Cork, The New Wood Flooring

The first rule in real estate is that you should NEVER waive your right to an inspection before closing the deal. The second rule is, make sure your inspector understands building biology, as well as the typical home systems and materials.  Your inspector needs to understand moisture, mold, chemical emissions and electro magnetic fields, in addition to structural concerns, windows, HVAC, etc.  Amanda Klecker joins us today to discuss what's all entailed in doing a substantial and truly informative home inspection and how we can avoid costly and unhealthy mistakes. Amanda is a Certified Building Biology Practitioner through the International Institute for Building Biology where she has learned the holistic approach to keeping a home healthy, free of moisture intrusion and free of toxins. Amanda has trained with the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors and received their national certification.  Amanda is also trained with the Water Quality Standards Academy, learning the important components of healthy drinking water.     Amanda's website Healthy House on the Block

Starting on April 22, I will be speaking at a wonderful online summit called My Healthy Home.  Hosted by Caroline Blazovsky, there will be over 40 experts in the multi-faceted "healthy home" space, to discuss all aspects of this incredibly important topic.  Caroline is my guest on this episode of NTE live to tell us more about the summit and to discuss why this is so important to her and should be to all of us. Caroline Blazovsky has over 20 years experience with specialized training in residential homes. She has CMR certification (Certified Microbial Remediatior) and CIE (Certified Indoor Environmentalist) training through the American Council for Accredited Certification (ACAC). Ms. Blazovsky has completed a Sustainable Design education from Boston Architectural College. Ms. Blazovsky's work has been featured by Martha Stewart, Jenny McCarthy, Ronald Hoffman M.D., SiriusXM, Shape and Reader's Digest, as well as hundreds of podcasts, radio, and print interviews. She is also certified as a Healthy Home Specialist through the National Environmental Health Association. In her spare time, Caroline studies public health at the University of Southern California.   My Healthy Home Summit Sign up here for FREE

As the President and CEO of the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), Rachel is leading a movement to advance human health through healthier buildings, more vibrant communities and stronger, more equitable organizations. Her motto is “Always be winning for good,” and she’s put that to work at IWBI, developing research-backed tools to help organizations create places where people can thrive. Today, these people-first places extend across 5 billion square feet of space in 130 countries and growing. Prior to joining IWBI, Rachel spent nearly a decade at the intersection of sustainability and human health, helping the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) make LEED the world’s most widely used green building rating system. At USGBC, she founded the Center for Green Schools, which mobilized $275B+ investments in LEED-certified educational facilities and deployed over 750,000 volunteers to transform schools on every continent. Rachel serves on numerous boards and advisories for organizations including Second Nature and the Real Estate Pride Council. A graduate of Tufts University, she is a sought-after media voice, inspirational speaker and frequent guest lecturer and instructor at the Harvard School of Public Health’s Center for Health and the Global Environment, Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, the University of Connecticut School of Business and Tufts.    Works With WELL Standard   https://healthybuilding.net        

Kendra Seymour is a Co-Founder and Executive Director of Change the Air Foundation and a passionate advocate for improving health by improving indoor air quality. She oversees foundation initiatives, with a special focus on raising awareness, outreach, and fundraising.   As a mother of two, Kendra discovered hidden mold and water damage in her home were harming her family’s health. After years of research into mold and indoor toxins, and a lot of hard lessons-learned, she became dedicated to helping others by building awareness in online communities and collaborating with fellow advocates to educate the public around the importance of indoor air quality.   Donate to CTA   Change The Air Foundation, Watch Aria's story     

I am confident in saying that most of us have been exposed to cork flooring and wall coverings many times throughout our lives. Cork board panels used behind a desk for notes and photos have been a fixture of corporate America for decades.  Flooring materials that sort of look like wood but softer with exotic patterns have been used in our libraries, schools, churches and homes since the 1900’s.  So why do I think this is the future of flooring when it's clear it's already well established?  The recent release of Amorim's Wood Bionatural XL is 100% natural and fossil plastic free.  The core is made from cork, sugar cane waste and other natural materials, and is completely recyclable. The wood and stone surface treatments are actually made from a cutting-edge digital printing and 3D embossing technology, which is again, plastic free.  This is an INDUSTRY DISRUPTING technology.  Kelly Downes, the US General Manager for Amorim is joining us to discuss this and other exciting developments in the world of cork.  With a foundation in Interior Design, Kelly transitioned into the flooring industry as a sales representative for a sustainable commercial flooring manufacturer out of LA.  Switching to the retail side, as the Vice President of a locally owned Baltimore, MD flooring company, she stood up a Kitchen and Bath Division while running six showrooms.    Three years ago,  Kelly returned to manufacturing and now run the US division of Amorim Cork Flooring.   Amorim is the largest manufacturer of cork in the world and is committed to not only preservation, but sustainability in all divisions of the company.   WiseWood Cork flooring 

Healthy flooring has become one of the most asked about topics with my clients.  Corinne, founder of My Chemical Free House, has written several articles on this subject and will share her findings with us and educate us on how she does her own personal research.  Corinne Segura is a Building Biologist Practitioner and founder of My Chemical-Free House where she tests and writes about green building materials. She is also a guest contributor at Green Building Advisor and course creator for the Building Biology Institute. She has 8 years of experience as a Green Materials Specifier, for new builds and renovations, often working with highly chemically sensitive clients.     

