Our House-Flipping Adventure

During the depth of the pandemic when restrictions were harsh and business slow, our neighbor Axel, (bless his heart), died. 

When his brother came to town to deal with his estate, he found the home run down, in disrepair and partially empty of furniture.  (Axel had already started to give away his belongings to friends)  His brother needed to sell the home and go back to his job, but with the number of repairs it was in un-sellable condition.    Vidal and I looked at each other – with my design experience and remodeling sources and with Vidal’s custom wood working skills we knew that we could make this home shine.  We offered to purchase the home ‘as is’ and told his brother that we would take care of disposing any items left behind.  Axel’s brother was relieved, he didn’t have to do any more work, we saw the challenge and opportunity and jumped in with both feet!  Although it took longer than anticipated, the result was well worth it.  I know that Axel would be as happy and proud of the remodel as we are!

We wrapped all the exterior posts with wood as well as all exterior windows.  Front deck offers entertaining space with a privacy fence.

The open concept interior is flooded with light from windows on 3 sides as well as a skylight.  Note the wood them that incorporates a coordinating post to balance the mission style door. 

Live edge bar counter and professional faucet and sink for entertaining.

Solid surface counters, under cabinet lighting, storage accessories.  Ample kitchen storage.

Fireplace Niche to stay warm on those icy days!

Tip – extending the shower tile past the glass enclosure makes the room look bigger.

I love bathrooms that mimic the elegance of high end hotel bathrooms, it makes me feel like the special person I am!

In total 2 bedrooms, one bath (with stack washer dryer in niche), light filled bonus, fireplace, live wood bar counter and trim, professional style kitchen, open concept.  Contact Vidal or myself for a personal tour or join us in our week end open houses!  206.850.7715

Chiao!

Abundant Harvest – Reaping benefits from seeds sown

May I blow my own horn?  I recently was honored to receive an award from ASID's Awards of Excellence competition.  I won First Place for Residential Kitchens under 200 sf!    This is the 2^nd year in a row that I have won a first place designation, last year for Bathrooms  under 80 sf, and previous to that, a first place award for Kitchens under 150 sf.

Contests give you the pat on the back, saying that you are a ‘good’ designer.  Contests that are judged by your peers, as in the ASID Awards of Excellence, are doubly welcome.   It seems abundantly clear that the time and effort to research and specialize in Kitchens & Baths have been well worth the effort.  The seeds of learning have grown into a wealth of knowledge that benefit all my clients.

And the basket of pears?  A person, ten years ago, planted fruit trees.  For ten years, the orchard was left untended.  I looked up (many of you know that I only look straight ahead) and saw a tree with yellow fruit on it.   ‘Wow, we have a lemon tree!’ then immediately realized that lemon trees probably don’t grow in the pacific northwest, ‘or round yellow apples?’  Turns out to be the sweetest fruit I have ever tasted, Asian pears.  Looking up again, this time to the right, I found yet another fruit tree, this one bearing large ‘regular’ pears.

 I have to give blessings to this unknown person that lovingly sowed the seeds of this orchard, an orchard that is now giving us an Abundant Harvest.  THANK YOU

The Non-discriminating Shower

What is a non-discriminating shower?  The non discriminating shower is a good thing for everyone.  Everyone can use the shower and can have a showering experience just as good as the next person regardless of their sex, height, age, gender, or mobility. Interpreted to remodeling jargon, it is a shower that has a zero threshold entrance (no curb), has a hand shower that is accessible to people of all heights including those seated in wheel chairs, has a large enough area for a person in a wheel chair to turn around, has shower niches so that the shampoo is not on the floor, usually has a place to sit down and has grab bars for safety.

As I continue to remodel bathrooms, I am aware of the trend of 'non-discriminating' showers and I believe that it is more than a  trend - It is here to stay!    Everyone loves these showers, they love that they are large, they love the hand showers, they love the shower niches, they love the benches (I use it to shave my legs) (more information than you probably want to know)  I always recommend extra blocking in the walls for future grab bars even if the client does not want them at the time of the remodel.  It virtually costs nothing to add in blocking while you have the walls open.  Children, adults, and elderly of all abilities enjoy showering in these showers.  It is really an all for one and one for all remodeling winner!

