Gesund wohnen: Wir sanieren unser Haus nur mit Naturmaterialien | ARD Room Tour

Their dream: healthy living. That’s why Markus and Sonja wanted to renovate their 170-year-old house in the Eifel region using only eco-friendly, natural materials—no chemicals or plastic were to be used in the floors, walls, or ceilings. Instead, they wanted to use primarily wood, clay, lime, straw, and hemp in the renovation. As a master carpenter, it was primarily Markus who took charge of the eco-friendly renovation of the old house. When he and Sonja bought the property in 2015, Markus’s friends joked that he might as well just drive an excavator through the house and start from scratch. But Markus didn’t let that deter him. Since people in the past often built their houses using natural materials from the region, he spoke with older residents, read old reference books, and scoured the internet to learn the proper techniques for eco-friendly construction and renovation. He has since specialized in restoring old buildings with healthy, natural building materials and has completed several continuing education courses. When renovating the house, Markus basically left only the foundation walls standing. In some places, he even removed the ceilings and rebuilt them using a mixture of clay and straw, which serves as both insulation and soundproofing. Most of the floors in the house are spruce plank floors, each of which he treated differently. To do this, he made his own stain from walnut shells or from vinegar water and steel wool. In another approach, Markus charred the planks to make them more durable and bring out the grain. When he bought the house, the facade was painted white, the windows were made of plastic and framed with red sandstone—in Markus’s eyes, the house had no “face.” He gave it one back: gray-beige stucco, green-framed, six-pane windows, a dark slate roof, and a herb garden in front of the door. The concrete slabs in the yard are gone; instead, it’s now covered with gravel so that rainwater can seep away. Markus slaked the lime plaster himself—just as people used to do. That’s how he knows it contains no chemicals. Ready-mix products are off-limits for the carpenter. He also mixed the paints for the house himself, using, among other things, color pigments, low-fat quark, and rye flour. According to Markus, the indoor climate is much better—and healthier—after the renovation using natural materials: Since they’ve been living in this house, Sonja, who previously suffered from asthma, no longer needs her asthma inhaler. In addition to the health and well-being aspects, Markus believes it makes much more sense from an energy perspective to renovate a house rather than tear it down and build a new one. Another plus: Since all the building materials he used are eco-friendly, they can be recycled or disposed of without any problems. The homeowner has thus achieved his goal of not leaving behind mountains of toxic waste for future generations. A film by Jennifer Lindemann (editor), Lukas Grimm (camera), Paul Heydecke (camera/sound), and Diana Kalb (editing). Produced by SWR. 00:00 House Renovated with Eco-Friendly Materials 00:36 Dining Room 03:07 Living Room 08:45 Bathroom 10:44 Hallway and Entryway 11:50 Courtyard and Garden