breathing better: indoor air quality solutions

Transcription

BREATHING BETTER:
INDOOR AIR QUALITY
SOLUTIONS
for the NON PROFIT HOUSING ASS’N.
OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND THE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING COALITION
BY BARBARA HARWOOD
DONALD AITKEN ASSOCIATES
Barbara Harwood’s
Fourth Law of
Thermodynamics
The
poorer you are, the less
energy efficient will be the
building you live in, until at the
very bottom of the income ladder,
you live outdoors!
Aaaaack!
What’s
THIS?!?
(Followed closely by:
“What the heck am I
doing in this business
anyway?!?”)
Analyzing retrofit problems:

Consider the building as a holistic system in
which every part is related to every other part.
Consider the tightness of the building and its
HVAC systems related to indoor air quality.
Consider the construction materials used inside
and how they will impact indoor air quality.
Today, we do
Air Traffic Control!

Air quality
How to provide controlled, mechanical
ventilation
What not to put inside a building
What materials you can safely use
How exterior pollutants get in
What air pressures can do
How to keep high concentrations of molds out
of all the wrong places

HVAC
(Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning)
Heating systems:

Passive solar (Direct Solar Gain through
windows) in a tight house is best.
Can we?
If not, what to do if passive solar is not
possible?

Where is the sun?

Stand facing the south side. Look at
windows and plans simultaneously.
Where are the “living” areas?
Where are the sleeping areas?
Where are the kitchens with their hot
appliances?
Can you HEAT this building for nothing
by maximizing south-facing windows?
Advantages of Sunlight for heat:

Non-contaminating to indoor environment
Quiet
No blowers or fans
The most comfortable form of heat
Good for the environment

No fossil fuel burning required.
DEFINITELY THE BEST IAQ SOLUTION!
And along with passive solar,
where shall be the windows . . .

. . . . For DAYLIGHTING?
Low-E, Argon-filled on north, east and
west.
Double paned only windows on the south
UNLESS windows have no overhangs or
other protection.
NO windows on the west in hot climates
(i.e. on the east side of the hills)
Natural

Wind Ventilation
Provide cross ventilation through
openable windows.
Because natural beats fans and blowers
and costs a whole lot less than a/c
UNLESS outdoor air quality in the area is
so bad you don’t want to breathe it!
A
calculated amount of
thermal mass under south
facing windows helps to
effectively and comfortably
utilize direct solar heat
What if I can’t use direct
(passive) solar heating?
Hydronic Systems
Hydronic baseboard
heat

Allows zoning which
controls temperatures
in separate areas of the
house resulting in more
comfort
Saves energy by
heating only the zone
that requires heat
Provides for good
Indoor Air Quality
Alternatives to Hydronic and
Radiant Heating
Heat Pumps:
Geothermal (ground source) Heat Pump

Two-speed system
Use an experienced installer
Issues may arise with drilling through rock
May be cost prohibitive
Air-to-Air Heat Pump

Select a high SEER (18 or above)
Install a ducted supply and return in every room
Air Conditioners

Air conditioners’ coils and condensate trays are
gathering places for dust and moisture.
Fiberglass lining can be moistened by:
Moisture drips and splashes from coil
A leaking condensate tray
An improperly installed drain line from the
tray
Any fiberglass lining which has been wet must
be replaced
FORCED AIR SYSTEMS.….

HAVE FIBERGLASS INSULATION LINING
IN THE METAL AIR HANDLER CABINET
EXPOSED TO THE AIR STREAM

CAN RELEASE MOLD SPORES INTO AIR
ELECTRIC FURNACES OR HEAT PUMPS
CAN PUT “FRIED DUST INTO THE AIR
GAS FURNACES CAN HAVE
BACKDRAFTING OR SPILLAGE PROBLEMS
DOES GAS PASS?
Only if it’s a sealed furnace room with
direct vent or sealed combustion
If your client insists on keeping their
old gas furnace, check its age and
condition, and give them WRITTEN
WARNING if it is not direct vent or
sealed combustion.

