How effective is your Bathroom Exhaust Fan? For obvious reasons, bathrooms can be major sources of moisture in homes. And where there is moisture, there is the possibility of growing mold in the bathroom. A bathroom exhaust fan can be essential in removing excess moisture and keeping bathrooms ventilated, but how do we know if our

Natural Ventilation of Buildings and Spaces Many times when clients desire a “green” space or building that connects its occupants to the outdoors, they envision incorporating lots of daylighting and natural ventilation in the architectural design. Certainly, there can be many benefits to be had including lower energy bills, a connection to the outdoors, improved

Understanding LEED IAQ Testing Requirements LEED 2009 and LEEDv4 both have credits that require building flush-outs or building air quality testing prior to occupancy. The credit requires that after construction ends, the GC must install new filtration media and flush-out the building by supplying a total air volume of 14,000 cubic feet of outdoor air per square

HVAC and Filtration Best Practices for Healthy Home This blog expands on an earlier post about the 25 Principles of Building Biology and the Healthy Home Standard Checklist. Here we’ll dive deeper into the Indoor Air Quality Checklist, and focus on best practices for Heating, Cooling and Ventilating a healthy building. “HVAC and Filtration Best Practices for Healthy

Carbon Monoxide Facts Are you concerned about possible Carbon Monoxide being present in your home or environment? Below is a list that will help you stay safe. Too often we get calls and hear misinderstandings about carbon monoxide (CO). Here are some carbon monoxide facts and common myths broken down. Carbon Monoxide Myth I can

Air quality and duct cleaning are big concerns for some… and big business for others. It seems like every cheap mailer we receive has a scary picture of a rat infested attic and they’re selling duct cleaning services as a way to improve indoor air quality. Is air quality affected by duct cleaning? The simple

Every building inspection should include a minimum scan for these Top-10 common environmental problems. These factors are simple to evaluate, often only involving using your nose and eyes, and can literally save lives. This building inspector environmental checklist is adapted from the Building Biologist’s Healthy Home Standard. There is no reason every home inspector cannot