DIY Network

Web Extra: Health and Safety From "Best Built Home" episode DBBH-105F

Quality You Can't See -- Indoor Air

You can't take good air quality for granted these days whether you're indoors or out, in the city or suburbs. The car, lawnmower and some household cleaning agents are just some of the every day objects that send toxins into the air. It's a risky situation if those toxins find their way into your home where they can linger and cause discomfort and health problems for the occupants. A home that's built without attention to indoor air quality can be a real headache -- quite literally!

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While you can't eliminate air pollution, you can take steps during construction to get toxins out of your house and keep them out. In particular, an attached garage is an important area to seal against the intrusion of air pollutants into the home. It's generally a source for many toxins, namely car exhaust, which contains harmful chemicals such as the lethal carbon monoxide. And people tend to use the garage to store paint, gasoline and other toxic materials. Fumes from the garage are especially harmful to elderly persons and young children, and can be deadly in large quantities, but a home can be designed to protect its occupants from these dangers.

During construction it's extremely important for your builder to ensure that air from the garage cannot enter the home. Check for two critical steps in the garage

1. A continuous barrier. For this first step, your construction team should air-seal pathways where harmful exhaust and fumes could enter your house in a manner that creates a complete and continuous air barrier between the house and attached garages.

2. Isolation from the space-conditioning equipment. For the second step, talk with your contractor to make sure all space-conditioning equipment and ductwork is completely separate from the garage. In some homes, where the space-conditioning equipment resides in a mechanical closet adjacent to the garage, the mechanical closet needs to be well sealed, insulated and have an airtight access door. A supply diffuser in the mechanical closet will help to condition the space, allowing the equipment to run efficiently, as well as to slightly pressurize the closet to prevent the infiltration of car exhaust fumes.

These practices in garage combustion safety will improve the indoor air quality and safety of your home.

Now that the garage is safely isolated, you can look into keeping fresh air moving through your home. All new homes should have a mechanical ventilation system that provides adequate fresh air to occupants, for which standards exist, published by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). In addition to bringing fresh air into your home, your builder should have a plan to direct unpleasant odors out. Exhaust ventilation should be provided in the bathroom, kitchen, and laundry to get rid of cooking odors, moisture from steamy showers and the lingering effects of Aunt Barb's bean dip. You can't see indoor air quality, but you'll likely notice when it's lacking.

Remember that indoor air pollution can be just as harmful as outdoor pollution to a person's health. If you're building a home, talk with your contractor about methods to ensure ventilation to keep good air moving through the home and strategic air sealing to protect against harmful fumes.

For more information:

American Lung Association
Website: Air Quality Information

Indoor Air Quality Association
Website: www.iaqa.org

The Inside Story to Indoor Air Quality
Website: Consumer Product Safety Commission and EPA Information

Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Website: Air Quality Information

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Website: Lead Hazard Control Information

U.S. Department of Energy Building America Program
Website: Indoor Air Quality Research and Development Information

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Website: Indoor Air Quality Information

RESOURCES :

Oakwood Homes
Phone: 303-486-8500
Website: www.MoreHouseLessMoney.com

D.R. Horton
Home Builder
Phone: 916-965-2200
Website: www.drhorton.com
Sacramento Website: www.sacramento.drhorton.com

McStain Neighborhoods
Website: www.mcstain.com

American Lung Association
Websites: www.healthhouse.org and www.lungusa.org

Building America
Website: www.buildingamerica.com

GUESTS :

Paul Kreischer
Energy Efficiency and Comfort Consultant
Lightly Treading
Phone: 303-733-3078
Website: www.lightlytreading.com

Michael Dickens
CEO, BuildIQ
Website: www.buildiq.com

Kori Titus
Director
American Lung Association (Sacramento)
Website: www.healthhouse.com