“The connection between health and dwelling is one of the most important that exists.” —Florence Nightingale
Your home is shelter, security, and your family’s safe space. Having a safe and healthy living space is one of the many important factors when designing a home, ohana, or other dwelling on The Valley Isle. Many people spend as much as 50% of their time in their homes, and even more so during the pandemic. Whether you work at home or outside the home, a comfortable, healthy, and safe space is paramount.
The National Center for Healthy Housing considers a “healthy home” to be “housing that is designed, constructed, maintained, and rehabilitated in a manner that is conducive to good occupant health.” Keeping your Maui home safe and healthy can become a challenge, but it isn’t impossible.
Here are some other factors to consider for keeping your home healthy and safe.
Top-Down Protection
For instance, Maui’s varied weather can lead to roof damage, water leakage, and eventually mold contamination. That’s why it’s important to ensure that your home has a roof that can handle heavy rains, continual sunlight, and high winds.
A traditional asphalt shingle roof isn’t ideal for Maui, because it doesn’t last as long as it would on the Mainland. If your roof does have asphalt shingles, and your home is 10 to 20 years old, it may already be time for a new roof. Changing to metal or tile roofing with a coat of silicone waterproofing can protect your home better than asphalt. It’s more durable and will keep your home safer for longer.
Indoor Air Quality
The air inside your home can have more than twice the pollution as outdoors. Contaminants such as:
- Moisture leading to mold and mildew
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as formaldehyde
- Carbon monoxide and other off-gassing chemicals
- Particulate matter
- Tobacco smoke
Bad indoor air quality can lead to allergies, respiratory infections, and conditions such as asthma. Clearing the air greatly improves overall health, with methods such as:
- Dehumidifiers, to control and remove moisture
- Air filtration for particle control (i.e., smoke)
- Controlling the source of contaminants
- Properly sealing the home (doors, windows, etc.) and fresh air intake
- Good air outflow to continually remove any contaminants
Having A Healthy Living Space
The National Center For Healthy Housing offers its Principal of A Healthy Home criteria on its website. This checklist includes:
- Proper ventilation for a fresh air supply
- Dry, humidity-free interior
- Cleanliness, keeping your home free from pests and pesticides
- Safety, particularly for children, who suffer the most frequent injuries at home, including falls, burns, accidental poisoning, and injuries from objects
- Accessibility
- Free from contaminants (tobacco smoke, asbestos, carbon monoxide, etc.)
- Proper maintenance, to keep the home in good operating order and prevent problems before they start
Information specific to the State of Hawaii is also available on their website. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) also have a Healthy Housing reference manual free and available on their website.
Let Pro Draft Design Your Next Building Project
Pro Draft has been helping bring ideas to life in Maui for 30 years. We’re ready to help with drawings, interior design, “green design” with LEED certification, project management, and permit expedition.
We can help with architecture, drawings, blueprints, permits, and answer all of your questions before the first day of construction. We’re happy to help, and will work to ensure your project is exactly the way you envision.
Call Pro Draft today at (808) 579-9050 or 1-800-499-4699 from the Mainland
