Healthy Indoors Magazine
Issue link: https://hi.healthyindoors.com/i/983045
Healthy Indoors | 15 ing the residential sector to high-performance homes." Moisture danger Frank Najafi, principal of PropertyHealth, says moisture and mold become a problem when construction is too tight and ventilation is inadequate. Najafi's firm specializes in IAQ as- sessment for commercial buildings, public offices, and uni- versities. He says the main issue he sees in residential proj- ects include mold and bacteria due to water leaks, trapped moisture, lack of ventilation and filtration, and occupants sealing up windows in an effort to save energy. For new home construction, he emphasizes the impor- tance of installing a weep screed, a type of building material used along the base of an exterior stucco wall. The screed serves as a vent so that the moisture can escape the stucco wall finish just above the foundation. Off-gassing: For new homes, Najafi says formalde- hyde is the number one risk to IAQ, including the off-gas- sing of cabinets, wood furniture, paints, and hardwood flooring and finish. "Even with a properly designed me- chanical and ventilation system, the off-gassing from these items will still circulate." Testing IAQ: In order to assess air quality and potential issues, Najafi implements SUMMA canister testing and TO- 15 analysis. The advances in sampling for volatile organic compounds have made it simple and more effective than in the past. No longer is the investigator worried about cali- brating their pumps and finding a power source. Beware of toxic materials Bob Krell, publisher of Healthy Indoors, says, "You can do everything right; seal the home, install perfectly designed ventilation and filtration systems, but still have toxic indoor air if the wrong materials are used." Krell says homebuyers now rank health as more im- portant than energy efficiency, but most builders have yet to catch up to this trend. Homeowner interest in healthy indoor air is reflected in an increase in Healthy Home "You can do everything right; seal the home, install perfectly designed ventilation and filtration systems, but still have toxic indoor air if the wrong materials are used."