Green Remodel Forum

I'm wondering what the best way to treat indoor air is..
I like to lean more towards biological cleaners.. has anyone tried an algal filter or cycling the air through a plant room?

Great question! I just wrote a blog on "19 Plants That clean Indoor Air". It tells you how big of a plant should be in what size of a room. Read more http://greenremodelforum.com/GRF/blog/?p=124

There was an article in New York Times last month about pushing for the needs for building material labels. It's just like an ingredient list on cereal boxes, so consumers can avoid ingredients that might be harmful to them. As consumer, we should ask the salesperson what the materials are made of, so the salesperson would go back to ask the manufacturer. I think consumer pressure should help speed this up.

A good way to treat indoor air is easy. Just open the window(s)!

Sometimes for safety or other reasons that you cannot open the windows, install an exhaust fan in the bathroom to pull moisture out. Keep the fan on for 15-20 minutes after shower. That can help keep your bathroom dry and prevent mold growth.

I agree to use plants to clean indoor air. Plants can absorb chemicals, especially formaldehyde, and release oxygen in your home. They can also be used as decorations. It's much simpler than an algal system.

I've read that algae can clean air by consuming CO for growth. It's a very interesting concept. But how do you grow algae in homes to clean the air? I don't seem to find it on the internet. I found some info on algae filters for fish tank.

It sounds like you just grow algae and put it somewhere in your home and let it absorb CO. It sure is an interesting concept. I might want to try it myself.

I think indoor plants and algae have the same usefulness of absorbing CO and some other type of chemicals in our homes. Isn't it correct?

Opening windows are a great way of bringing fresh air into your house and it's free. Using exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathrooms are helpful to take moisture out from the cooking and showers. During cold winter days and you don't want to open the windows, you may want to consider installing a heat recovery ventilator or energy recovery ventilator (in humid climate). These equipment take out stale air from the house and bring in fresh air from outside and recover the heat from the stale air.