How Jamie Durie is revolutionising greener building
Jamie Durie is using his knowledge and expertise to help educate people on the importance of greener building.
The celebrity gardener has partnered with Victorian boutique builder Chatham Homes, to help the home construction industry in confronting the challenges of living through the ongoing climate crisis.
Jamie told Nine that he doesn't know "of any other builder in Australia that has gone to these sorts of lengths to ensure Australian families and the environment end up with a healthier future."
Through his work, Jamie said he is particularly keen on shedding light on the damaging nature of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) that can be found in the home.
With Jamie's assistance, Chatham Homes has made it their priority to ensure their homes are not only using low VOC paint, but also zero VOC glue in their joinery systems.
VOCs are described as a large group of chemicals that are found in the products used to construct and maintain our homes, and can be found in paints, upholstery, glue and laminates.
According to the Australian Government's Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, dangerous side effects of inhaling VOCS can include irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, loss of coordination, nausea, and damage to the liver, kidney and central nervous system.
"There are a lot of builders out there who don't know what VOCs are," Jamie tells Nine. "And you look at Chatham and they're not only using low VOC paints, they're using zero VOC glue in their joinery systems. It's really quite amazing."
"They proof-test the entire home, they vacuum-test. So it's an 8.2 energy star rating which is the highest level of any home builder in Australia."
Jamie reveals that the impacts of VOCs are only starting to become common knowledge.
"The average new home has around 20 times the acceptable level of VOCs that a human being should experience. A lot of it is just coming to the surface," he says.
"It's about building healthy buildings and providing wellbeing to Australian families. A lot of people don't realise these VOCs are carcinogenic."
"[Chatham Homes] have taken it upon themselves to investigate and incorporate these as standard building practices in all their homes," says Jamie.
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