How to Choose Building Materials - Women For a Healthy Environment

Choosing building products for your home often involves balancing cost, durability, functionality, and aesthetics. Increasingly, homeowners and contractors are also considering how materials affect human health and the environment. The products used in a home can influence indoor air quality, exposure to harmful chemicals, and long-term environmental impacts.

This guide provides a starting point for identifying safer, more sustainable materials for small DIY projects or larger renovations. Your priorities may vary, from improving indoor air quality to reducing environmental impact across a product’s lifecycle or staying within a specific budget. Even small improvements can make a meaningful difference. Tools like BuildingGreen, Informed, and other product databases can also help you compare materials and make more informed choices.

Informed:

BuildingGreen:

Understanding Potential Hazards

As you begin selecting materials, it helps to be aware of common chemicals and risks associated with building products. Not only are there hazards associated with the new products you are bringing into your home, but there are hazards that may be present while doing work in your home like lead, asbestos, mold, and more.

Some of the most concerning substances are included on the Red List, which identifies chemicals frequently found in building materials that are known to be harmful to human health and ecosystems. Another growing concern are PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), often referred to as “forever chemicals” because they persist in the environment and the human body.

Other common hazards to watch for include:

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs): Found in paints, adhesives, sealants, and finishes; can negatively impact indoor air quality.
Formaldehyde: Often present in pressed wood products and can off gas over time.
Flame retardants: Common in insulation and foam materials; some are linked to health concerns.
Phthalates: Found in vinyl products and associated with hormone disruption.
Heavy metals: May be present in some paints, finishes, or imported materials.

Making Practical Choices

It is not always possible to select the “perfect” product. Budget, availability, and project constraints all play a role. The goal is progress and choosing materials that are even slightly safer or more sustainable can contribute to a healthier home over time.

One of the most useful strategies is to rely on trusted certifications and product labels, which can help you compare options and better understand what a product does and does not address.

Understanding Certifications and Labels

There are many certifications and rating systems for building materials. These labels are designed to evaluate different aspects of a product, such as indoor air quality, chemical content, environmental sustainability, or overall lifecycle impact.

When reviewing certifications, consider:

Whether the certification is third-party verified
What specific criteria it evaluates
Whether it aligns with your priorities (health, environment, performance, etc.)

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and VOC Certifications

These certifications focus on emissions and their impact on indoor air quality. Learn more about VOCs with Informed: Low VOC? Don’t Stop There. – Informed.

GREENGUARD – Tests products for VOCs

Indoor Advantage Gold – Tests products for VOCs through independent labs

FloorScore – Tests flooring for VOCs

CRI Green Label Plus – Tests cushions, carpets, and adhesives for VOCs

Environmental Protection Agency Certifications

These programs are developed or supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:

Energy Star – Energy efficiency for appliances and systems
Safer Choice – Identifies products with safer chemical ingredients
WaterSense – Focuses on water-efficient products

Environmental and Sustainability Certifications

These certifications evaluate environmental impact, sourcing, and sustainability:

Green Seal – focuses on safety for human and lower impact on the climate
EcoLogo – Reduced environmental impact and impact on human health
FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) – Responsible forestry and wood products
NSF Certifications – Focus on health, safety, and product performance

Lists of Labels

Resident Resources

If you are selecting products for your home, these tools can help you compare options and identify safer choices:

Informed (Habitable) – free account required
Toxic-Free Future – Healthy Choices
Ecomedes Product Database
Building Clean
Environmental Working Group (EWG) Guide to Healthy Cleaning

Contractor and Professional Resources

Contractors, architects, and building professionals have additional tools and frameworks to guide material selection and project design.

Building-Level Certification Systems

These programs evaluate entire buildings rather than individual products:

These systems often incorporate material health, energy use, and occupant well-being into overall project goals.

Product Disclosures and additional Certifications

These resources provide detailed information about product composition and environmental impact:

Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) – Lifecycle environmental impact data
Health Product Declarations (HPDs) – Disclosure of chemical ingredients
Declare Labels – Ingredient label for building products
Cradle to Cradle Certified – Circularity and material health
Pharos Project – Chemical hazard data and product evaluation
Sustainable Minds Transparency Catalog – Product transparency database
Intertek Product Directories –Look for health and environmental certifications
BIFMA LEVEL – Sustainability standard for furniture
ACT (Association for Contract Textiles) – Textile sustainability certification

Organizations like mindful MATERIALS are working to help standardize product data across multiple certification systems to make it easier for consumers to make informed decisions.

*This is not meant to be a comprehensive list of all certifications nor does WHE endorse any of the sites listed above.