Healthy Houses = Healthy Happier Families

Healthy Houses = Healthy Happier Families

Information here to help you develop, maintain and sustain a healthy indoor environment in your home once your construction endeavors are complete.

For a comprehensive look at the health of the whole house visit the Healthy Building Network . The Healthy Building Network (HBN) is a national network of green building professionals, environmental and health activists, socially responsible investment advocates and others who are interested in promoting healthier building materials as a means of improving public health and preserving the global environment.

For information on the current quality of the outdoor air in Puget Sound contact Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (206)343-8800, (800) 552-3565 Information and answers to questions under the topic headings: Indoor fires cause health problems, Winter weather inversions = unhealthy air, Burn bans protect public health. There is a wealth of valuable information at this website.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

Washington State Office of Environmental Health & Safety
Office of Environmental Health and Safety Washington State Department of Health PO Box 47825 7171 Cleanwater Lane Olympia, WA 98504-7825 Phone: (360) 236-3385 Toll Free: 1-888-586-9427 Staff provides consultation, technical assistance, and training to local health jurisdictions, school districts, and the public on the health effects of exposure to indoor air contaminants such as mold, asbestos, and formaldehyde.
Washington Toxics Coalition
4516 University Way NE Seattle, WA 98105 (206) 632-1545 Practical information about alternatives to common toxic products used in the home.
American Lung Association Healthy House
Where will you spend most of your time today? If you're like most Americans, you'll spend a big chunk of it indoors. Whether it's at home, school, or work, most of us spend about 90% of our time indoors. Since the 1970s, our keen interest in energy efficiency has led us to better insulate and more tightly seal our homes, making many houses virtually airtight. That's a good idea. But we need to take the same interest in how we ventilate our homes. An inadequate exchange of fresh air - made worse by common allergens and the irritants and toxins found in many building materials, home furnishings, and household products - can result in a breathing environment indoors that is more polluted than outdoors! For a list of indoor air quality testing labs, diagnostic and consulting services, and suppliers of indoor test kits, call the Lung Association at (206) 441-5100 or (800) LUNG USA.
Greenguard Environmental Institute
Provides the worlds only guide to third-party certified low emitting interior products and building materials.
Home Indoor Air Facts, Tips, Solutions
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the air inside a home can be two to five times more polluted than the air outside a home. Is yours? Take a test here to find out. This site is brought to you by Honeywell.
What Causes Indoor Air Problems?
The EPA says indoor pollution sources that release gases or particles into the air are the primary cause of indoor air quality problems in homes. Inadequate ventilation can increase indoor pollutant levels by not bringing in enough outdoor air to dilute emissions from indoor sources and by not carrying indoor air pollutants out of the home.
Should You Have the Air Ducts in Your Home Cleaned?
Read what the EPA says about this topic. Duct cleaning generally refers to the cleaning of various heating and cooling system components of forced air systems, including the supply and return air ducts and registers, grilles and diffusers, heat exchangers heating and cooling coils, condensate drain pans (drip pans), fan motor and fan housing, and the air handling unit housing.
Healthy Building Network
The Healthy Building Network (HBN) is a national network of green building professionals, environmental and health activists, socially responsible investment advocates and others who are interested in promoting healthier building materials as a means of improving public health and preserving the global environment.
Indoor Air Quality Resource Center
Do you frequently feel congested, sneeze a lot, clear your throat often, have watery eyes, get headaches, and feel tired? This web site was created as a free online resource to educate and increase public awareness of poor indoor air quality by outlining significant causes and health effects.
Diagnostic Help In Your Home (not a link)
Hands-on help from volunteers trained to identify indoor air quality problems in your home. (King County only) Contact: Master Home Environmentalist, 2625 Third Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121 (206) 441-5100
Partnership for Clean Indoor Air
The mission of the Partnership for Clean Indoor Air is to improve health, livelihood and quality of life by reducing exposure to air pollution, primarily among women and children, from household energy use.
Home Ventilating Institute
The Home Ventilating Institute (HVI) is the premier nonprofit association of the manufacturers of home ventilating products.