Don’t be a SEERsucker!

The efficiency of a heat pump or air
conditioner – the SEER – is based on
matching the outdoor unit with a
new, high efficiency indoor coil or air
handler.
A
new outdoor unit with an old indoor
coil is a mismatch and you won’t be
getting the SEER you think you’re
getting!
Other Gas Appliances

Gas ovens and stoves

Burn less efficiently and release more
hazardous combustion gases as they age.
Gas fireplaces
Should be sealed units with outdoor air supply
Are romantic, but inefficient heat source.

Filters

Forced Air Systems
Three levels of filters:
Standard
Fiberglass
Pleated
Electrostatic
Electronic HEPA
HEPA Filters

High Efficiency Particulate
Air (HEPA): helps make
living space healthier by
removing microparticulates,
identified by the EPA as
leading cause of respiratory
discomfort
Ratings of MERV 16 to
MERV 20 correspond to
HEPA and ULPA filters.
Rating Filters

M.E.R.V. = Minimum Efficiency Reporting
Value

MERV values of 8 and higher correspond to dustspot efficiencies of more than 30 percent
MERV values of 13 and higher correspond to
dust-spot efficiencies more than 80 percent
MERV values of 15 and higher correspond to
dust-spot efficiencies more than 95 percent
Ben, You Were Ahead of Your
Time!

“I considered fresh air an enemy, and closed
with extreme care every crevice in the room I
inhabited. Experience has convinced me of my
error. I am persuaded that no common air from
without is so unwholesome as the air within a
closed room that has been breathed and not
changed.”
-Benjamin Franklin (18th Century)
Source: Indoor Environmental Engineering, 2000
Air-to-Air Heat Exchanger –
(sometimes called an HRV)

Provides fresh air and
exhausts stale indoor air
at precisely the rate
recommended by code for
maximum health
Heating and cooling
energy are captured from
the exhausted air stream
and transferred to the
incoming air so there is
little energy penalty
Sizing a Heat Recovery
Ventilator (HRV)

10 CFM per person with no interior
pollutants
20 CFM with interior pollutant sources like
animals, cigarette smoke, damp
basements, unvented gas appliances or
space heaters, unusual hobbies
Figure 10 CFM per bedroom plus one
person, so 2 bedrooms = 30 cfm
Costs about 7 cents a day to run 24/7
Ducting IS an IAQ issue!

Do NOT . . .
Use
duct board as plenum
Seal ducts with duct tape
Leave leaky ducts in a garage or vented
crawl spaces or vented attics
Let wall cavities be return air grills
Ducting “Do”s

Add drop-down soffits
Put ducts inside the conditioned space
Seal ducts with mastic, not duct tape
(now the standard in California)
Duct leakage in outside ducts can cause
pressure problems

This pulls in moisture from outside and can
cause mold
Ducting and Insulation Issues

Ductwork running
inside the insulated
roof reduces the
potential of microparticulate
shedding in the air
stream
It also reduces
utility costs
Ducting Design

Correctly designed ducting

Allows for air flow into all rooms
Every room should have both a supply and
return air (Balanced pressure)
HVAC sub to provide a Manual-D (or
alternative) calculation on every house
Ducting Installation

Think about what you see when ducting is
installed and get it corrected

Flexduct with long runs and too few hangers
will not get proper air flow
Think about what you find:

Returns not ducted (only an opening in the
blower cabinet wall) cause pressure
reductions which can create backdrafting
through anything – like fireplaces
Duct Cleaning or Not?

Hire a sub that uses brushes and a HEPA
vacuum
Remove all registers to vacuum ducts
Ducts should be kept under negative
pressure while cleaning
Allergic residents should not be home
Clean the blower and blower cabinet
Do not spray biocides or adhesive sprays into
ducts
About Medical Claims

Never make medical claims
Protect yourself
Health issue discussions will arise with clients

Consider adding a medical waiver clause
to your contract:

5.1 Medical Waiver: X Company makes no
claims regarding the health or well-being,
etc., etc...
Fresh Air

Watch where your fresh air intakes are
in relation to other exhaust ducting
A fresh air intake next to your dryer
vent is trouble!
Clothes Dryers

Never duct a clothes dryer into the
house

The resulting moisture load is awful!
Exhaust
intakes
it outdoors, away from any other air
Humidifiers and Moisture

Humidifiers with standing water sources
can be sources of IAQ contamination
If client requests to have one, use the
steam or trickle type

Caution client to check once a month for
leaking or dripping water
Central Vacuum Systems?

