Recently in Remodeling for Air Quality Category

Homebuyers today are increasingly concerned about the indoor air quality of their homes.

Issues like mold, radon, carbon monoxide, and toxic chemicals have received greater attention than ever as poor indoor air quality has been linked to a host of health problems.

To address these concerns, builders can employ a variety of construction practices and technologies to decrease the risk of poor indoor air quality in their new homes.

EPA created the Indoor Air Package to help builders meet the growing consumer preference for homes with improved indoor air quality and energy efficiency. By constructing homes that meet EPA's stringent specifications, forward-thinking builders can distinguish themselves by offering homes that have earned this designation.

EPA's Indoor Air Package specifications were developed based on best available science and information about risks associated with indoor air quality problems, and balanced with practical issues of cost, builder production process compatibility, and enforceability. The initial specifications were piloted in several cities and revised based on input from the field.

Energy Star Builders Offer the Indoor Air Package

The Indoor Air Package is now available for all interested ENERGY STAR Partners. The current Indoor Air Package specifications (330K), dated April 19, 2007, supersede all previous versions of the specification. ENERGY STAR qualified homes that comply with these specifications and are verified with a completed Indoor Air Package Verification Checklist can earn the Indoor Air Package label.

Honey bees have been disappearing worldwide, and in record numbers. It is a baffling mystery because the beeds aren't found dead or sick ... the hives are just empty.  Beekeepers and farmers are panicked by the disappearance that has been named "Colony Collapse Disorder" (CCD).

Potential culprits are debated, with causes asfar ranging as climate change and mutated viruses to pesticides and even cell phone signals.  But the answer is elusive. 

What most people don't know is that honey bees are not "native" bees in most parts of the world.  These hard working "domesticated" bees actually originated in Europe and have been transported around the world to help pollinate crops.  Native bees are also available around the world, and are usually solitary little critters.  They don't mass in hives -- so they haven't been good for honey production and not domesticated for pollination, either.  But pollinate, they do!  Most of nature relies on native bee pollination.

One of these native bees in the US is the Orchard Mason Bee.

Mason bee nesting blocks are available at Clean Air Gardening today for $19.99

Learn more about Orchard Mason Bees at the NCSU.edu website.

The Orchard Mason Bee is the common name of a nonsocial native bee (Osmia lignaria ssp.) that pollinates our spring fruit trees, flowers and vegetables. This gentle, blue-black metallic bee does not live in hives. In nature it nests within hollow stems, woodpecker drillings and insect holes found in trees or wood. Sometimes there may be dense collections of individual nest holes, but these bees neither connect or share nests, nor help provision or protect each others' young. Also, they are active for only a short period of the year.

They are not aggressive and one may observe them at very close range without fear of being stung, which makes them excellent for enhancing our yards and gardens. They add beauty, activity and pollination to our plantings. However, they do not produce honey.

The female Orchard Mason Bee visits flowers to collect pollen for its young. She forms a small ball of pollen and nectar in the back of the nesting tube and lays an egg on the ball. She then collects mud to form a cell partition and repeats the pollen ball-egg laying process until she reaches the mouth of the tube where she caps the end with mud.

Nest Block Construction

The native eastern species of Orchard Mason Bee will nest in holes drilled in a wooden block. Untreated 4" x 6" lumber works great. Holes can be drilled in the wood on 3/4 inch centers. They should be 4-8" deep (depending upon the size lumber used), smooth, and a 5/16" diameter hole is important. A smaller hole encourages higher production of male bees which reduces the reproductive potential of the population. Blocks may be drilled from either face giving shallower or deeper holes. Shallower holes may produce more male bees. Do not drill completely through the lumber. Drill the hole to a depth about 1/2 inch from the back of the block. Attach a roof to provide protection from the midday sun and rain. Outside surfaces may be painted or stained, but do not use wood preservatives. One hole may be drilled in the back to provide a means of hanging the block. Face nesting blocks as close to the southeast direction as possible to catch morning sun and affix it firmly so that it does not sway in the wind. It should be located at least three feet above the ground.

These bees need mud to construct cell partitions, so adding a mud supply may be helpful if needed. This can be a trench or tub located nearby where muddy soil is maintained during the nesting period. The mud should not be highly organic or sandy. Clay soils work well.

Do not move the blocks during the weeks of active nesting. Once all nesting activity has stopped, the nesting block may be moved to a shelter such as a shed or unheated garage. Be gentle when moving occupied blocks at this time of year. This will give the bees added protection from predators and parasites, yet will allow them exposure to the cold temperatures that they need to break hibernation. If desired, bee emergence can be delayed for a short period by refrigerating the block in the spring until you are ready for the bees to emerge. Bees will need three days to warm up following refrigeration.

Orchard Bees are sometimes reared in cardboard tubes, hollow reeds, or straws. Cardboard tubes and straws need more protection from weather and parasites. Paper straws allow better inspection and manipulation. Plastic straws hold moisture and allow mold to develop and are not recommended. Bees may also be purchased commercially.