R Blank is an entrepreneur, technologist & author. He is the CEO of Shield Your Body, where it is our mission to make technology safer for you to use and enjoy. R also hosts "The Healthier Tech Podcast" covering issues to help people have a healthier, more balanced relationship with technology, and, along with his father, Dr. Martin Blank, he co-authored "Overpowered" (from Seven Stories Press) about the health effects of EMF radiation. This follows a 20-year career in software development for bluechip firms including Apple, NBC, Disney, Microsoft, the NFL, IKEA and Mattel. R also co-founded Wildform where he co-created the first video encoder for Flash (sold to Google). He has served on the affiliate faculty at the University of California, Santa Cruz in the Digital Arts and New Media (DANM) program, and previously on the faculty of the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering. Additionally, R has authored numerous articles, videos, courses and books in technology and software development. R has an MBA in Entrepreneurship from UCLA Anderson School of Management and an undergraduate degree from Columbia University.   SYB Website: https://www.shieldyourbody.com     

Have you ever dreamed of living in community that focuses on OUR health and well being above all else?   Serenbe is an award winning biophilic community that connects people to nature and each other. Each of Serenbe’s hamlets have complementary commercial centers focused on the elements of a well-lived life: arts for inspiration, agriculture for nourishment, health for wellbeing, play for a joy-filled life, and education for awareness. Fresh food is another of Serenbe’s natural assets, with a 25-acre organic farm, seasonal Saturday Farmer’s Market, thriving CSA program and edible landscaping, including blueberry bushes along paths and sidewalks. Year-round cultural events include outdoor performances from Terminus Modern Ballet, regional theatre, film series, culinary workshops and festivals, music events, and lectures, boutique shopping, art galleries, wellness services and trail riding, plus visiting artists in residence with classes, dinners and talks. In 2004, Steve & Marie Nygren’s began the development of Serenbe, interlacing agriculture with a range of housing choices mixed with shops, galleries, restaurants and a full-service Inn. The result is reminiscent of century-old communities where many of your needs are within a walkable distance and neighbors know each other. Today, Steve serves as the CEO of Serenbe and lives in the community full-time.   https://www.serenbe.com     

Today's episode is all about moisture mitigation in our homes. We all know that excess moisture can lead to mold, but its also responsible for increased chemical offgassing.  This show for everyone, even if you think you live in a dry climate and dont have anything to worry about.   Nikki Krueger is the Director of Marketing & Business Development Manager for Santa Fe freestanding and whole house ventilating dehumidifiers. She has been involved in the indoor air quality industry for over 20 years. She is a RESNET certified home energy rater, a member of the ACCA Manual Low Load Homes (LLH) Advisory Committee, sits on the building envelope committee for the Spray Polyurethane Foam Association, has completed the ACCA Residential Design for Quality Installation Certification, and is serving on the 2024 National Green Building Standard update committee. She educates homeowner, builders, HVAC contractors, architects, engineers, crawl space contractors, and other professionals in the industry on the building science of ventilation and moisture control in buildings.    

Dr. Gautam Gulati (commonly referred to as Dr.G) is a health artist, physician entrepreneur, award-winning producer, and world-renowned keynote speaker who uses unconventional and contrarian methods to drive innovation in health. He’s currently on a mission to make chronic disease optional by applying the science of healthy design to our homes. By being a "sponge to the world", Dr.G has an uncanny ability to identify problems, spot trends, ical leaders looking to transform organizations into innovative powerhouses call on Dr. G to help think differently, escape the trap of mediocrity, and unleash creativity. Currently, Dr. G is the Founder of The Well Home, where he designs luxury interiors focused on health, longevity, and well-being; and also the founder of Well Played, a storytelling studio prescribing stories as a form of medicine. He has over 20 years of hands-on experience as an award-winning innovation executive for a number of globally recognized brands and products. He’s a serial entrepreneur, advises numerous companies, and teaches the art of innovation at Johns Hopkins, Duke, and Singularity Universities. He has been invited to deliver hundreds of keynotes to help change the way leaders think at Marriott, SxSW, American Express, Roche, Merck, LG, TEDx and many more globally recognized brands. Dr.G received his MD and MPH from The George Washington University, an MBA from Johns Hopkins University, and is a certified Interior Designer from the New York Institute of Art and Design. To learn more about his new venture called The Well Home, visit: https://www.thewellho.me and uncover patterns that most others often miss. As a sought-after expert, rad To learn more about Dr.G's work or to book him as a motivational speaker, visit: www.iamdrg.com. To listen to his award-winning storytelling audio docuseries on human resiliency, visit: www.superhumans.health Connect with Dr.G on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/gautamgulati, and follow him on X @drgautamgulati