These are being called
the newest
“Prescription
Appliances.” Doctors
are prescribing them to
treat allergies/asthma.
They must be vented
OUTDOORS, not into
a garage, and not to
any area where air may
be taken back into the
house.
Image from:
www.builtinvacuum.com/products.
html
About Using Central Vacs . . .

A medical school study* showed that
patients with dust-associated allergies
had:
47% improvement in nasal symptoms
48% improvement in other symptoms
(headache, fatigue, less productivity)
61% improvement in eye symptoms
44% improvement in sleep symptoms

*UC Davis Med School, Dr. Stanley Naguwa & Dr. Eric Gershwin
YO, LADY,
this is AFFORDABLE housing!!!
HOW MUCH OF THIS CAN I
REALISTICALLY DO?

USING WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED
TODAY, THINK AS YOU ARE DOING THE
HVAC SYSTEMS. ASK QUESTIONS!
Fix moisture sources (more later)
Do ducting correctly
Size Heating and a/c systems correctly
YO, LADY,
this is AFFORDABLE housing!!!
HOW MUCH OF THIS CAN I
REALISTICALLY DO?

Consider an air-to-air heat exchanger to
be VERY IMPORTANT where windows
can’t be opened at will anytime.

LIFEBREATH is the standard to shoot for: a 2speed, that can run on low and be ramped up
to run as exhaust fans on high, costs the
dealers about $580 (a 150RV = 1400 sq. ft.)
Retrospective

A very tight envelope built to control
moisture and prevent mold growth
A highly efficient, safe, comfortable
heating or heating/cooling system
Excellent ventilation; i.e. controlled
mechanical fresh air intake and exhaust
What’s next?
Interior Pollutants –
IAQ in Retrofits

Chemicals already there, or
Chemicals in materials you build in, or
Things brought in later by occupants
Gasp, Wheeze, Whew!

Over 30% of
buildings have poor
indoor air quality
Often the air inside
the average home is
10 times worse that
the outside air on the
smoggiest of days
We spend 90% of our
time indoors
Impacts of IAQ

15% of homeowners may be allergic to
their own homes
40% of children born today will develop
some form of respiratory disease
Increased links to ADD and asthma in
children
Of all the chemicals that the EPA monitors,
only 2 are more prevalent outdoors than
indoors
Introduction to Chemicals

Formaldehyde: contained in many
wood products, including: MDF, particle
board, oriented strand board, glues,
carpet, insulation, etc:
Flooring, underlayment and glues
Cabinets
Vinyl flooring and glues
Wall fabric coverings and glues
Fiberglass insulation

Formaldehyde

It’s a Volatile Organic Compound (VOC)

Evaporates at room temperature
Two main types of formaldehyde:
Urea formaldehyde
Phenyl formaldehyde

Urea formaldehyde is a cheap, abundant chemical
used for its bonding strength (glues) and
springiness qualities (insulation)
Formaldehyde is a potent mucous
membrane irritant, often causing serious
headaches in sensitive individuals.
Insulation IAQ issues

Typical fiberglass insulation uses
FORMALDEHYDE to make the batt expand
into wall cavities and contains tiny respirable
glass particles
Cellulose can contain newsprint and other
harmful chemicals in the mix
Some insulation products seal and insulate
Some have mold-mildew retarders in them
Formaldehyde-free Fiberglass

Several major
manufacturers, (Johns
Manville, Owens
Corning, and
Certainteed) now
manufacturer at least
one fiberglass insulation
product without
chemicals or inert
binders
Cellulose Issues

The most prominent cellulose
manufacturer, Greenstone, maker of
Cocoon brand, uses borates and boric
acid (not more than 10% of each bag);
but they also use
Ammonium sulfate >9%
Zinc Sulfate >2%
Mineral Oil >1%
ASK FOR THE BORATE PRODUCT WHEN YOU
ORDER COCOON CELLULOSE!

