Rooms to breathe

globeandmail.com

Fri 04 Jan 2008

Section: Realestate

Byline: KATHY FLAXMAN

In an attempt to make homes less drafty and inefficient, some newer homes are built to be air-tight.

This may lower the energy bill, but the lists of things that can cause health problems via the air we

breathe in our homes is long and scary.

The kitchen cabinetry in designer Eric Tomas’ recent renovation project is formaldehyde-free

particleboard.

If that doesn’t sound very hip and trendy, consider how very un-hip the sound of coughing and

wheezing is. As a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-accredited designer, Mr.

Tomas, 33, helps clients avoid the pitfalls of indoor air pollution.

“A lot of the products we use to build and furnish our homes contain pollutants,” he says. “One solution

is to source materials that are low in known toxins such as formaldehyde. So many things like

cabinets, engineered wood joists, floors and carpeting are potentially full of volatile organic compounds

that can cause health problems. There are products such as formaldehyde-free particle board, but it’s

hard for the consumer to wade through everything to find them.”

Indoor air pollution is the new frontier in the quest for green, ecologically-responsible lifestyles and

homes. Statistics for respiratory diseases such as asthma frighten, and there is always the spectre of

cancer to scare the perfume right off our skin! Parents of young children and expectant parents are

among the most strongly concerned.

Christian Gautier, trained in architecture in France, has both personal and professional interest in the

matter. Having worked on the Biowall at Queen’s University — an experimental solution to the problem

of indoor pollution that uses a wall of plants to gobble up the toxins we humans put into our

atmosphere — he’s impressed by the logic of the approach and worried for society and his own family.

“Creating clean air by using plants is a nice solution,” he says. “Of course it is all planned very

carefully with the right natural light and the right plants, water source and wall position. The plants eat

the pollution.

“Indoor air pollution is a big problem and there is nothing in the Ontario Building Code to address this

problem,” he says. “Some houses are sealed up tight with no proper ventilation. Pollution and mould

can thrive in this atmosphere. I have three children myself, and the oldest, Thomas, 5, has some

respiratory problems. I don’t know if the problems are caused by pollution in the home, or whether he

just is fragile naturally, but the issue concerns me.”

The lists of things that can cause health problems via the air we breathe in our homes is long and

scary. Simple stuff like the candles we burn, finishes like paints that contain leads and all those wood

products glued together may be choking us. That beautiful new loveseat may be treated to make it

stain resistant. There are VOCs, moulds and a host of lung-clogging particulates. What can be done?

“The big problem with green technology is always the issue of cost,” Mr. Tomas says. “Clients think

that if the government allows something to be used, it must be okay. If we suggest something else that

is more costly, they often think we are being overly cautious.

“As well as using products that are safer, it’s important to make sure a home is properly ventilated,”

Mr. Tomas says. “In Toronto, a lot of homes built in the 20’s were done with such poor wall assemblies

that they are very leaky. Of course this causes them to be cold and drafty, but it does minimize the

problems with indoor pollutants.”

When the building industry caught on to this shortcoming, the response was to make homes air tight.

The drafts and leaks stopped and some good fuel and energy consumption savings resulted, but the

lack of proper ventilation created another pitfall. “In the 70’s when houses were being built really, really

tight, cases of ’sick building syndrome’ started to crop up, where people were having symptoms like

headaches and watering eyes,” Mr. Tomas says. “The problem was that not enough fresh air was

getting in.”

So what can consumers do, if they are worried about the air quality in their home or in a home they are

considering purchasing? Will a building inspection do the trick?

“Purchasers in today’s hot market often have to mitigate the inspection condition to make their offers

more favourable in a bidding situation,” Anne Lok of Homelife/Realty One in Toronto says. And in any

case, a standard building inspection is unlikely to deal with air quality. It may be necessary to call in

experts in air quality.

A company such as Sick Building Solutions in Toronto has specialized meters and other equipment

and will visit to check out whatever pollutants are suspected. “People call us when they are thinking of

buying or selling,” SBS president Art Robinson says. “We get calls when people are concerned about

issues like asthma. Our equipment is very sophisticated and can measure many different aspects of a

home’s air. As far as VOCs go, there is a library of 20, 000 that we can look for. We condense it all

down into a report for our customer.

“The fee depends on how in-depth our investigation will be — each house and each case is different,

says Mr. Robinson. “The cost could be about $425, plus lab fees.”

