CALI GeoWood oak flooring has been used in the creation of a home in Santa Barbara, California designed from the ground up to support a healthy living space. The home’s owner, Mike Bender, is a screenwriter of “Not Another Teen Movie” and co-creator of the website and New York Times bestselling book, “Awkward Family Photos.”
Bender has spent decades navigating an onslaught of health challenges, stemming from Lyme disease, which he contracted from a tick bite as a child. Failing to find relief from traditional medical treatment, he began exploring how his living space might be affecting his symptoms, which were frequently life-threatening. With help from a team of clean building experts, Bender addressed every aspect of his home, selecting systems and materials that would best support his health.
He details the experience in an essay published in the March 2022 issue of Men’s Health, diving into the practice of “building biology,” which aims to balance the relationship between the built environment, health, and nature. When done right, the process goes beyond mere eco-friendly materials and examines every interaction between occupants and their home, from electricity and Wifi to air and water quality. Choice of materials like paint, cabinetry, furniture, and flooring plays a major role.
In selecting these products, Bender drew from the expertise of Andy Pace, founder of the Green Design Center in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
The CALI team shared that it is proud to have earned recognition of the collection as one that is also highly safe for homes with kids, pets, and those with health issues.
“It’s increasingly common for companies to slap an ‘eco-friendly’ sticker on a product and say it’s the responsible choice. But there is a massive amount of effort that goes on behind the scenes at CALI to truly back that claim up with facts. Knowing that our flooring has met the demands of legitimate green building experts and helped customers live healthier lives is both thrilling and humbling,” says Doug Jackson, CALI president.