Other Safe Insulation for IAQ

Ultra-Touch batt
insulation (made
from recycled
cotton denim)
Icynene
polyurethane foam
spray
Healthyseal:
a New Insulation Choice

Soy-based (polyol)
polyurethane form
Base is produced by the
South Dakota Soybean
Producers Cooperative
and is not a
petrochemical
About 30% cheaper than
icynene
100% water based; no
VOCs, HCFCs or CFCs.
Other “Not To Be Missed”
Insulation Issues

Replace old attic insulation if it smells
Look for (forget using your nose!):
Mouse feces and dead rodents
Bat and raccoon (and other animal) guano

Look for exterior openings critters can
enter and seal them
Remove fiberglass batts with moisture
barrier facing upward (they will be wet)
Caulks and Sealants

Be aware that caulks and
sealants can contain
hazardous solvents such
as acetone, methyl ethyl
acetone, toluene and
xylene
100% Silicone usually
good, but not for tubs

“tub & tile” caulk molds
less often
BREAK TIME WHEW!
One big rotted, moldy,
buggy house:

What you might encounter if you
discover mold in a client’s house
What to do about what you find
What to do in ALL your construction
practices so you don’t CREATE
another big rotted, moldy, buggy
house
But First – More about Molds

Molds are nature’s recyclers
They survive by saprotropism – digesting
plant material
They live on cellulose based materials
(forming mycelium – long filamentous
chains of cells – inside the material)
“Fruiting bodies” are what we see; their
spores are the problem
Health and Molds

Health effects:
z Immunologic Effects
z Toxic Effects
z Infectious Diseases
Common Symptoms:
Runny nose, coughing, eye irritation,
dermatitis, fatigue, nausea, headache
Why is there SO much concern
about Molds now?

The Business Council on Indoor Air, in a
10-year, 700-building survey, found
microbial growth to be the number one
IAQ problem in the nation
The American Hotel and Motel
Association estimates that mold and
mildew causes several hundred-million
dollars in repair costs annually
Environmental Building News, June, 2001
Why is there SO much concern
about Molds now?

Zaring Homes, Cincinnati homebuilder,
was driven into insolvency as over 100
homes required tens of thousands of
dollars in mold remediation and renovation
In Foresthill, CA, a couple had to burn
their home because it would be cheaper
than remediating the mold

“Mold is the asbestos of this decade,” a
lawyer said at a national mold meeting.
WHAT, THEN, SHOULD YOU DO
TO SAVE YOURSELF FROM
MOLD PROBLEMS?
st
1 :

Understand Moisture
MOISTURE LAWS:*
Buildings wet from the top down (water
doesn’t run uphill)
Moisture moves from more to less, and
from hot to cold
Holes are bad for buildings
Things get wet - they have to be able to
dry out

E. David Pennebaker, EEBA Excellence Winter 1998
Moisture Failures:
the Sources

External sources – rain and snow
z

Hint: This is why holes in houses are bad
Internal sources – plumbing, tub sink or
shower leaks
Vapor condensation – humidity from
cooking, showers, baths
z
Condenses on single pane windows and other
cooler surfaces.
E. David Pennebaker, EEBA Excellence Winter 1998
2nd: Understand Proper
Construction Practices

Insulate, caulk and seal well.
Properly size HVAC system; use 2 speed
compressor when possible
z

Supply and return in every room
Use Heat Recovery Ventilation (Air-to-air
Heat Exchanger) with dehumidification if
necessary
The Basics

Make sure you have a drainage plane
underneath the siding
z

Seal drainage plane OVER the flashing
Don’t use impermeable vinyl wall
coverings, especially on outside walls
Talk to your customer about keeping
indoor air humidity at <53%
One Big Rotted, Moldy, Buggy
House