Since heating and air conditioning companies are in the business of keeping our air at a comfortable

temperature, calling on them could also make sense. In the case of Atlas Air Climatecare in Toronto,

they have a clever device aptly called the Canary. This device, the size of a Blackberry, will be placed

in three different rooms for one day at a time and will produce a report on the air quality it finds. “We

launched this product in September and we are now doing five houses a week with it,’ company

representative Roger Grochmal says. “It gives the homeowner a list of recommendations. In about a

quarter of the homes we see, the air gets a clean bill of health. Other times things like high levels of

particles will be detected.

“Too much humidity can be causing problems — even structural problems,” says Mr. Grochmal. “Very

often a good solution is to improve the ventilation.”

The latest gold standard for improved ventilation is a heat recovery ventilator, or HRV. This is basically

a box with a fan which allows air from the house to escape, and fresh air to replace it. The really nifty

thing is that the incoming air will be heated by the air it is replacing, producing fresh air without drafts.

“It’s very onerous for the consumer to educate himself or herself about these issues,” Mr. Tomas says.

“I personally believe the government should be leading in these issues. In my own home, which I am

renovating with my partner Alcia Yurichuk, we used all lead free paints.

“This is an older house and we have had it super insulated,” Mr. Tomas says. “An energy audit will tell

how the insulation is performing, and indicate if the house is too air tight, but since we still have the old

windows, that is probably not the case. I will do whatever I need to do to make sure the air quality is

not compromised. It’s tricky for me to discern the best solutions, and I am a professional: it will be

harder for you. The Ontario Building Code is limping behind.”

“I want to become trained myself to do air quality testing in retrofit situations,” Mr. Gauthier says.

“Europe is ahead of North America in these matters because our system is to have fresh air coming

into a dwelling from the top and the bottom. An audit for air quality will be a very valuable tool.”

Special to The Globe and Mail

HRVs offer best solution for window condensation

November 24, 2007

Steve Maxwell

Every fall for the last decade, I’ve received emails from homeowners frantic about condensation forming on their windows as the weather gets colder.

But this year something’s different. There are more requests for help than usual. Many more. I don’t know why, but I do know that the problem of sweaty windows is widespread across Canada and it’s not getting better.

In fact, the issue of window condensation and the resulting mould growth is the single most perennial question I receive, despite years of writing about successful solutions. And besides being common, window condensation also indicates more of a problem than meets the eye.

Whenever a window develops beads of water on the inside during cold weather, it means that the surface of the glass has cooled enough to cause the moisture carried in the indoor air to condense. The air itself is the source of the mysterious moisture, and dealing with the air is where the best remedy will be found.

A little bit of non-running condensation around the edges of a window is normal during winter and harmless, but when it advances enough to require a rag to mop up the water, you need to find a solution. Just don’t be fooled by appearances. Your windows probably aren’t the cause of the problem.

New homes and recently renovated ones include features that keep warm air in and drafts out. That’s good.

What’s not so good is the other stuff that tight construction holds in: airborne contaminants and moisture. If your windows sweat a lot, it indicates inadequate ventilation. There’s too much water in the air, and probably too many off-gassed contaminants, too.

My favourite way of solving the water problem automatically leads to much better indoor air quality.

All of this is why your best solution to window condensation is a heat recovery ventilator, or HRV. It’s a ventilation appliance that draws fresh outdoor air into your home, expels moist, stale indoor air outside, while also retaining about 80 per cent of the heat energy invested in the old air.

Outdoor wintertime air becomes bone dry when it’s brought inside and heated up. This is why HRVs are so effective at reducing sweaty windows. They lower indoor humidity levels like nothing else can.

Leading HRVs also feature a replaceable HEPA-rated filter that helps lower indoor levels of pollen and some pollutants.

Although HRVs are the technology of choice for eliminating window condensation, they’re not cheap. The unit itself typically costs $1,000 to $1,500, with installation by a ventilation technician costing an additional $1,000 or more.

All this is why some folks try to solve their wet window problem using a dehumidifier. And while this seems logical, there’s a problem. Two problems, in fact. Dehumidifiers can’t lower relative humidity levels enough to prevent window condensation during winter, and even if they could, you’d still only have dry, stale air.

