When you think of paint, you think of smelly hazardous chemicals, but not anymore because
we found a great alternative for our makeover. Those harmful chemicals are called volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, and they can do
anything from giving you a headache to having adverse effects on your health in the long
and short term. Studies have found that some of these VOCs are at levels two to five times higher inside our homes than outdoors
For all the walls in the house, we chose paint from Olympic. Olympic's paints contain no VOCs, are low odor, and are also very easy to find
When the walls were painted with our non-toxic paint, we needed to give the space some character
We've chosen some art for this house made by an artist called the Raw Artist
Michelle Lee is a self-taught artist who attributes her raw foods diet to saving her life
Her story and her art have touched people all over the world
and her work can be found in over 1 private and corporate collections We also chose these pieces from an artist named Purvis Young
Purvis Young is another self-taught artist who makes his art with found objects
such as metal, paper, and even plywood. By turning trash into art
Purvis' work is recycling in its most beautiful and raw form. Even something as simple as a fireplace can be made healthier as well as updated
We replaced old fireplaces with more modern, home-healthy ones. Phenesia creates fireplaces that are made to the highest environmental standards
reducing toxins and giving your home a sophisticated look. Plus, if you love your fireplace, you're more likely to use it to help heat your home
Windows are important to your home's design, but they can also help to save you money
By using windows that are energy efficient, you can save every month on your heating and
cooling bills Want to save money in a big way An average home may lose 30 of its heating and cooling energy through the windows Installing energy efficient windows can pay for themselves in anywhere from 2 to 10 years and save you money from that point on
For every one degree increase on the thermostat, energy use increases by 2%
Another benefit of energy-saving windows is they really do make your home more comfortable
The window treatments you use may also affect your heating and cooling costs
R-values are the ratings used to determine how well a product keeps heat in and cold out
Hunter Douglas Duet Honeycomb Shades have very high R-values. Because of its unusual design, the Duet actually traps air inside the honeycomb cells
to protect your home from winter cold and summer heat. As you can see, these windows are a bit unsized, so the shades are custom made
and that way they can fit any sized window. They also help to block out the light to let you get a good night's sleep
Energy efficient windows are a great way to save on heating and cooling costs
Actor and environmentalist Ed Begley Jr actually saves money by making his own energy So when I ride this bicycle I generating power that goes down to the battery array where it stored I have to ride for 10 minutes because that making about 240 watts when I riding hard
Steer railings help to keep our homes safe, and they made an amazing change in our makeover homes and parents
But even steer railings can have an impact on a healthy home
Check out our stairs before the makeover and how they look now. Changing the stairs was very dramatic
AGS stainless steel cable railing systems replaced the old stair rails. Now we have rails that are durable, but they're also easy to clean, allowing for better hygiene
Most people don't realize that stainless steel is environmentally friendly. 50% of stainless steel is made with old stainless scrap, and it's 100% recyclable
And what's more, it added a clean and contemporary look for our makeover
When we come back, we'll check out more ways to turn your home into a healthy dream home
with good-for-you furniture, recycled glass dishes, and some high-tech faucets that you have to see to believe
All this and more when Alive and Well returns