by Stephanie Newell

In 2008 we were living in a condo which was air conditioned and heated with a heat pump. After several visits from the repair man to keep us cool and warm he told us there was no more he could do and we would have to get a new heat pump. It was only 10 years old so we asked why at such a young age it was irreparable. The repair man immediately said that all the gasses floating around in the apartment were drawn in by the heat pump and they eventually killed it. He pointed out that our kitchen cabinets, which were very close to the heat pump were made from particle board of some sort and the out gassing from that was a contributor. He even opened the cupboard under the sink and showed us how water had damaged the cabinets and they were bubbling and buckling. He said the carpets which had been in the apartment for 9 of the 10 years were another culprit.

We had never heard of MCS (multiple chemical sensitivity) although we have lots of other allergies in the family to dust, pollens, mould and animals. We had to ask ourselves if these chemicals caused the demise of the heat pump after just 10 years what were they doing to us? As it happened we were planning the construction of a new home at the time so we started really thinking about the materials we should be using. Thanks to that repair man two of the main changes we made were the use of concrete and solid wood floors throughout and all of our beautiful cabinets and some of our furniture are made from aluminum (no out-gassing, and no mold).

We have been living in the house now for three years and I can't tell you the number of times we've said to each other that we feel better now than we ever have.We're both in our sixties. Could it be the changes in our living environment? We have no hard scientific proof but….

Through IMDesigns our family now offers to others aluminum cabinets and furniture for indoor or outdoor use. There is no out-gassing whatsoever, also mold does not thrive on aluminum, making this great for people who suffer from chemical allergies. Our products are custom made and can be shipped flat packed. They come in all colours and are made to last forever for sustainable living.