You can be creative with your nesting blocks. Blocks can be made from any shape wood. They may be cut to a fancy shape, be a small piece of dead tree limb, fence post or scrap of firewood. You can vary the diameter of the drilled holes to attract different species of tube-nesting bees or nonsocial, beneficial wasps.

Your Local, Native Bees

Bee species vary by ecosystem and location.  You can foster native bees that pollinate agricultural and wilderness plants by learning about your own local species and providing them with habitat.  Habitat includes plants for foraging (for both food and nesting) and even houses to encourage their prolific reproduction to keep pace with the need in local agriculture.

You can also help the native bee population by educating gardeners, lawn care professionals, farmers and homeowners about preventing unnecessary death of these bees with chemicals.  Pesticides, fertilizers and other chemicals kill beneficial insects as well as unwanted insects.  By choosing to use Integrated Pest Management practices, we can foster beneficial insect populations, reduce toxins in our water and soil systems...and maintain the balance of species required to foster a thriving ecosystem.

You can help remodel your lawn and garden for natural habitat!

Your work can be in spurts..but very important! 

Life Cycle Assessment (LCIA)

Life cycle assessment (LCIA)  is an internationally standardized (ISO 14044) environmental accounting tool designed to accurately measure the benefits and tradeoffs of each choice.

Developed by leading scientists from 22 countries to provide a scientific bases for environmental claims and green design, Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) sets the new standard for environmental metrics.

Environmental Performance Declarations by SCS

Declarations are based on life cycle assessment (LCIA),  and the Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) "Decalaration" results are not boiled down to a summary score as in some systems. Each indicator is charted on the declaration so that areas for improvement stand out.

Results are not boiled down to a summary score as in some systems. Each indicator is charted on the declaration so that areas for improvement stand out.

Environmental Performance Declarations provide designers, architects, facility managers and product manufacturers with a new precise method of determining the environmental performance of building designs, office equipment and systems, building operations, and transportation including air travel and work commutes.

SCS Declarations are available for building design and construction, electric power systems, building materials, building products, and workforce and building operations.

Environmental Performance Building Declarations

Building Declarations provide designers and architects a new precise method of determining the environmental performance of building designs.

Declarations are based on life cycle assessment (LCIA), an internationally standardized (ISO 14044) environmental accounting tool which quantifies environmental performance based on measurable biophysical impacts.  According to SCS, "LEED-Rated buildings make improvements in some areas, but leave others unexamined. While the building on the right has a higher LEED rating, its total environmental impacts are much greater that those of the lower-rated building on the left. Only a life cycle perspective shows total impacts."

Examples of SCS Environmental Performance Declaration of LEED Rated buildings.

CONTACT:
Scientific Certification Systems
2200 Powell Street, Suite 725
Emeryville, California 94608
Phone: 510-452-8000
http://www.scscertified.com

Remodeling battles greenhouse gas and climate change...reusing old structures saves significantly:

Researchers in England found that building a new home emitted four and-a-half times as much carbon dioxide as refurbishing an existing dwelling.

They also found that the carbon dioxide emitted as a result of the construction of a new building - from quarrying, brick making and so on - accounted for nearly three times more of a building's lifetime emissions than had been supposed.

Previously the amount of energy involved in the construction of a home had been assumed to represent 10 per cent of the energy used over the lifetime of a building.

In fact, energy involved in construction added up to nearly 30 per cent of the emissions over the lifetime of the building, according to the report "New Tricks with Old Bricks; how reusing old buildings can cut carbon emissions."  Telegraph, UK

So you can feel better about remodeling an old building than about building a new one.  Another benefit of remodeling old structures is reduction in urban sprawl.  When new wilderness or agricultural lands are transformed into suburban housing, we lose many additional benfits of nature's natural systems:  plants (especially native plants) provide air filtration, water capture and replenishment of aquafers and water tables, wildlife habitat, cooling of the earth, and natural processing of waste -- from animal carbon dioxide to poop :-)  Nature works hard for us and we can return the favor by reusing what we have already taken out of the natural system instead of adding to the concrete jungle.

Molds are part of the natural environment.  Outdoors, molds play a part in nature by breaking down dead organic matter such as fallen leaves and dead trees, but indoors, mold growth should be avoided.  Molds reproduce by means of tiny spores; the spores are invisible to the naked eye and float through outdoor and indoor air.

There are many types of mold, and none of them will grow without water or moisture.

Molds are usually not a problem indoors, unless mold spores land on a wet or damp spot and begin growing.  Molds produce allergens (substances that can cause allergic reactions), irritants, and in some cases, potentially toxic substances (mycotoxins).

Allergic responses include hay fever-type symptoms, such as sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, and skin rash (dermatitis).  Allergic reactions to mold are common.  They can be immediate or delayed.  Molds can also cause asthma attacks in people with asthma who are allergic to mold.

Indoor mold growth can and should be prevented or controlled by controlling moisture indoors.  If there is mold growth in your home, you must clean up the mold and fix the water problem.  If you clean up the mold, but don't fix the water problem, then, most likely, the mold problem will come back. By fixing water leaks, you not only control mold -- but can reduce your water usage and water bill -- as well as future mold removal costs.

Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home by EPA's Office of Air and Radiation Indoor Environments Division.

The building industry is increasingly focused on making its buildings greener, which includes using healthier, less polluting and more resource-efficient practices.

Quality of the air and environment inside buildings is based on pollutant concentrations and conditions that can affect the health, comfort and performance of occupants -- including temperature, relative humidity, light, sound and other factors. Good IEQ is an essential component of any building, especially a green building.

Creating a better indoor environment can help building owners, managers, occupants, architects and builders to minimize or eliminate the negative health effects, liability, bad publicity, and costly renovations and repairs often associated with IEQ problems.

Improving IEQ involves designing, constructing, commissioning, operating, and maintaining buildings in ways that reduce pollution sources and remove indoor pollutants while ensuring that fresh air is continually supplied and properly circulated.

EPA’s Indoor Environments program promotes the use of integrated, whole building approaches to protect occupant health while saving energy and money. The program focuses on major building types including offices and institutional buildings, schools, homes, as well as major cross-cutting indoor air quality issues like mold and moisture. EPA offers resources from informational pamphlets to interactive CD-ROMs on how everyone from builders to homeowners can improve their indoor environment.

Call EPA's Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Information Clearinghouse at 1-800-438-4318. Or visit EPA's list of free publications at epa.gov/iaq/pubs

EPA Green Indoor Environments

Flat or panel air filters with a MERV of 1 to 4 are commonly used in residential furnaces and air conditioners. Such filters are used to protect the HVAC equipment from the buildup of unwanted materials on the surfaces such as fan motors and heating or cooling coils, and not for direct indoor air quality reasons.

Pleated or extended surface filters Medium efficiency filters with a MERV of 5 to 13 are reasonably efficient at removing small to large airborne particles.

Filters with a MERV between 7 and 13 are likely to be nearly as effective as true HEPA filters at controlling most airborne indoor particles. Medium efficiency air filters are generally less expensive than HEPA filters, and allow quieter HVAC fan operation and higher airflow rates than HEPA filters since they have less airflow resistance.

Higher efficiency filters with a MERV of 14 to 16, sometimes misidentified as HEPA filters, are similar in appearance to true HEPA filters, which have MERV values of 17 to 20. True HEPA filters are normally not installed in residential HVAC systems; installation of a HEPA filter in an existing HVAC system would probably require professional modification of the system.

RESOURCE:  EPA Guide to Air Cleaners in the Home

Pollutant Destruction

Some air cleaners use ultraviolet (UV) light technology intended to destroy pollutants in indoor air. These air cleaners are called ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) cleaners and photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) cleaners. Ozone generators that are sold as air cleaners intentionally produce ozone gas, a lung irritant, to destroy pollutants.
 

• UVGI cleaners use ultraviolet radiation from UV lamps that may destroy biological pollutants such as viruses, bacteria, allergens, and molds that are airborne or growing on HVAC surfaces (e.g., found on cooling coils, drain pans, or ductwork). If used, they should be applied with, but not as a replacement for, filtration systems.
  
• PCO cleaners use a UV lamp along with a substance, called a catalyst, that reacts with the light. They are intended to destroy gaseous pollutants by converting them into harmless products, but are not designed to remove particulate pollutants.
  
• Ozone generators use UV light or an electrical discharge to intentionally produce ozone. Ozone is a lung irritant that can cause adverse health effects. At concentrations that do not exceed public health standards, ozone has little effect in removing most indoor air contaminants. Thus, ozone generators are not always safe and effective in controlling indoor air pollutants.

  Consumers should instead use methods proven to be both safe and effective to reduce pollutant concentrations, which include eliminating or controlling pollutant sources and increasing outdoor air ventilation.

  Visit www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/ozonegen.html for more information on ozone generators sold as air cleaners.

Indoor air pollution is among the top five environmental health risks.

Usually the best way to address this risk is to control or eliminate the sources of pollutants, and to ventilate a home with clean outdoor air. The ventilation method may, however, be limited by weather conditions or undesirable levels of contaminants contained in outdoor air. If these measures are insufficient, an air cleaning device may be useful.

Some air cleaning devices are designed to be installed in the ductwork of a building’s central heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system to clean the air in the whole house.

Portable room air cleaners can be used to clean the air in a single room or specific areas, but they are not intended for whole-house filtration.

Pollutants that can affect air quality in a home fall into the following categories:

• Particulate matter includes dust, smoke, pollen, animal dander, tobacco smoke, particles generated from combustion appliances such as cooking stoves, and particles associated with tiny organisms such as dust mites, molds, bacteria, and viruses.
• Gaseous pollutants come from combustion processes. Sources include gas cooking stoves, vehicle exhaust, and tobacco smoke. They also come from building materials, furnishings, and the use of products such as adhesives, paints, varnishes, cleaning products, and pesticides.

RESOURCE: EPA's Guide to Air Cleaners in the Home This document describes performance characteristics associated with several types of air cleaners sold to consumers for home use. It does not discuss the effectiveness of air cleaners installed in the HVAC systems of large buildings, such as apartments, offices, schools, or public buildings.