Some features are simple consumer choices. Take dust mites, which often cause allergies. By choosing wood floors instead of carpets for many of the rooms, the owners reduced a major habitat for dust mites and made dust easier to clean. The owners chose electric space heat to reduce exposure to combustion gases. In addition, the home was separated from the garage with a breezeway to isolate auto exhaust.
Advanced air sealing tightens the house against heat robbing air leaks.
It also prevents harmful gases from leaking into the house. For example, a tight floor blocks radon from the soil, while sealing walls and ceilings holds back insulation fibers and binders. Plus advanced air sealing improves the effectiveness of the low air volume ventilation system. Cost and Savings You might expect this house to be considerably more expensive than the typical home. Many of the recycled materials were no more expensive than standard materials.