Previously we talked about air sealing a home and what the reasons for that are. This, like all of our Green Building solutions, ties into other aspects of building a better, healthier home. A healthier home starts at the beginning, the planning. To build a healthier home you must plan for a healthier home. We look at all the materials that we are putting into a new home or remodel and eliminate things that could have detrimental effects on a person’s health and/or indoor air quality.
A person spends 62% of their waking time in their home, which makes good indoor air quality imperative to a family’s good health. How do we ensure good indoor air quality? Below are a few of our proven methods for improving indoor air quality in a home.
We use only urea-formaldehyde free products and wherever possible use low or no VOC products. Further, we use pre-finished floors wherever appropriate. By limiting the amount of products that could cause harmful off gassing we can ensure that our clients are not unnecessarily exposed to harmful toxins inside the home.
We use the houses’ mechanical systems (HVAC) to ensure that we are bringing in fresh air and expelling stale air. This allows us to control where air comes in and goes out. Which, in turn, allows us to control the amount (and comfort) of the air, the timing of venting, the moisture content and to filter the air that is brought into the house.
We tie the HVAC into an Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) that is programmed for each custom space. This allows us to expel stale air and bring in fresh air by exchanging the energy (heat/cold) so that the air comes into our house pre-warmed or pre-chilled depending on the season.
Further, we can set the ERV to run based upon the needs of the house. For larger houses an ERV would run for longer, for small areas we can set the ERV to run shorter, while still maintaining fresh air throughout the house.
Controlling where the air comes in allows us to make sure that we are properly controlling the comfort (and climate and humidity) of a home. If a house has too much humid, stale air it could create an environment conducive to mold growth. Proper ventilation and humidity prevent mold growth and help ensure that you are breathing safe and fresh air.
We use third-party inspections to make sure that our systems are working properly and that they are sized and programmed appropriately for the project.
Proper control over environmental factors ensures that you have a safe and healthy home for you and your family.