Mold & Mildew (the wet spot no one wants)

Mold Resources from the EPA
The key to mold control is moisture control. It is important to dry water damaged areas and items within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth. If mold is a problem in your home, clean up the mold and get rid of the excess water or moisture.
Washington State Dept. of Health
Got Mold? Frequently asked questions about mold and the answers from the Washington State Department of Health.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Molds are fungi that can be found both indoors and outdoors. No one knows how many species of fungi exist but estimates range from tens of thousands to perhaps three hundred thousand or more. Molds grow best in warm, damp, and humid conditions, and spread and reproduce by making spores.
Tips from the National Association of Homebuilders
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has prepared consumer information to help you understand what mold is, how it can grow in your home, the routine maintenance procedures you can follow to prevent mold problems, and methods of removing mold already in your home.
FreeFromMold.org
The Engineered Wood Association launched the FreeFromMold.org program in August 2004 to provide an annual inspection and moisture prevention regimen for homeowners. FreeFromMold.org gives you the tools you need to determine places around your house in need of inspection for typical moisture intrusion problems and offers simple steps to fix these problems. Routine home maintenance can prevent most of the moisture damage found in houses today.
More mold information than you could possibly grock.
This website is owned and operated by Mold Inspector Laboratory International, Ltd., [Belize]. The Professional Certification Institute [PCI] is the environmental training division of the Mold Inspector Laboratory International, Ltd. [Belize].
Getting Rid of Mold for Good
PATHnet is the central information source for the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH), a program supported by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. PATHnet offers a wealth of tools and information to help you to integrate advanced housing technologies into your project.
Controlling Moisture in Your Home
Puget Sound Energy brochure in .pdf form. 15 pages. If you can control the moisture in your home you will control the mold in your home.

Asbestos

Information & Links from the Natural Handyman
This site says: "Asbestos is inescapable. It is in our homes, our schools, in the water and soil. You breathe it, drink it, and eat it every day. It is feared, and rightly so... it has dangerous properties. But fear must be molded into respect... asbestos is not Armageddon. Knowledge, as always, is your sharpest sword... ignorance, your biggest danger."
Mesothelioma Asbestos Cancer Information for Patients and their Families
The Mesothelioma Asbestos Lung Cancer website provides mesothelioma asbestos lung cancer patients, their families and friends with up-to-date information about asbestos, lung cancer, and mesothelioma cancer. You can reach this organization at 1-800-362-1479
Information and Links from Puget Sound Clean Air Agency
Answers and information addressing: What is asbestos? Why is it a problem? How do I know if it's asbestos? It's asbestos: What do I do now? What help can the Clean Air Agency provide? Demolition Information
U S Environmental Protection Agency
EPA provides various paths for the public to access information about asbestos. On this website, you may access general information about asbestos and its health effects. EPA has also developed a list of commonly used Asbestos acronyms. You may also read about what to do if you suspect asbestos in your home or your school. If you are in the automotive repair industry, you may want to read EPA's questions and answers about asbestos in brakes. If you wish to obtain more information on asbestos, EPA maintains a listing of asbestos resources available to the public. If you would like to locate an asbestos contact, EPA maintains a listing of federal asbestos contacts. If you would like to learn more about the laws and regulations that govern asbestos, EPA maintains a listing of the laws and regulations applicable to asbestos.
Wa State Department of Ecology
The first paragraph on this site says: "Asbestos is the name of a group of naturally occurring minerals that separate into strong, very fine fibers. The fibers are heat-resistant and extremely durable, and because of these qualities, it has become very useful in construction and industry. In the home it may or may not pose a health hazards to the occupants, depending on its condition. When it can be crushed by hand pressure or the surface is not sealed, preventing escape of tiny pieces, the material is consider "friable". In this condition fibers can be released into the environment and can pose a health risk. As long as the surface is stable and well-sealed against the release of its fibers and not damaged, the material is considered safe until there is a change." There is much more information on this site.
King County Solid Waste
King County asnwers the question: What do I do with asbestos?