It’s understandable that the blame for wet windows would be cast on the windows themselves, but this is rarely correct. In fact, one of the classic queries I get comes from the homeowner who had new windows installed, only to find that condensation is the same or worse. Condensation that gets worse after installing modern, multi-pane windows is actually a good sign. It usually means that the new windows are sealing better than the old ones.

Drafts have been reduced, and indoor humidity levels have risen as more moisture is being retained.

Will an HRV work in a home with no ducts to distribute the fresh air?

I wondered the same thing 15 years ago. After failing to find anyone who would give me a definitive answer, I went ahead and installed my own HRV in a second-storey storage area, with one stale air intake pipe going through the floor to draw air from the level below, and one fresh air outlet leading into the second storey room just outside the storage area. The result has been excellent performance, despite no ducts. Having the inlet and outlet on separate floors forces house-wide circulation. Even in single-storey homes, strategically locate the HRV in the basement (perhaps with a small amount of ducting) and you can expect good results.

Before you go ahead and commit to an HRV, check on a few things first. Is the humidifier on your furnace turned off? No point in adding more moisture the air if you’ve already got too much. Shutting off the humidifier may solve your problem. Also, if your windows have only one pane of glass, they may still sweat even with an HRV.

With such low insulation properties, the glass surface will remain a potent source of condensation because it gets so cold.

You must also realize that unless you have windows with very good insulation properties, you’ll probably have to make your home uncomfortably dry in order to completely eliminate condensation. During very cold weather you’ll need to discover the balancing point between comfort and a tolerable and harmless amount of window condensation.

One thing that’s easy to get used to is breathing fresher indoor air delivered by an HRV. Experience it for yourself and you’ll be glad your wet windows told you there was more of a problem than just damp glass.

Homeowner Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my home’s air is unhealthy?

There are 3 important clues that can be used to begin an assessment of the quality

of air in your home.

1. Are there visual signs of mold, moisture or other IAQ issues? Signs such as

condensation on windows, staining on walls or ceilings, spotting, bubbling or

peeling of paint or signs of excessive dust, bugs or other pests?

2. How does your home smell after you have been away for a few hours? If it

smells stuffy, stale, musty or if odours linger, these are signs of poor air

quality. If you feel the need to use air fresheners on a regular basis to make

the air smell fresh, that is an indication of poor air quality. Often someone

new to your home is in a better position to detect unusual odours since your

noise may have become conditioned to smells.

3. Do family members or others find they feel worse when in your home? That is,

if people with asthma, allergies, sensitivities or respiratory problems feel their

symptoms are worse when they are in your home, this is an indication the air

in your home could be improved.

What causes indoor air pollution?

There are many possible sources of indoor air quality problems that can be related

to the building or building materials, the surrounding outdoor air and activities and

products used by the occupants in your home. Usually it is a combination of events,

activities or circumstances that result in poor air quality. Someone with a trained

eye and nose who is new to your home is often in the best position to help identify

air quality problems.

How can I improve the quality of air in my home?

In the same way that there may be a combination of factors that lead to poor air

quality, usually improvements in air quality are best achieved with a combination of

solutions that may include lifestyle adjustments, modest renovations and

improvements in mechanical systems. There is a systematic approach used by

indoor air quality professionals when addressing indoor air quality solutions.

First, ask if the sources of potential pollutants can simply be removed. Examples

would include removal of stored chemicals, reduction of scented chemical cleaners

or personal hygiene products, removal of moldy or musty items, removal of carpets

in favour of hard surface flooring, reduction of clutter or household items, repair or

replacement of building materials that are causing water leaks or the entry of pets.

Second, for items that are not easily removed, seal pollutants from occupants.

Examples include, properly sealing doors and other entry points between the house

and an attached garage, air sealing holes that allow water or pest intrusion, seal the

exposed edges of particle board furniture or cabinets to reduce the off-gassing of

chemicals, keep any regularly used chemicals in sealed plastic containers. Another

great strategy is to create an “oasis” for sensitive family members. That is, make their

bedroom into a very clean space by removing carpets, stored items and all

chemicals from their room. Make sure pets are restricted from entering the room

and avoid plants in their room.

Thirdly, once as many items as possible have been removed or sealed, improve the

ventilation in your home. This means ensuring there is an adequate supply of fresh

air from outside being delivered to your home on a continuous basis. Professional

HVAC contractors can help with this.

Finally, allow your HVAC contractor to help you choose the right filtration system for

your home. There are a number of cost effective choices for filtration and your HVAC

contractor will help you choose one that is right for your family and your home.

