With today’s hype on synthetic materials, you just don’t know what’s toxic and what’s not anymore. Unfortunately many of them can be found in homes. So if you’re planning some summer home renovations, you might want to look into the materials you would use and opt for non-hazardous alternatives like.

Particle boards contain a chemical called urea-formaldehyde, a chemical used in treating particle boards. Believe it or not, it’s more potent than the also hazardous chemicals used to treat plywood. Try using solid wood instead.

Some counter tops use plastic laminated material that may also contain particleboard. As an alternative, you may want to opt for a tile, marble or synthetic marble for counter tops.

For draperies and carpeting, use materials that use natural fibers like cotton and wool. Again, it’s better if these materials haven’t been pretreated with pesticides, stain retardants and other chemicals. Proper care, cleaning and maintenance would help keep these items in good condition anyway.

Soft vinyl contains petroleum products that can produce fumes over time. For flooring you may want to use hard tile or wood.

For roofing, opt for slate, galvanized steel, and clay tiles instead of asphalt shingles. These can emit harmful fumes too.

If you’re seeing a trend here, yes it’s more of a preference to natural and untreated materials. If you happen to have no choice but to use treated materials (like the ones treated with formaldehyde), consult with your contractor on how to properly seal these materials. Latex-based paint can help seal in fumes so that they wouldn’t seep out and do you harm.