Creating Homelessness

 The housing displacement of elderly & low-income households in Kenmore Washington

Small homes or Tiny homes are the rage across the country, offering home ownership at an affordable price.  Ironically, we developed this concept years ago – calling them manufactured homes or trailer homes.  Manufactured home communities (MHCs) are sprinkled throughout our state and are usually inhabited by retirees or low-income families. Manufactured homes are HOMES, not apartments.  Residents purchase their homes from $15-$150,000 because it is affordable home ownership. They also pay a monthly fee to the park owner.  Most residents have used all their ‘nest egg’ to purchase these homes; they have made many repairs and upgrades to the home and expect to live there for many years. 

There are six MHC communities in Kenmore Washington with 257 households.  Some residents have lived in their community for over 30 years.  Recently, residents of all six parks were surprised to receive a letter informing them that there was a Planning Commission that was making recommendations to the City Council regarding MHCs and housing density in Kenmore.  Residents were invited to a meeting to learn about the future plans of their communities.  The commission was exploring options to allow development (code word for tearing down your home with no compensation) of the parks but requiring that a % of future apartments being built be ‘affordable.’  In return for losing their homes and a place to live, the residents would receive ‘first right’ of renting an apartment that would be built in the future.  This option satisfies both Kenmore’s’ density problem as well as their responsibility to provide low income housing.

WOW! (this is my commentary), WOW, so the solution to Kenmore’s density problem is to take the fixed income/low income population, the population with the lowest income, the lowest resources and the least ability to obtain legal counsel, and basically steal their homes (as home owner you have to remove your home, but there is nowhere to move it to so you have to demolish it to give back the land to the park owner ‘as it was prior to putting the home on it,’), again, steal their homes and forcing them out on the streets.   MANY residents are seniors over 80 years old and being forced out of their homes will have adverse HEALTH implications. (They will die.)  Many residents have children whose education will be disrupted, and mental health affected by becoming homeless.  MARK MY WORDS, there are few people, if any, in this community who have the financial resources to move to another home. They have put all their savings and resources into the homes that they purchased.  There is no PLAN B.

To be fair, there was another scenario that would trade development rights that the park owners had not heard of and did not think would work.  There was also an option to have the residents buy the park.  Again, the park owners pointed out that there was no way the residents could compete with the offers that they were receiving AND that the time for residents to go through the process of raising capital and financing could take years, and if the park owner wanted to sell, they would not want to wait years to do it.  So those plans were pretty much dead in the water.  They also asked the home owners what ideas they had to make ‘relocation acceptable', and if they had any good ideas that the council had not explored to solve this problem.

In short, it looks like the only option appealing to both the park owners and the city (the home owners don’t count) is to develop manufactured home parks that will provide housing for NEW people moving to Kenmore while forcing 257 long term Kenmore households into homelessness. 

Twas the Night before New Years

Twas the night before New Years, and Sally was sad,

Her kitchen had problems, the layout was bad.

She tossed and she turned to think what to do, 

'Can I have an island?', her options were few.

She needed advice to help her despair,

Christine the designer said, 'I will be there!'

The refer was move to open the aisle,

The back splash renewed to now be of tile.

An island was made for storage and sink, 

New venting was used to take out the stink.

The space plan was solved, decor was a treasure.

'My job here is done, now go cook with pleasure.'

Christine then did smile, as she drove out of sight,

'Nifty kitchens for all  and to all a good night!'

Wanda's Wonderful Kitchen

This kitchen remodel is part of a whole house remodel that we designed for our wonderful client Wanda Kristjanson.  With the help of our structural engineer John Nissen, we were able to open up the kitchen into the dining/living room, add vertical space and give Wanda the island that she always wanted.  We were able to remove the wall between the kitchen and the dining area and create a large island with seating for guests.  We also relocated a fireplace that had been inhibiting space in the existing kitchen (see before picture)  Acacia wood flooring coupled with horizontal grain bamboo cabinets are offset by a striking black mosaic tile backsplash.

Perfect for entertaining as well as daily living, Wanda's wonderful kitchen is a good example of how your surroundings can significantly impact your level of happiness.  Wanda is happy and that makes me happy!

 Before picture kitchen:

Tale of the disappearing hood...