What is the best indoor air quality product?

A professional HVAC contractor can help you identify and select the product or

combination of products that address the specific indoor air quality issues in your

home and for your family. Every home and every family has different needs and air

quality products should be chosen that target those specific needs rather than

looking for one “silver bullet”.

Will improving the quality of air in my home reduce the allergies, asthma or other respiratory

problems family member experience?

Indoor air quality improvements are an important part of personal health

management because each family member breathes in hundreds of cubic feet of air

each day. Therefore recommendations by professional HVAC contractors can be

seen as positive steps towards better air quality. However, your doctor would be in

the best position to determine whether specific improvements in your home’s air

quality will alleviate your specific health concerns.

What is the right relative humidity for my home?

Moisture is typically bad for buildings and building materials but good for people.

We really want to achieve a moisture balance that avoids condensation on windows

in the winter and damp basements in the summer and yet is comfortable for

occupants. In most houses this means keeping RH levels below 55% in summer and

between 35% and 45% in winter (lower if needed to avoid excessive window

condensation).

I hear people recommending ventilation systems that bring in outside air but what about the

news reports that say outside air is polluted?

It is true that on “smoggy” days, the air outside has a lot of fine dust particles and

ozone in it. However, on most days the air outside has fewer pollutants in it than

inside air – after all, the air currently in your home came from outside and then you

and your family added moisture, dust, chemicals and other pollutants to it.

Therefore on most days, ventilation or the introduction of the right amount of fresh

air, is very helpful in improving air quality. Even on smoggy days, a good, controlled

ventilation system will provide an opportunity to filter out pollutants from the fresh

as it enters your home.

Consumer Tips

on Choosing a Heating and Air Conditioning

CONTRACTOR

Finding Reputable Contractors

There are many ways to find a contractor to provide for your home comfort needs, but not all

of them are equally effective. Personal referrals from trusted friends, family and/or colleagues

are a good start, but you should also consider going directly to the industry’s professional

association for assistance.

Contractor companies that hold membership in the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning

Institute of Canada (HRAI) have been pre-screened to ensure that they possess the relevant

trade licences, technical certifications and insurance coverage that you should expect from

any contractor with which you would entrust the care of your home comfort system. Look for

the HRAI Member Company logo when choosing a contractor. You can verify that they are a

member by searching the HRAI online Contractor Locator at www.hrai.ca.

Getting Estimates

Arrange for the contractor to come and inspect the job site. Some small jobs may be priced

out and an estimate written immediately, but larger jobs may require additional time to

price properly. A contractor should also complete a heat loss and heat gain calculation

to determine the size of equipment that your home needs.

When comparing estimates, the statements about the work to be performed and the materials

used should be of comparable quality, or the estimates should make proper allowances for

any differences. Be sure that the estimate is in writing and includes the proper permits

and licences. The warranty policy should be clearly stated for equipment, materials

and labour. If the contractor uses sub-contractors for some of the actual work,

these should be specified both in the proposal and in the contract.

The Contract

The contract is the agreement between you and the contractor that specifies what

work will be performed and gives a firm dollar value on that work. It is a legal, binding

document when signed by both parties, so be sure you understand and agree with

the contents before signing. Any changes or additions in the work to be done

should never be made without those alterations being written into the contract

and initialed by both parties.

In addition to the name, address and telephone number of the consumer and the

contractor, the contract should clearly state the following items:

• required permits that must be purchased by the contractor;

• responsibility for removal of old equipment and materials;

• warranties and guarantees on materials and labour;

• approximate start and completion dates unless specific dates and times are agreed upon; and

• price and terms of payment.

Insurance

It is important that the contractor and any sub-contractors each have public liability

and property damage insurance, and be able to produce a certificate of good standing from

the Workers’ Compensation Board. You may wish to ask who the policy is with and follow

up to verify that it is current.

Payment

Payment methods will vary to meet your preferences or needs, and may include financing,

credit, cash or an equipment rental program. In any case, the payment schedule should be

easy to understand and should clearly state what, if any, interest charges apply.

Make sure to inquire about any applicable energy-efficiency rebates.

References

Reputable contractors will be more than willing to give you the names and

addresses of customers they’ve done work for in your area. You may also

wish to contact the Better Business Bureau, which maintains records of

consumer complaints.

Choose contractors

with proven credentials,

and a track record of reliability

and quality.

