The Problem of Indoor Air Quality
“Sick house syndrome.” Also known as “sick building syndrome.” A growing crisis in indoor air quality. And until recently I, and many other contractors — even contractors whose business focus is remodeling — didn’t know it.
Like most green builders, I did know that there were indoor air quality problems in many new and remodeled buildings. Off gassing of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other toxins in everything from new carpeting and vinyl flooring to paints to plywood to new floor finishes all create that distinctive “new home”smell that is anything but healthy.
What I didn’t know is that after these VOCs go away, new problems start to develop. And because buildings built in the last 20-30 years or so have been built to retain more heat (and cooling) these problems can build up until, as remodeling contractor Ron Haycook discovered, the indoor air quality reaches crisis proportions! The problem in older buildings is primarily the build up of mold. Something we here in the Pacific Northwest know a lot about! But there is also mildew, pollen, dust mites, pet dander — a whole host of allergens that effect health, especially children, who breathe twice as fast as we do.
Just take a look at these rather startling facts:
- Fully half of all illnesses are either caused by, or aggravated by, poor indoor air quality. (The American College of Allergists)
- The levels of hazardous pollutants in indoor air has been found to be 70 times greater than in outdoor air. (EPA)
- Two out of three indoor air quality problems involve the HVAC System. (various studies)
- But most commercially available fiberglass furnace filters are less than 7% efficient. (ASHRAE)
- And yet, most people spend 60%-90% of their time indoors, in that polluted air. (The American Lung Association)
So what is one to do? Well, for a long time, short of remodeling with controlled air flow in mind I didn’t know. Remodeling is expensive. But the little air purifiers and dehumidifiers may solve the problem for a single room, but they’re not up to the task of dealing with the whole building — and the results are often less than stellar.
Then six months or so ago I was approached by a company called E-Z Breathe, a manufacturer of building ventilation systems. They had a unit that they needed installed in Crescent City. Like Ron Haycook, that got me to researching their product to see if it lived up to their claims.
While it is still too new to have had any completely independent studies done on it, E-Z Breathe seems to be an enough honest company to have commissioned some independent studies of their own. The improvements in indoor air quality provided by a properly installed unit are fairly impressive. So impressive, in fact, that Miss Rita’s Small World Daycare actually lists her E-Z Breathe in the “Health and Safety” section of her FAQ.
So if you’re looking for a way to improve indoor air quality, or if you have a structure that has sick building syndrome, the E-Z Breathe might be a viable solution for you to discuss with your contractor — and your doctor!
Technorati Tags: indoor air quality, sick house syndrome, sick building syndrome, mold remediation, indoor air pollution, green building