Planning a new kitchen involves selecting ventilation for your cooktop.  For many years, selections were limited to a variety of large overhead hoods or a down draft system that rises and lowers from the counter.  The choices are still Overhead or Downdraft but the visual presence of a hood now fades into the background.  The hood as the center of attention in the kitchen is no longer a given.

These kitchens all have ventilation for their cooktops, can you find the hood?  The Futuro hood is called the 'Skylight' which gives a hint as to the location, way up in the ceiling.  It is combined with a strong light which gives the impression that the unit is actually a type of skylight.  The second picture is the Faber pull out fan, it is the tiny 2" cabinet material above the cooktop.  You pull the trim forward to use the vent and tiny LED lights automatically turn on.   This hood can be vented or filtered (non vented.)  The third kitchen features a cooktop by Jenn Air that has a downdraft fan integrated into the actuall cooktop.  It is finished in the same color and finish as the cooktop so it blends in and becomes un noticable.  It does not need to go up and down, the power of the fan is strong enough to pull the odors down.

These new appliances give us more design options, letting us decide what we want to visually feature as well as what we want to hide!

HELP!

Help! Hurricane Harvey survivors!

Please see the following organizations for donations to those affected by Hurricane Harvey:

https://www.redcross.org/donate/hurricane-harvey

https://give.salvationarmyusa.org/site/Donation2?df_id=27651&mfc_pref=T&27651.donation=form1 

https://www.centraltexasfoodbank.org/

Excerpt from article by NPR’s Pam Fessler:
“… Bob Ottenhoff, president and CEO of the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, has some words of caution for those who want to help.  "This is not the time to be donating products or even services," he says. "That's frequently the urge, and most often that is the wrong thing to do. ...With the floods blocking off streets, when warehouses are not available, there's no place for these products — there's no place to store anything, there's no place to distribute anything. And that's going to be the case for some time."

Instead, he says, people should give money to groups they trust, and that have the ability to provide aid where it's needed most.”

If there is ever a time of need to help our neighbors, that time is now.  

Cashmere Cottage

I designed this 500 sf cottage that for my client Tara to build on her daughter’s property in Cashmere Washington.  Nestled in the mountains, this DADU (detached accessory dwelling unit) (i.e., extra home on the property,) is small enough to be affordable but large enough to feel like home.  The tall ceiling created by the steep shed roof allow an abundance of light to flood in on three sides of the home, allowing Tara to witness the beauty of the surrounding land throughout the day.

Although compact, this home sports a shower AND a tub as well as a full kitchen and separate bedroom.  Designing small homes has been my passion in the last few years as I look for ways to simplify our lives, transition into one level housing, while keeping the quality of life that we have worked so hard to obtain.  As more and more people want to live off the grid, we are researching and specifying more solar panels, heating systems with reduced costs such as infrared heated ceiling panels, and rain water harvesting.

Adjustments to the design have been made at the suggestion of her fantastic builder Reid of R Squared Construction LLC, that further customize this special place for Tara.

Room with a View

This is my source of peace.  Being able to view the beauty of nature right outside my window.  Seeing the beauty of the plants, the sun flickering through the leaves.

Stepping outside to the pond (s) and listening to the peaceful sound of water moving through the water plants.

Being able to open a window or door from your bedroom to see small ponds and hear the peaceful trickle of water moving through the rocks.  Being able to have this very spiritual experience every day without leaving the privacy of your home.  This is luxury.

Small Luxuries Large Impact

A small bathroom can have the same luxuries found in large mansions.  Given a small footprint for remodeling a master bathroom condo, one of the challenges we overcame was making the room feel more spacious than the actual square footage.  Removing a wall between the sink and the toilet, floating the vanity cabinet and adding floor to ceiling marble tiles that continued to the end of the bathroom accomplished that goal.  

Floor heat on a programmable thermostat always keeps your feet cozy, while a washlet feature on the wall hung toilet provides the features of a bidet.  (Anyone that has traveled to Japan can attest to the wonderful features of the Toto toilet.)

A wave of your hand turns on the lights on the mirror while the built-in clock keeps you running on time.   There is a closeup mirror set into the mirror so you can keep the counter clutter free.

Want the luxury hand shower but don’t want the clutter of multiple handles and shower bars?  Check out Delta’s In2ition shower/hand shower fixture.  Available in multiple designs to accommodate many styles, this hand shower snaps into the center of the shower head and provides multiple showering options.  

