Fire Proof Building For the past few summers I’ve been somewhat caught off guard by how vulnerable I have felt when dry winds are blowing and smoke fills the sky. I remember very clearly being on the roof, with a mask on, cleaning out the gutters and small piles of leaves. As an industrial hygienist

Dust Settling on Outside Patio or Furniture? I was sitting on my porch in San Francisco watching kids play on the wooden deck and started to wonder, “is the dust on my porch contaminated with lead dust? If so, how best to clean it up?” So I did a little experiment and tested for lead

Is Clean Crawlspace Really That Important? Crawlspaces are generally not what anyone would consider “clean.” When was the last time you went into a crawlspace? It’s typically a dark, dank environment where critters and odors run scare away even the most brave DIY building owners! Often old construction materials and cardboard boxes are crammed down

Air Quality Index (AQI) and You During the 2018 Paradise Fire smoke wave, many in the Bay Area obsessively checked online for air quality information and updates. Here is an overview of a handful of real-time air quality websites I found helpful and how they compare. Keep in mind that climate change plus newer and cheaper