Improving the Air in Your Home

In today’s health conscious society, all of us take great interest in the quality of food we eat and the water we drink. What

about the air we breathe? In fact:

We eat approximately 2-3 lbs. of food per day.

We drink approximately 3-4 lbs. of water per day.

And we breathe approximately 30-40 lbs. of air per day.

When we think of air quality we often

think of air pollution from cars and

factories or smog, haze and ozone.

However, since you are reading this

article you undoubtedly have interest in

the quality of air in your home or place

of business. In fact, you may have

already realized that there is a lot of

information out there, much of it based

on extensive research done here in

Canada by organizations such as

Health Canada, the Research Division

of the Canada Mortgage and Housing

Corporation and the National Research

Council. It is significant to point out that

the results of the research in Canada,

is entirely consistent with information

presented by the Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S.

and the World Health Organization.

From all of this research there are

some important statements that help

define the impact of air quality on your

home and on your family:

• IAQ is important because one in

five Canadians has some form of

respiratory disease,

• Indoor air has 2-5 times as many

chemical pollutants as outdoor air;

• There are over 20,000 radon

induced lung cancer deaths per year

in North America

• Everyone can be affected by IAQ,

some more than others – the young,

the elderly, the ill.

• The effect of dampness and molds on

the respiratory health of children is

equal in power to that of parental

smoking.

We sometimes hear that by making

houses more energy efficient which

involves tightly sealing the home, this

practice is at fault for air quality

problems. However, indoor air quality

is more complex than this and there

are a number of factors that should

lead us to be concerned about the

quality of air in our homes.

• We spend far more time indoors

all year round – as much as 90%

of our time – especially now that

air conditioning is so popular. That

means 27 out of that 30 lbs of air

we breathe each day is indoor air

– much of it from our homes.

• We have introduced more

pollutants into houses – more

furnishings, more cleaning

chemicals, more personal hygiene

products and more recreational

activities. There at least 4,000 –

6,000 chemicals that may be

found in our houses. Moreover,

because we are inside more, we

often bring plants and pets into our

homes that add dust, dander,

pests and other pollutants.

• Our interest in better comfort,

lower noise and greater security

reduces the use of windows for

natural ventilation.

• Our expectations for comfort and

health have increased.

These important statements and facts

can be researched further in the helpful

articles and Frequently Asked

Questions on HRAI’s website or on the

websites of the CMHC or the EPA,

however, we suspect at this point most

visitors simply want to know 2 things:

1. How do I know if the air in my

home is healthy?

2. What can I do to make the air in

my home as healthy as possible?

We feel the professional HVAC

contractors represented by HRAI are in

a unique position to help you with

these important questions. Our

knowledge and experience with the

movement and control of heat, air and

moisture in buildings is very valuable

when diagnosing and resolving indoor

air quality.

With respect to knowing whether the

air in your home may be affecting the

breathing of your family, ask yourself

the following questions:

• Does any one in your household

suffer from asthma, allergies or

respiratory problems?

• Do their symptoms appear to be

worse when they are at home or in

specific places at home?

• Has your home under gone

significant changes such as the

replacement of windows, complete

renovation of a basement or an

addition in the last few years?

• Do you notice excessive window

condensation in winter or is your

basement damp or musty in the

summer?

• Do you feel the need to use air

fresheners or scented candles on

a regular basis to keep your home

feeling fresh?

• Do you find that odours linger in

your home from morning to

evening?

• Do you notice stains, spotting or

dampness on walls or excessive

dust on floors?

• Do visitors to your home suffer

from allergic reactions?

• Do pets live in your home?

If you answered yes to more than 2 or

3 of these questions, then a trained

and experienced HVAC professional is

in a unique position to help you both

diagnose and resolve underlying

issues that may be affecting the quality

of air your family is breathing.

When it comes to improving the quality

of air in your home, it is important to

recognize that there are many things

that you can do on your own and then

there are items that will require the

assistance of a qualified professional.

Usually, air quality improvements

require a systematic and integrated

approach – it is unlikely that any one

measure solves all problems – and

HRAI members have the training and

experience to help you find the most

cost effective ways to ensure the air

you breathe is as healthy as possible.

For more on the simple things you can

do on your own to improve the air in

your home look on the HRAI website.

To find a professional HRAI contractor

in your area that has the knowledge

and experience to help you cost

effectively diagnose and find solutions

to your air quality concerns click here.