Make sure that your shower remodel includes a ‘niche’ that is large enough to store your shampoo, conditioner and body wash containers.  These ‘niches’ are built into the wall so they do not take up space used for showering.    

Finally, don’t be afraid to use luxury materials such as marble or glass.  A SMALL amount of luxury materials will not cost much, but the impact can be LARGE. 

Story Behind the Scarves

I bought a beautiful unique scarf made of recycled saris from a friends' annual 'Christmas Store' at her home.  Recently, I called her to ask where she purchased these scarves.  I wanted to feature them in my store in Kenmore, Healthy Homes & Lifestyles, where I sell items made of recycled materials, plant based/natural supplements and products from locally owned businesses. 

What I found was an organization www.ConciousByKali.com created by clothing designer Kali Basi from Yelm Washington.  I met with Kali and learned the tragic story behind the scarves.  Kali created this company for the sole purpose of helping young women and children that are the victims of human trafficking.  She personally funded a factory in Nepal that hires, trains and educates rescued survivors.  They create these beautiful recycled sari/felted scarves that Kali sells in the United States.  100% of the proceeds go back to the women/girl survivors. 

Each scarf is tagged and signed by the survivor that made it saying, 'Your purchase helps ensure the new livelihood of a sex trafficking survivor.  Thank you for making a difference!'

*Nearly 80% of all human trafficking involves sexual exploitation. *Human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal enterprise;  it holds low risk with high profits. *Human slaves are cheaper today than they have ever historically been.  This is due to the increase in global population and impoverished areas. *Humans can be bought and sold repeatedly, unlike drugs.  *Once rescued, slavery victims are often considered pariahs in society.

Sewage in Seattle

Seattle has always been know for its' abundance of water, but if we do no do anything quickly we will soon be known for our BROWN TOXIC Water -  as in 30 million gallons of raw sewage that has been dumped into Puget Sound.   Yes, our clean, green, pristine city is participating in one of the worst environmental contaminations in recent history.  WHY?  King County has not been able to fix the equipment failure of February 9th.   Apparently though, crews are 'working' on it and county officials hope to have the problem fixed by the end of April, almost 3 months from the spill. REALLY?

This is a public health disaster, it is harming to marine life, harmful to people who eat contaminated seafood, it is harmful to people who enter the water because of the exposure to disease causing germs.  Currently, King County's treatment plant is in violation of the Federal clean-water laws and is in violation of its clean-water permit and will most likely face fines.  As a King County tax payer I have experienced a huge increase in my property taxes. If my tax dollars are not keeping important infrastructures such as the treatment plant in working order, where have they been going?

What caused this disaster that has no name?  It started with an electrical failure that set in motion other problems.  No mention as to what caused the electrical failure or if the plant had passed inspections. (I assume they have inspections, right?)  However, a plant manager said that the real problem was that the electrical failure was 'exacerbated' by the peak capacity the plant was working at 'because of heavy rain.'  REALLY?  Seattle has heavy rain?   

 Sounding like a trailer for a bad movie, officials said 'a wall of water hit the treatment plant at the very same moment the massive pumps failed.'   REALLY?

How small is too Small?

Lots of people live in small homes, apartments or condos.  The reasons are many and range from downsizing, to purchasing 2^nd homes, to being in a transitional time of your life.  Many people are reducing stress by simplifying their life, getting rid of unnecessary ‘things,’ reducing the burden of a large mortgage payment etc.  Smaller homes mean smaller home payments which allows for independent/alternative employment and/or the freedom to travel. How small is too small and what do you have to sacrifice for this financial freedom?

‘Small’ depends on your perspective. If you are coming from a large home in the suburbs, a small home/apartment/condo can be 1100 sf.  A single wide manufactured home (trailer home) is around 1080 sf.  Homes in this size category give you a full kitchen, living room, bedroom, full bath, stacked washer/dryer and either a 2^nd bedroom or a dining area.  If you are moving from a larger home, you need to purchase new furniture, smaller compact sizes and furniture with dual purposes.  Sofas that turn into beds, islands that have a flip up dining counter, etc.

