoor air quality is two to five times worse than the outdoor air? So small adjustments like opening up your windows whenever possible can help!

In this episode, we're chatting about:

• Disinfectants are pesticides!?
• Why it's important to ditch fragrance whenever possible
• Simple tips to improve your indoor air quality
• All things water filters

Connect with Wendy:

• Website
• Listen to The Toxin Free-ish Podcast
• Instagram

Connect with me:

• Instagram
• More Resources

Houses don’t need to breathe. People need to breathe. Houses on the other hand, need to dry. These are the wise words of today’s guest, Emily Mottram. Emily is an architect and principal of Mottram Architecture. She is a building science educator, co-host on “The BS & Beer Show” and hosts a monthly podcast “E3 - Energy and Efficiency with Emily,” focusing on building science, architecture and female entrepreneurship.

Emily is a wealth of knowledge! She shares her journey from growing up in a farming community to becoming a leading expert in sustainable architecture and building science. We dive into various aspects of building science, including air quality, material selection, and the importance of air sealing.

Emily offers practical tips for homeowners on how to engage with architects and builders to achieve a healthy and sustainable home. We also discuss the challenges and considerations for production builds and renovations, and Emily highlights the importance of communication and collaboration in the design and building process. And stick around until the end for a little bit of information about a networking group for all the building science gurus and/or homeowners with questions that may be meeting up near you!

In this episode, we’re chatting about:

• Why spray foam is NOT the cure all solution for building issues
• Creating a passive home in a cold climate like Maine versus a hot climate like Texas
• The water control layer, air control layer, vapor control layer, and thermal control layer
• How to navigate the process of building with a production home
• De-stigmatizing renting property versus buying

Connect with Emily:

• Linkedin
• Check out her website
• Instagram

Connect with me:

Indoor air quality can make or break a home! Fresh air and clean water are the silent, and often forgotten, ingredients to a healthy living space. Today’s guest is Zack Pelzel, the Founder of The Purified Home. And no, we’re not just talking about air purifiers.

After backpacking through the Sierra Nevadas, Zack became more attuned to nature than ever before. Suddenly, he understood the power of living in lockstep with nature, instead of against it. From waking with the sun to breathing in pure mountain air, he knew he wanted to take these treasures to everyday life inside the home.

Did you know that a typical contractor will only test whether your HVAC heats and cools? They completely leave out the “V” - ventilation! Zack’s team will often come in and test the air quality, only to find that it’s as bad or WORSE than the outdoor air quality.

So how do we avoid this oversight in our own homes? How can we ensure that we’re not being exposed to more pollutants when we come home each day? Well, The Purified Home works to get your indoor air quality 90% BETTER than outside air. And of course, we’re giving you all the tools you need to make sure you’ve got clean water running through your home. Because no one wants to be drinking and showering in contaminated water!

In this episode, we’re chatting about:

• All about the device Zack’s team uses to test indoor air quality
• The difference between an HRV and an ERV and which is right for you
• Zack’s take on standalone air purifiers
• Do you need a whole house water filter?
• How you can find the contaminant reports in YOUR city
• The truth about detachable shower water filters

Connect with Zack

• Check out The Purified Home Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Youtube

Connect with me:

• Instagram
• More Resources