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Archive of posts tagged air quality

Air Sealing For Healthy Living

Air sealing is often associated with improving the energy efficiency of heating and cooling system. But there are other even more important benefits. Many of the cracks and gaps that let outside air in a house are located at the joints in the ceiling to the attic or on the floor over the crawlspace. That []

Radon Risk? You Don’t Know Until You Test

My neighbors Pete and Beth (not their real names) met while in their twenties, and got married. A great couple. Had two beautiful girls, who grew up in no time at all – field trips and soccer, high school sports, college, adventures abroad. A strong couple, who helped lead the PTA, the band parents, you []

How Do You Test If Your Firewood Is Ready To Burn

To get the most heat and least amount of pollutants from firewood, it is best to use dry wood. There are four simple steps to drying firewood: split, stack, cover, store. Firewood should be seasoned for at least six months before burning – hard wood for a year. It should be split, stored outdoors off []

Keep Your Firewood Burning Hot, But Not Smoking

Wood burning fireplaces and stoves are popular. They not only provide heating but they also create a cozy ambience that most people enjoy. However, it is important to use the right firewood and to use them right to maximize the heating benefit and minimize health hazards. When firewood burns, it generates smoke which is a []

New Eco-Friendly Products For Green Homes

I went to several conferences and seminars in the last couple of months. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there are more and more eco-friendly, health and efficiency oriented products on display for green homes. Many of the products are already available on the market, and some are still under development. I like to []

Safer Sofa Foam Exchange Announced for Bay Area

You may have heard about the problem with flame retardants in polyurethane furniture foams. If you haven’t, I highly recommend reading the Chicago Tribune’s exposé on the flame retardant industry: Playing With Fire. The California flammability standard, known as TB117, in effect required manufacturers to use toxic flame retardant chemicals in polyurethane furniture foams. For []

Is Your House Leaky?

Have you ever felt drafty in some rooms in your house? The draft can be coming through some hidden gaps or holes in your house. Most homes have gaps and holes in the ceiling, floors and exterior walls that let a lot of cold air into the house in the winter and warm air in []

Air Sealing For Better Health And Comfort

Air Sealing is often talked about in the energy circle. But for most people air sealing is still an unfamiliar term. I remember once at a community green event a gentleman was proudly said that he just had his attic insulated. I told him that was great and asked him if he also air sealed []