Backyard cottages/DADU’s/ADU’s run a little smaller averaging 632 sf.  Generally, you will have to give up the 2^nd bedroom/dining room and reduce your kitchen area.  If you are not following building codes, you can have a ladder to a loft bedroom.  The ADU that I designed for my small lot is 400 sf, very small, but I was still able to squish in a stacking washer/dryer.  General storage is a challenge.  You really have to cut down on your belongings.  How about 2 pairs of shoes one coat and one purse?  Can you do it?  Do you want to?

‘Tiny’ homes are a new craze of an old idea -mobile homes.  These tiny homes are built to be moved, possibly frequently, from location to location. They average 200 sf including a loft bedroom.  They often have composting toilets and solar panels so that you can ‘camp out’ on any piece of land as long as the property owners agree.  This is minimalism taken to a new level.  It looks fun and exciting – but for how long?  These homes are uniquely designed, have lots of charm and style and have interiors that are detailed out to use EVERY inch of space to its maximum, but how small is too small?

**Tumbleweed Tiny House Company

ADU's and the Future of Seattle

Heard of the housing crisis in Seattle?  Big employers such as Amazon have been bringing in massive amounts of people into the Seattle area, more than the many new condos can handle.   The cost to rent a one bed room apartment in the city averages $1917.00 month.  The cost to purchase a house has increased 16.7% over the last 12 months.  I was told by a realtor that many home owners are reluctant to sell, even at the high prices and even when they want to downsize, because ‘they are afraid they will not find another place to live.’ (in Seattle of course)

SEATTLE ENCOURAGING mother in laws – After decades of policing illegal mother in law apartments, the city of Seattle decided that adding rental units in existing housing plots is one of the only places left to densify the city. 

Some TYPES of ‘legal’ living spaces that you can add to your home:

a)      ADU is Accessory Dwelling Unit.  This is an independent home with kitchen, bathroom(s) separate electrical panel and separate secure entrance.  This is attached to the existing home and is separated by a fire rated wall

b)      DADU (or a backyard Cottage) is the same except it is detached from your home, often at the far 20’ setback of your lot.  The average size of most ADU/DADUs is 632 sf.  

REACTIONS - There are several reactions to these types of ‘improvements.’  There is the neighbor who does not want ‘transient’ people in the neighborhood taking up parking spaces and having loud parties.  And there is the home owner who has concerns about giving up some privacy in the shared yard and walkways.  Both are valid concerns.  However, an ADU or DADU can supplement a home owner’s income making it easier to pay the mortgage and increasing property taxes.  It can be a retirement nest egg of continuing income. It can also provide a place for someone to live in the city that they work; offering a place to rent.  It can also reduce traffic – the theory being that if people can walk to take mass transit to work, they will not drive, thus decreasing the amount of cars on the road.

RESTRICTIONS – currently the most contested regulations have to do with providing parking and owner occupation both of which have had recent changes.  One off street parking space is required to be provided EXCEPT in designated urban villages and urban centers.  You may be granted a parking waiver if the site’s topography or location of the structure makes it an undue burden.  Owner occupancy is required for at least 6 months of the year and the owner occupant must have at least 50% ownership. HOWEVER, the owner may SUBMIT EVIDENCE to obtain a waiver of this requirement for up to three years for job relocation, illness or similar reasons not to occupy the home.

FINANCING – typically a home owner would need to refinance their existing home to obtain the funds to build an ADU/DADU.  Costs vary but there is a consensus that to build a new adu/dadu structure would cost around $200,000.  How long do you need to rent the space to break even? Eight ½ years?  LET’S RETHINK THIS…

Where to place water filtering/ionizing systems into an existing home?

Kitchen sinks and bar sinks are the most popular locations.  But will it fit in those locations?First of all, it is important to point out that the ‘faucet’ part of the system fits into any regular faucet hole in your counter.  There are two things to look for: 1) an available faucet hole, or an area available by a sink to create a new faucet hole. 2) space in sink cabinet for the filtering/ionization system.

Faucet holes can be made available by a) removing an existing faucet b) changing the existing faucet that has the spout and handle in separate holes to a newer faucet that has the handle attached to the spout c) removing a soap dispenser d) removing an existing filtered water faucet e) changing the existing faucet that has a separate hole for the spray f) drilling a new hole

The space needed in the sink cabinet is 5 1/2” wide x 14 1/8” long x 14” high. 

