14 | FEATURE— May 2018
Is an airtight house a health hazard? Some will say yes.
The EPA cites indoor air sometimes contains 2 to 5 times
the pollutants compared to the outdoors, due to issues that
range from moisture and mold to carbon monoxide poison-
ing and asthma. The source of these issues, include poor
filtration, bad ventilation, homeowner behavior, and off-gas-
sing from household products and finishes.
While the above may be true, there is a recent push
by homebuilders to make indoor air quality (IAQ) healthier
than outdoor air — even in cities with the highest levels of
air pollution.
There is a growing trend toward homes becoming clean-
air sanctuaries, and safe zones from high levels of out-
door air pollution; made possible with the help of improved
building codes, increased awareness, designing for health,
product innovations, and transparency.
The bare minimum: building codes
Building codes require minimum ventilation. Gary Church-
Smith, IAQ Specialist from Panasonic Eco Solutions, says,
"Codes are moving the baseline of minimum indoor air qual-
ity higher. ASHRAE 62.2 intends to help reduce or eliminate
moisture, and improve IAQ through adequate fresh air."
Max Sherman, senior scientist at the Lawrence Berke-
ley National Laboratory and ASHRAE board member says,
"Tight construction is one of the most important corner-
stones of high-performance homes, but is only possible with
ensured dilution of indoor contaminants. And this ensured
dilution is dependent on an effective base standard for
whole-house and spot ventilation. This is why the ASHRAE
62.2 residential ventilation standard is critical to transform-
Is a Tight Home a Sick Home?
By Phillip Beere
"Homeowners have the right to know
what's in the air they are breathing."