An excerpt from the September, 2008 EcoHome Magazine confirms that homeowners “…will pay extra with no expectation of a financial return for…products…that positively impact the health of their families, consultant Ellen Tohn told hundreds of public health and housing industry officials Sept. 15, 2008, during the National Healthy Homes Conference. She also stated that “…products that make the home more energy efficient are ones that reduce health problems too.”
Tohn, of Tohn Environmental Strategies, said the main reasons houses make the occupants sick are mold, mildew, chemicals, malfunctioning combustion equipment, lack of or poor ventilation, peeling lead-based paint in older homes, and radon. Proper ventilation begins in basements where "bad" air tends to accumulate. Installing a system that can expel the air, gases, and other toxins from the lowest point in the house while at the same time exchanging the air drawn down from the upper floors creates a healthier environment in the home. Many homes today are built so tight that they actually trap air inside the home and require mechanical means to circulate air within the home. Proper ventilation is achieved with an air exchanger as well as having a system in the lower level of the home to vent the stale air to the outside.
Untreated damp conditions in a home can lead to a buildup of mold which has been scientifically linked to asthma conditions with some people with the chronic disorder as well as coughing, wheezing, and upper respiratory tract symptoms in otherwise healthy people. Providing proper circulation of the air will help reduce the potential of mold buildup but in many homes these conditions typically exist in basements and/or crawl spaces where ventilation is limited. Installing a ventilation unit that pulls the stale, damp air from the lowest level will help reduce and in most cases, eliminate the potential of mold buildup in the home.
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