Crawl space with soup bowl depression
First floor ducts in crawl space
Crimped, broken ducts in crawl space
sucked in moisture from the crawl space
water-filled depression
Crawl space duct insulation wet and fallen
away
Several kinds of mold lived on the
crawl space side of the kitchen floor

Bathtub
overflowed 10
years ago and
left a trail of
stachy botras
attra, well and
continually
supported by a
gas water
heater leak
Multiple roof leaks left mold spots
One of many ceiling mold stains

Penicillium,
aspergillus, &
cladosporium in
many walls
Attic HVAC system problems:

All attic ducts leaked badly and insulation
had fallen away
Leaky ducts in the attic space
depressurized house every time furnace or
a/c was on
Oversized a/c system didn’t run long
enough to remove moisture from indoor
air
All HVAC supply boots were
surrounded by and filled with mold
A sprinkler head
outside this wall
was turned
backward. It
sprinkled the wall
along with the
grass all summer,
feeding, through
the brick weep
holes, the stachy
botras on the
sheetrock.
Condensation from a curved row of single
pane aluminum windows rotted the sill,
and mice moved in
No baseboard in the house escaped mold
infestation
Giant single
sheets of
glass framed
the entire
living room.
This was the
mold and
moisture
damage that
rotted the
sills
underneath.
Condensation
had formed from
moisture inside
the house and
dripped down
into many
window sills,
rotting them. In
one area,
termites had
moved in.
What CAUSED this?

Too little thought to the overall design of
all the systems in the house when it was
built
2 x 4 walls with fiberglass batts
R11 ceiling insulation, unevenly spread
No moisture barrier separating the crawl
space from the wet ground on a severely
sloping site

What CAUSED this?

Poorly designed HVAC system
Oversized a/c couldn’t stay on long enough
to remove moisture from the air
First floor duct in wet crawl space

Crimps and breaks should have been obvious to
any plumber!
Leaky second floor ducts in attic
No elbow protection at boots

What CAUSED this?

Too little maintenance of problems that
occurred
Plumbing leaks were left too long
Nobody checked sprinkler heads

Shortage of common sense
Black spots on your ceiling MEAN
something! (Duh!)
Rotting windowsills are not a decoration

What To Do When You Find
Something Like This?
RUN!
(Well, maybe not, but it looks
initially like a pretty good response, eh?)

Educate your staff on the proper
procedures to follow when encountering
mold
What To Do When You Find
Something Like This?

Tell the client to notify their
homeowners’ insurance company
One of two things will happen:
Insurance company will refuse claim
Insurance company will send someone to
estimate the work

About Insurance Companies

Don’t do anything in the house until the
insurance company has completed testing
and signed off in writing that they are
finished!
The insurance company may send out
someone who will compete with you for the
work. There is nothing you can do about it.
Be sure to include demolition in your estimate,
and tell the homeowner that there is no way
you can be completely accurate about that
cost regardless of what the insurance
company says.
How to Get Rid of Mold

A biocide – chlorine bleach
Wear a respirator safety mask, gloves and a
painter’s suit when you use bleaches
REMOVE all wet sheetrock
Paint all other visible mold twice with full
strength bleach with a brush, letting it dry
between applications
Thoroughly dry or remove any wet wood

To ensure mold is
gone, spray KILZ
into areas where
it was difficult to
brush with
chlorine bleaches.
(This stairwell was
just below and
beside a long-time
bathtub plumbing
leak.)
The back
hallway
with
sprinkler
head water
damage
and mold
on the
wall.

The nasty
window sills
under the 9
foot single
panes of
living room
glass.
The Great Fix (of that rotted,
moldy, buggy house):

Removed all old ducts and trash from
crawl space
Painted underside of first floor with
chlorine bleach twice to kill mold
Sprayed 4” of icynene under floor to seal
it
Removed all sheetrock and painted all
affected wood with chlorine bleach
The Great Fix (of that rotted,
moldy, buggy house):

Ripped out entire HVAC system,
including ducts
Built soffits indoors and put all 1st floor
HVAC equipment inside conditioned space
Masticked and insulated all ducts for the
second story in the attic space
Downsized a/c tonnage using Manual J
(ACCA)

based on new envelope specifications
And Yet More Repairs . . . .

