You work hard to stay healthy, eating the right foods and getting lots of exercise. The air you breathe also affects your health but it’s harder to make sure it’s clean because you can’t see it or feel it. And you don’t want to wait until you get sick or one of your children is … Read More
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Getting More Focus
My first exposure to indoor air quality (IAQ) came when we were looking at houses in Danbury, CT, and our realtor recommended getting a radon test. Fortunately our house didn’t have a problem but over the years, and a son with a mild case of asthma, I learned that indoor air quality isn’t something we can take … Read More
Indoor Air Quality Tips for a Healthier Home
Spring is the notorious time of year for air quality problems, but allergy sufferers know that winter can be just as bad. In spring, pollen is a major culprit. But in winter, when your home is sealed up tightly, air circulates less, humidity can build up, and so can allergens. (Read: What is Healthy Air?) … Read More
HVAC Systems: Is it Time for a Heating Checkup?
Heating might be the furthest thing from your mind right now, but all HVAC systems need a seasonal checkup at least once a year. Calling in a tech keeps all of the system’s components working like they should. It also helps identify potential problems before they have a chance to take hold and cause real damage. Here … Read More
Green Home Features & Proving Their Value
Green home features are being discussed in lots of forums online and offline. One of the hottest topics is the lack of recognition of green home features in appraisals, which is a huge issue for homeowners and builders looking for construction financing. There are lots of players involved with different goals. Government agencies like the … Read More
Green Building & LEED Certification
Green building means different things to different people. That’s true unless you are familiar with the LEED certification program launched by the US Green Building Council in February 2008. Most homeowners have read about green homes, green building or similar green concepts related to their homes. As we’ve become inundated with everything green, people have … Read More
Eco Homes: Energy, Water & Air Quality
Eco homes focus on saving energy, reducing water usage, increasing indoor air quality and making sustainable choices in the products and materials we use. In reality, each of us picks the green home features which support our lifestyle, home location and attitude about the environment – like stick built homes, our eco homes are unique. That’s … Read More
Is There Pollution Inside Your Home?
We assume the air in our homes is clean because we can’t see any pollution. Sadly our indoor air quality is declining as we make our homes more airtight and soon we’ll need to install mechanical ventilation systems (fans) to insure a certain number of air exchanges happen every hour. You already have mechanical ventilation … Read More
School & Learning to Buy Home Products
Families get excited as summer winds down and the kids head back to school. Children learn lots of information and develop many skills in school, on their way to becoming independent adults. The most important skill of all is learning to be a lifelong student. Maybe it’s time to dust off your learning skills and learn … Read More
What is Healthy Air?
We take our indoor air quality for granted. We don’t really see indoor air the way we see smog outdoors, so we simply assume the air inside our homes is clean. The reality is the air inside our homes is seldom as clean than the air right outside our front door. As building codes change … Read More