Rufty Homes

Cary Man Builds the Healthiest House in Town
The News & Observer
May 12, 1994

The News & Observer

May 12, 1994

Cary man builds the healthiest house in town

CARY -- Life and house hunting never get any easier. In addition to worrying about price, location and neighbors, home buyers must now be concerned about the health of their abodes.

Americans spend 90 percent of their time indoors, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and their greatest exposure to air pollution is inside homes and offices. And considering that a traditional night's sleep is eight hours -- a third of a day -- checking homes for toxins and pollutants might soon become a top priority for owners and buyers.

That, at least, is the hope of Cary builder John Rufty, who is constructing a "healthy house" in Cary to demonstrate what true clean living can be.

A house's well-being is measured in pollutant tests, environment-friendly materials and other products low in chemicals that federal studies have shown to cause illness or allergies. Healthful habitats might also be energy-efficient and help conserve water.

The American Lung Association is sponsoring houses across the country as part of its Health House education and fund-raising initiative.

"The health of your home can have an important effect on the health of your lungs," said spokesman Peter Paris. The national program completed its first house in Minneapolis in May 1993. Health Houses will be finished in Detroit, Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Rochester, N.Y., this summer and fall.

The latest Health House affiliate is Rufty's $600,000 castle, which is going up in Cary's MacGregor West subdivision. It will incorporate at least 100 healthy items, among them wooden frames, nontoxic waterproofing, low-grow grass and carpeting made of recycled plastic bottles. His 6,400-square-foot model, Rufty says, splurges to show how much can be done.

"We're not talking about a home of the future," he said Tuesday. "We're talking about technology and products that are available today." Ordinary folks with modest dreams and incomes, Rufty says, can also afford a custom-designed healthy home.

A healthy home costs 5 percent to 10 percent more than its conventional counterpart, said Mike Nicklas, design consultant for Rufty's project.

"But long-term that will come down for the average products," Nicklas said. "These are small companies, and it's surprising that they have closely competitive prices now." And people who can't afford to abandon their houses for wholesome high-tech havens are not doomed, said Bob Axelrad, head of the EPA's Indoor Air Division. "Some people are interested in having the healthiest home that money can buy," he said. "But that's not necessary."

How people use a home is more important for reducing health risks than its design or materials, said Axelrad, an expert on indoor air pollution. "There are very practical, common-sense things people can do to their existing homes to reduce exposure to pollutants," he said. "Most of what people need to do to keep their homes healthy doesn't cost anything."

Basic techniques, he said, include opening windows, using cleaning products as directed and not smoking in the house. Annual checks for radon and carbon monoxide leaks are also important. "We aren't recommending that everyone spend money to try to make their home into the perfect, healthy home," Axelrad said. "But for those who want to do it, we don't think it will hurt."

STAFF PHOTOS BY ROGER WINSTEAD