Removed indoor gas water heaters
Replaced with Seisco Tankless units and a
solar water heating system
Replaced all the leaky old roofing
Added an air-to-air heat exchanger to
provide exactly 0.3 air changes per hour
Lessons Learned:

When you insulate and seal a house
tightly, it is very energy efficient and
keeps moisture out
When you add properly sized HVAC and
mechanical ventilation and properly size
and seal ducts, you get healthy indoor air
without moisture problems
A crawl space must have a moisture
barrier on the ground
Convert sub-structure crawl space to nonvented space
After Molds –
Other Indoor Air Quality
Issues
Attached Garage Issues

Walls and any openings between a house and
an attached garage MUST BE SEALED
because garages typically contain:

Benzene – cars, lawn mowers, power tools
Dichlorvos (DDVP), chlorpyrifos, pyrethroids & PBO,
2,3-D– pesticides
Hydroxides- cleaners
Trichloroethylene– cleaners, polishes, waxes
Methylene chloride,alkyds- paints and paint strippers
Formaldehyde – workshop wood and chemicals
How to Seal an Attached Garage

A SPRAY-ON FOAM such as Healthyseal or
Icynene covering the entire wall and any
penetrations

Recommend that building owners allow this
retrofit, even though it can be costly
Carefully weatherstrip all doors
Use a sealed threshold
Pesticide Facts

Pesticide Residues have been linked to breast
cancer (Journal of National Cancer Institute, Drs. Hunter & Kelsey)
The likelihood of a child getting leukemia is 6x
greater when herbicides are used on lawn
More children with cancers (especially brain
tumors) had exposure to pesticides than children
without cancer (“Drug Free Lawns” – American Cancer Society)
Pesticide links exist to infertility, birth defects,
learning and neurological disorders, allergies, &
MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivities)
Finishes and Indoor Air Quality

Some IAQ Culprits are:
Formaldehyde
Polyvinyl Chloride
Volatile Organic Compounds
Styrene Butadiene Latex
And
approximately 100 other toxic
chemicals found in carpeting
Product Considerations for IAQ

Flooring and wood floor finishes
Carpeting
Vinyl floorings alternatives
Ceramic Tiles
Cabinets and other wood issues
Countertops
Paints
Salvaged Unfinished Wood

Advantage:

Reuse of building
materials
Keeps materials out of
landfill
Wood product superior
to virgin products
Problems:

Dust, (even if you use
a DCS unit with your
sander)
Finishes are not
always as benign as
they are reported to
be
Community Woodworks, Oakland, CA
Pre-Finished Wood Floors

Low toxic, waterbased floor finish
used
Reduces off gassing
into the home,
improving indoor air
quality and reduces
the formation of urban
smog
Non-Toxic Wood Finishes

Danish Oil (Polymerized linseed oil)*
Varnish Oil (Polymerized linseed oil and
natural resin varnish)*
Original Wood Finish (Polymerized linseed
oil and pure beeswax)*
Olive Oil (apply to lightly dampened wood)
AFM Naturals, organic, plant-based oils
*Source: Earth Source Forest Products, 1020 Heinz, Berkeley, 5499663
CERAMIC TILE

Ceramic Tile is inert, easy to clean and

attractive
Buy glazed to eliminate offensive sealers.