A typical sink cabinet has the sink and plumbing located in the center of the cabinet, leaving the sides as potential areas to place this system.  There may be a garbage disposal that is occupying space in the sink cabinet.  Installation of the system is EASY with the clear instructions provided.Box fits in sink cabinet  

Retail price is $4995.00 (call me for discounted pricing.)  Considering that bottled 9.0 alkaline water sells for $3.00 bottle and massages cost around $95 (are you buying large bottled water and carrying it home?) and that this system successfully filters out all contaminants AND has the option of producing Alkaline water, this investment is well worth the money spent.  This is a household ‘appliance’ that has far reaching health benefits for your entire family.

Truths behind the Lies

Lately I feel I have been living a dream.  A dream where water fountains in schools are safe, family members do not steal from each other, government regulations are enacted to protect you, politicians are as honest as they proclaim and Bill Cosby is the ideal father figure.  Boy, have I had a wakeup call – and so has our country.

Last month I heard on the news that Tacoma schools found lead in the drinking fountains.  Seattle Public Utilities immediately said that there was nothing wrong with Seattle drinking water ‘but that all residents should run their water for two minutes before drinking it JUST IN CASE’ (emphasis added).  It turns out that the ‘gooseneck’ fittings are corroding, where there are gooseneck fittings there is lead. 

The TRUTH is, there are many opportunities for LEAD to enter your drinking water and each home/building is unique in its potential liabilities.  Has anyone suggested that it may be in the publics self-interest to test their water at each faucet?  NO, that would cost too much money and the public outcry when they found out how many of their faucets produced water with lead in it would be crazy.  Politicians may lose their jobs!  Let me ask, how many of you run your water 2 minutes before drinking it?

The TRUTH is, that in 1978 the EPA determined the Lead in the paint was extremely dangerous and made it illegal to sell (after 1978).  But did anyone TELL the PUBLIC that every time you hammered a nail into the wall to hang a picture you were exposing yourself and your family to lead poisoning?  (Remember even the smallest minute amount of dust with lead poisoning can cause permanent brain damage in children).   NO, the government waited until 2010, 32 years, to regulate/protect the public from remodeling produced lead poisoning.  Have you hung a picture up in your home in the last 32 years?

The TRUTH is that I do not believe anyone any more, and that is a very sad place to be.  Truthfully, Christine

Lead Solutions

What are we doing about LEAD in our homes?  These are the solutions that I am incorporating into my home and into the homes of my clients:

SAFE Drinking Water:  The testing of Drinking water is now a standard benefit of every kitchen and bath design that I work on.

HEALTHY Drinking Water:  I have researched and obtained (for my clients) RETTIN Tyent Ionized Water Filters which remove 100% of all LEAD and mercury in the water as well as pesticides, VOC's semi-VOC's, herbicide, disinfectants and non-metallic contaminants, and pharmaceutical contaminants.  This Ionizer has the ability to create Alkaline water (up to 10.0 ph) which has extreme health benefits. It can also create Acid water used for disinfecting and cleaning.  All of this is done through electricity, there are no additives involved.  We are installing these at kitchen sinks and bar sinks; anywhere you would go for drinking water.

LEAD Pipes and Solder:  As we design/remodel, we put into action replacing all lead pipes and all copper pipes that used lead solder.

LEAD in our paint:  IT IS THE LAW (Toxic Substances Control Act section 402(c)(3)), that all firms working in pre-1978 homes and child-occupied facilities must be certified and use lead-safe work practices during renovations.  I am personally trained and certified, and my company, Christine Suzuki Installations Inc is certified as well.  (since 2010)  The intent of this specific training is to contain any chips of paint and lead DUST.  Dust is generally a healthy hazard even if it is not poisonous (as in lead.)  So our SUPER SAFE DUST FREE PRACTICES are generally very good for your family's health safety and welfare.

Please contact me if you have any concerns about the LEAD in your home, we are committed to providing healthy non toxic interiors to all of our friends family and customers.

