Bad & Good Home Indoor Air Quality


Sources of Poor Air quality

When building your home or while remodeling or improving the energy efficiency of it, take the necessary steps to avoid potential bad air quality. Indoor air quality depends much on construction details.

Stuffy air, moisture, or mold and mildew growth are common problems due to construction causes. In fact, indoor air quality problems have three main in-home sources:
 
- Building materials: new materials (or disturbing materials already in the home), associated to radon, asbestos and monoxide carbon.

- Deficiencies in foundations, attics, walls: a common cause for moisture and connected heath allergies, namely asthma.

- Deficient ventilation: a cause of excess of monoxide carbon and other pollutant gases, as well as moisture (cause of mold allergies and asthma).

These problem sources should be addressed either before or during the home building or the remodeling process.


Radon

Cracks in solid floors or in walls or gaps and cavities in walls and pipes can be associated to radon. 

Radon is a odorless, tasteless, colorless and chemically inert radioactive gas. It is formed by the natural radioactive decay of uranium present in soils or in building materials. In small scale radon isn't dangerous and is part of the natural environment. But radon is a cause of many thousands of deaths each year: if your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high.

Testing for radon is inexpensive and easy. See Epa information about radon tests.


Asbestos

Carbon monoxide

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless and colorless gas that can be deadly. In our homes CO is found in combustion fumes produced by generators, stoves, lanterns, gas ranges, heating systems or when burning wood and charcoal.

The solution is in the appliances themselves, or in house ventilation. Ventilation is particularly important in fixing problems linked to CO and other pollutant gases.


Molds

Molds spores - invisible to the naked eye - are a frequent cause of asthma and several other allergies. They are part of natural environment, but deficiences in the home building may multiply their presence, which is the cause of several health problems connected to indoor home quality. 
 
Mold spores begin growing indoors when they land on wet surfaces. In other words: moisture - especially common on the foundations or in attached home garages... - is the big cause of mold proliferation.

A good ventilation, insulation and appropriate remodeling works are common solutions of this problem.


Ventilation problems

Appropriate ventilation helps control moisture, reduce indoor pollutants and odors, radon, or contaminants such as formaldehyde or volatile organic compounds that are causes of health problems.

Indoor air quality problems may also bo closely linked to home appliances

Bad indoor air quality may be directly linked to home equipment and appliances. Be aware with:

- Unvented gas appliances: stove, space heater, fireplace...
- Filters: air conditioner filters, home’s forced air heating and/or cooling system filters, vacuum cleaner filters...
- Humidifier/dehumidifiers
- Fireplaces and furnace malfunctions


Other possible causes of bad indoor air quality

Be also aware of other possible causes of bad house air quality: wall-to-wall carpeting, members smoke, pets, rodents, insects, hobbies conducted indoors (woodworking, pottery, jewelry making, model building...), fertilizers and commercial pesticides...






See also:
Energy Efficient House Basics
Home Air Leakage and Air Sealing
Mechanical ventilation: HEV and HRV
Natural Ventilation: cross and stack


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