Underlayment:
Best: clean slab or gypcrete
Demroc, Durock, Hardibacker Board, or
Permabase
All highly water-resistant cementitious
board

CERAMIC TILE

Adhesive: old-fashioned Thick-set

Commercially made grouts – damp curing

Second best: Thinset mortar, 1/8” to 3/8”
Fewer chemicals that outgas.
To make non-toxic grout: Mix cement,
sand and water, or cement and water only
Next Best Flooring Choices

Natural Linoleum is made
from linseed oil, pine
resins, wood powder and
jute

Cork Tile is another natural
choice

Free of synthetic chemicals
Does have noticeable odor at
installation which some
people cannot tolerate
Also has a smell when
installed
Both should be sealed with
factory applied acrylics
Image source:
www.naturalcork..com/gallery/photo_gallery.
Stained Concrete

Patterned, stained
concrete floors
Variety of patterns
and color
combinations to
mimic natural
materials like granite
and limestone
Completely inert
when dry
Wear and clean well
Advanced Surfacing Industries
Vinyl Flooring, Or?

Vinyl flooring is not a good choice for
healthy IAQ
Vinyl chloride fumes emitted from vinyl
flooring are a known carcinogen
Vinyl flooring can trap moisture

Promotes de-lamination and mold growth
Carpeting

Carpet is anathema to good air
quality:
Dust magnets
Old dust molds
Dust mites love it
(if humidity is ever over 53%)
Bacteria hides here.
Everything (lead in soil, pesticides,
fungicides, anything you accidentally
stepped in) that comes in from outside.

Carpeting Contains:

120 toxic chemicals in the fiber bonding
material, dyes, backing glues, fire
retardants, latex binders, fungicides and
antistatic and stain-resistant treatments

These chemicals persist for at least 3
years

Many are Neurotoxins. Ask about the mice.
After which time they are replaced by moldy
dust and dustmites.
It is neither renewable nor bio-degradable
Source: U.S Environmental Protection Agency
If They Must Have Carpet

Untreated natural fiber
carpets:
Wool, or Sisal
Make sure wool is
NOT treated with
toxic moth-proofing
chemicals
Install with low-or nontoxic backing
Tack-down using nontoxic glues to hold down
tack strip
Image from: www.sisalrugs.com/
The best of:
Synthetic Carpets

100% nylon is considered the safest
Source: Prescriptions for a Healthy House

“Recycled PET fiber carpets are very safe
and have been used successfully by me
with low-income allergic clients.”
Source: Barbara Harwood, The Healing House
Avoid Carpeting With:

Antimicrobial agents such as fungicides
and mildewcides
Permanent stain resistance treatment
Styrene-Butadiene rubber backing (get
woven, fibrous backing)
Use only Water-based glues
Ask me about carpet glues so strong
they set off chemical alarms in a
hospital!
Composite Woods

MDF: formaldehydefree products
available locally
Particleboard: look for
formaldehyde-free
products
Plywood: interior vs.
exterior grade
ALL CONTAIN UREA
FORMALDEHYDE
GLUES
Composite Woods

OSB – Oriented Strand Board – now made
without any formaldehyde by LP
Plywood – “Construction grade” has least
chemicals.
SEAL BOTH, if used with MCS or allergic
client, by spraying with Crystal Aire I by
Pace-Chem Industries, Inc.
Particleboard

If possible, Eliminate
all particleboard inside
envelope of house.
Reduces formaldehyde
exposure to residents,
particularly children,
who are most
susceptible.
If any material is
suspect, seal with
Crystal Aire I.
Medium Density Fiberboard
(MDF)

Use only formaldehyde
free MDF
Eliminate all MDF
made with ureaformaldehyde used
inside envelope of
house.
Cabinets

Another big
formaldehyde offender
because everything
but the doors is
usually made of
particle board.
Use recycled 5-10
year-old cabinets or
metal as an affordable
replacement.
Cabinet Options

Depending on the
market, custom,
solid-wood cabinets
can be quite
competitive in price
with middle-priced
commercially
available cabinets and
customers prefer
them
Neil Kelly Cabinets
If You Must Use Less
Expensive Cabinets...
All particleboard must be sealed with:
2 coats of low
or no-VOC,
latex paint and an
acrylic sealer, or
A spray-on sealer,
such as Crystal Aire I
What to Use for Countertops

Stainless Steel
Butcher Block
Silestone, or Corian
Slab marble or recycled
glass in cement