Namaste, Christine

Politics Poisoning & Prevention

Lead in your Home

We’ve known the health effects of lead poisoning for a long time and now know that there is NO safe threshold for lead exposure.  Because of political pressure, many countries, cities and states have allowed and sometimes mandated that lead pipes be utilized for water distribution, that lead be added into gasoline, and have allowed lead based paints into homes.  These products/installations are now illegal. HOWEVER, these lead pipes, lead solder connecting copper pipes, and lead based paints are STILL in our homes, potentially poisoning ourselves, our children and grandchildren.  The information on lead poisoning is so vast that I am presenting only statements and quotations in a timeline fashion with references for your research.

Lead poisoning (also known as plumbism, colica pictorum, saturnism or painter’s colic) first written about by the Egyptians is said to have contributed to the fall of the Roman Empire.  *6

1850 Scientists began fingering water pipes as the source of a growing number of lead poisoning cases. *9

1866 New York Herald published the article “The Dangers of Lead Pipes” #9

1900-1920 Homes built in this period usually have lead based pipes *1

1910-20 When municipalities began banning the use of lead pipes in the 1910s and 1920s, other sources of lead poisoning – paint, for example – also came under scrutiny.  In response, the lead industry fought back.  The National Lead Company ran ads proclaiming that ‘lead helps to guard your health’ *9

1920 Environmental pollution by lead caused by the introduction of tetraethyl lead in gasoline became an alarming public health problem.  The use became restricted in the 1980’s:  its effects on blood lead levels are now evident. *6

1921 the International Labour Conference organized a meeting in Geneva to adopt the White Lead Convention.  The convention led to the prohibition of the use of white lead in indoor painting in the several countries…Sweden and Czechoslovakia…Austria, Poland and Spain…Finland and Norway. In the United States, the Lead Industries Association succeeded in blocking the signing of the ILO convention. *6 

1921 Surgeon General convened a meeting when 8 workers died in straitjackets from dramatic central nervous system involvement from tetraethyl lead poisoning. *6

1928 To maintain sales of lead pipe, the LIA (Lead Industry Association) lobbied the government at all levels and targeted the people who both designed and installed water distribution systems with outreach and educational material and other resources.  The association carried on its promotional campaign into the 1970’s *10

1928 LIA’s Plumbing Promotion Program succeeded in Massachusetts where bans on certain kinds of lead pipe were lifted, in Pennsylvania lead pipe was formally required by the plumbing code to the exclusion of alternatives.  The LIA even managed to have lead pipes inserted into regulations governing federal construction projects, as well as building codes and building specifications. *9

1950 Federal guidelines and specifications sanctioned lead pipes into the 1950s

1920-1965 Homes built in 1920-1965 generally have galvanized plumbing *1

1960 when artificial softening of drinking water began,   lead began to dissolve from the pipes.*6

1965-1980 These homes are considered risky if they were built between 1965 and 1980 when copper pipes and lead-based solder were common place in plumbing *1

1970 LIA (Lead Industry Association) lobbied the government at all levels into the 1970s. *10

1970 Only four US states and 10 municipalities had laws or ordinances prohibiting indoor use of lead paint.  In 1970 it was estimated that the annual incidence of symptomatic and asymptomatic lead poisoning in the U.S was as high as 240,000 cases.*6

1970-1980 National model plumbing codes APPROVED LEAD into the 1970s and 1980s and most water systems based their regulations on those codes.  During this time period there were more than 22 million new homes built in the United States *1  The primary source for lead in most drinking water sources is the piping used within a distribution system or the household plumbing…YOUR household plumbing may be the cause for lead in your drinking water.*4

1978 World Health Organization convened an expert meeting to scrutinize the present knowledge on lead, mercury and cadmium, creating a booklet called “Recommended Health-Based Limits in Occupational Exposure to Heavy Metals.”  The WHO officers who were involved in editing the document have privately stated that industry representatives lobbied heavily, both in the WHO and in the then CEC Health Protectorate, to prevent the publication.  These activities delayed the publication of the report and degraded it to a “technical report.” *6

1978 Federal government banned the use of lead based paint. 

1980 Seattle banned lead-based plumbing materials *1

1980 Nearly all homes built prior to the 1980s still have lead solder connecting copper pipes. *8

1984 EPA conducted a survey of 153 public water systems finding that 73% had installed lead service lines (a service line is the pipe from the street to your house) *10

1985 King County banned lead-based plumbing materials *1

1986 passage of Safe Drinking Water Act prohibited installation of lead water pipes.

