Published April 4, 2024 Are you committed to your personal health but don’t know much about the health of your home? Do you worry about living with mold or other beneath the surface issues? This week on What’s the Juice podcast I had the opportunity to sit down with Christine Cimabue, the founder of Holistic Homes. Christine is a licensed general contractor and holistic construction consultant who believes that the condition of our home can play a huge role in our ability to heal, thrive and feel safe. She gives simple, actionable tips for how we can start taking care of the health of our homes today without overwhelming us with information or instilling any fear. We’ve never talked about the health of our homes on the podcast before, and it’s long overdue! After all, think about how much time we spend in our homes living, working, sleeping, relaxing, etc. In this episode Christine shares her personal experience with finding mold in her newly purchased home years ago and how that ultimately launched her into her career as a holistic contractor. From there we dive deep into all things mold – what to do if you suspect you might have it, how to test for it, how to get rid of it, and things you can do to prevent it. Other topics include the major differences between old and new build homes, tools and gadgets you can use to be more empowered and self sufficient, her opinion on finished basements, and why a healthy home is most certainly not a perfect home. I promise you will leave this conversation feeling more confident in maintaining your home, with loads of tangible advice on where to begin, no matter where you are in your home renting or buying journey. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: How her experience with mold in her newly purchased home launched her into her career as a holistic general contractor All about mold in homes – why it grows, how to find it, how to get rid of it, and how to keep it away with regular checkups Why decorating your bathroom with aesthetic touches like wallpaper and wicker baskets can be problematic The important difference between homes built 50-100 years ago and homes today that we should all know before buying or investing in a home Why new construction homes can be prone to mold and other issues due to the fast construction process and airtightness The potential downsides of “energy efficient homes” and how to avoid them How to effectively monitor humidity and moisture levels on your own to prevent mold and water damage The importance of simply knowing where your home’s drain lines are How to do a walk through of your home’s perimeter on rainy days and what to look out for Her controversial opinion that basements should actually NOT be finished and what to do if you currently have a finished basement What is considered a “healthy home” vs an “ill home” and the refreshing idea that a healthy home isn’t a perfect home Some lesser known health offenders in homes, like LED lights which can be overstimulating for us What to do if you live in a state where inspectors require LED lights but want incandescent light for your circadian rhythm How to prevent and avoid potential leaks from your appliances with one simple, affordable tool The specific tests you can use if you are concerned about mold in your home or rental How exactly to contain any mold or debris while undergoing any construction or demolition How to approach remediation and how to know who you can trust The importance of getting 3 opinions as a standard practice whenever you’re going to get work done on your home The key to renovating old homes with healthy materials how to know what constitutes a healthy material (like KD versus green lumber) Exact questions we can ask potential contractors when we are interviewing them and the checklist Christine gives her clients Watch the full episode on What’s The Juice YouTube Channel To support our ad-free show, shop Olivia’s line of herbalist-formulated supplements for digestion, anxiety, thyroid support, and more by visiting www.organicolivia.com. If you’d like to support the show, the code for my top 4 favorite formulas from my line at the moment is still active for two more weeks! You can use the code HORMONES15 to get 15% off ThyroPro, GluocBitters, Mighty Minerals and Bloat BFF. Connect with Christine: Instagram Youtube Her new podcast Connect with Olivia: Follow Organic Olivia Olivia’s personal IG Organic Olivia on TikTokRead Olivia’s blog posts LINKS MENTIONED Drip pan (HOLISTIC10 for 10% off) Whole home leak detector Access panel Hygrometer Moisture meterNon-flickering LED light bulbs (Holistic10 for 10% off)
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