Inert, hardy
Be careful of glues
used to set any slab
May be too costly
Concrete
Natural Linoleum
Counterproduction Countertops,
Berkeley, CA
IAQ Problems With
Countertops

Ceramic Tiles
Grout

may grow molds and bacteria
Granite Tiles or Slab Granite
May
require epoxy glues to set
Tiles may require underlayment
IAQ Problems With
Countertops

Laminates: Formica or WilsonArt

Corian, Avonite, Swanstone, Silestone

Toxic glues – particleboard backing
Some require substrate of particleboard
Stainless Steel
Conducts electricity
Ground fault interruptors required

SIMPLE OLD DRYWALL?

No problems there, right? Sadly, not right!
Drywall paper has inks and chemicals from
recycling of old newsprint.
Commercial drywall joint compounds
contain antifreeze, adhesive, fungicides

Non-toxic alternative: Murco Wall Products,
Inc. – M-100 Hipo Compound, comes in
powder, mix with water. (John Bower, The Healthy House)
Paints
California requires
Low-VOC paints

Similar durability and
spreadability to paints
with VOCs
(Myths still out there!)
Solvent-based (VOC)
finishes out-gas for
months, and are harmful
to people, especially
children
But first . . . OLD paint!

Before you sand old paint, test it for lead
content
If it has lead, get it professionally
removed
After old lead paint is sanded off, check
return air ducts for piles of paint dust and
clean them thoroughly.
Paints - Latex

AMERICAN PRIDE – replaced petroleum
solvents with castor oil monomer from crops
grown in Mississippi - $20/gal.
VOCs down from 200-400 gpl to 3 gpl.
Compares well in all areas to other latexs.

LIFEMASTER by Glidden IPF - $20/gal.
AURO Natural (really made from plants) Paints
and Finishes – Germany - $60/gal.
Crystal Shield – Pace-Chem Industries, in LA
Paints – Semi-Gloss

There are NO Semi-Gloss No-VOC paints.
American Pride is coming out with one in
December that contains tiny ceramic
microspheres.

Inventor says it will have good hardness and
anti-microbial properties.
BEST ALTERNATIVE: Use two coats of
latex (to avoid chemical reaction between
primer and paint) and top with McCloskey
Clear Coat Gloss, Latex Protective Finish.
Construction IAQ Strategies
Constantly think about:
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR CLIENT’S AIR

Hang a plastic barrier with zipper between
doorways of rooms you are working in and
the rest of the living space, and put plastic
(taped with blue masking tape for easy
removal) over HVAC inlets and outlets

If possible, positively pressurize the rest of
the house compared to the (negatively
pressurized) work areas
Use temporary filtration media on all furnace
intakes. (For computer rooms or rooms of
allergic persons, use MERV 17 filters)
Be careful of outside activities (sanding)
blowing into occupied space open windows

Store HVAC equipment you have removed,
or new parts you will install, in a clean,
dry place and cover them with plastic
Seal HVAC components during
construction – after you have put in part
of the ducting, seal the end, then reopen
to complete installation
Protect against moisture exposure:
Keep building materials dry – especially
important with absorbing materials like wood,
drywall, and insulation
Don’t use moisture-damaged material
Ensure that construction detailing will not
introduce moisture
Watch for leaks that let water in
Think about foundation water capillary entry

Allow high-VOC materials to offgas prior to
installation
Keep exhaust from construction
equipment and trucks AWAY from the
building
Don’t let workers track contaminants into
the building. Provide a mat for wiping
feet, and route dirty materials directly into
work space

Clean up your mess every day, using
HEPA vacuums and wet rags not just a
light sweep!
Clean up spills immediately!
Keep the work area dry!
Seal containers of volatile liquids, like
paint cans, fuel, and finishes

Install porous materials after you’re closed in
Allow wet-spray cellulose to dry thoroughly
Install carpeting and furnishings only after
interior finishes have cured
Provide good ventilation during cure period
Provide a flush-out time before occupancy
Test for contaminants
Questions?