1987 Washington State banned lead-based plumbing materials*1

1990 In the US practically no leaded gasoline was sold after 1990. *6

1990 Testing of children with lead poisoning showed a decrease in IQ of 6 points leading some scientists to suggest that slipping school performance in the US to a large extent can be attributed to past subclinical childhood lead poisoning. *6

1997 Seattle Public Utilities random sampling found 90% of houses came back with lead levels at nearly 20ppb

1997 CDC  estimates that as many as 5% of all American children suffer from subclinical lead poisoning. *7

2001 Seattle began adding soda ash meant to reduce most of the lead leaching from problem pipes. *1

2003 20% of all lead exposure in young children comes from drinking water *7

2004 Seattle Public Schools find high levels of lead in the drinking fountains *1

2004 Plumbing in many city homes poses lead risk.  *1

2004 EPA’s standard for lead contamination of drinking water is ZERO.*1   There is NO safe level for lead exposure *4   Standard for immediate action is 15 ppb. *1

2010 EPA RRP (Renovation Repair & Painting) ruling came into effect penalizing residential contractors up to $35,000 per incident if work done on homes older than 1978 is not within the RRP guidelines.  This ruling is to attempt to protect residents, owners, and workers from lead poisoning from lead based paint.  A minute amount of lead dust can cause lead poisoning. EG, Nailing a picture hanger into the wall could cause lead poisoning.

2014 PRIOR to 2014 the legal definition for “lead free” was plumbing fixtures with a lead content of less than 8%.  In 2014, the term was redefined to include only fixtures with a lead content of .25% and newly installed fixtures must use the “lead free” materials, but this did not apply to fixtures currently in use. *4

2016 EPA considering a more ‘proactive approach’ to replacing lead pipes. *2

2016 Some major US cities still have 100 percent lead piping bringing water from the utilities to homes and businesses. *8

2016  Hundreds of tons of the lead in paint that covered the walls of houses, apartment buildings and workplaces across the United States remains in place almost four decades later…*2

2016 EPA officials addressing Plumbing Manufacturers International said that the EPA has reason to believe that faucets are being imported into the U.S. that contain lead in excess of the SDWA requirements of 11 parts per billion. *8

It is a shame if action is not taken when all the ingredients for successful prevention exist.  *6

Be Safe, Christine

*1 Candace Heckman, Seattle Post-Intelligencer Reporter

*2 Arthur Delaney Huffpost

*3 Wikipedia

*4 Brian Oram PG, Special report #3, http://www.water-research.net/index.php/lead

*5 Alexandra Ossola

*6 Sven Hernberg, MD PHD

*7 Werner Troesken & Patricia E Beeson

*8 PMI Plumbing Manufacturers International https://www.safeplumbing.org/health-safety/lead-in-plumbing

*9 Stephen Mihm smihm1@bloomberg.net

*10 Richard Rabin, MSPH  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2509614/

Water is Life

Water is life, life is water.  Our bodies are made of water and the type of water we put into our bodies is important.  Not only clean, non-toxic water, but we now have the option of drinking alkaline water.  Alkaline water, like high alkaline foods, works as a natural anti oxident in your body, fighting diseases and illness. This alkaline water filter can be placed next to your kitchen faucet or anywhere that you have a water line. Using electricity, it ionizes the water to create your choice of 7.0, 8.0, 9.0 or 10.0 ph water.  It also has the ability to create acid water used for cleaning and sterilization.  This is the water that is able to remove pesticides from your fruits and vegetables.  This one unit provides an abundance of health benefits.

Our journey to natural water filtratration, harvesting and storage has led us to commit to an aesthetic that matches our spirit.  This water feature, created by Vidal Bitton, is part of a larger rainwater harvesting system that we are working on.  Besides 

the beauty and the 'zen' of the design, first pond is going to be filled with water plants that naturally clean the water.  The visual of natural materials and plants unites with the sound of water to create a peaceful relaxing area to be in.

Finally, our water journey leads us to a river rock style floor that, as in the water fall, commands instant relaxation as you enter the Wellness center.  Our center has a 'shoes off' rule at the door so everyone gets the pleasure of walking on this wonderful floor.

All related to water, all related to healing and wellness, all features that benefit our lives.  

Namaste

Christine