Understand the Causes of Asthma One in nine Americans suffers from asthma. Asthma causes the airways of the lungs to swell and narrow, leading to wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. The lungs of asthma sufferers are sensitive to dust...
What are VOCs? Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are chemicals that vaporize and enter the lungs through normal breathing. VOCs are ingredients in paints, cleaning products, and adhesives. Building materials such as carpet, linoleum, composite wood products, and...
Purpose of ZNE A ZNE home is one where the value of the energy produced by on-site renewable energy resources is equal to the value of grid energy consumed annually. Net-zero is measured by the Time Dependent Valuation (TDV) Metric. TDV is the cost-effectiveness and...
Balanced Ventilation Systems Balanced ventilation systems exhaust stale air and provide fresh air through a ducted distribution system. Of all the ventilation schemes, they do the best job of controlling pollutants in the home. Balanced systems move equal amounts of...
Install Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Alarms Carbon monoxide and smoke alarms are now common products that the building code requires in all new homes. These alarms wake occupants if the concentration of CO or smoke becomes dangerous. Building owners can buy combination...
Insulation’s ability to resist heat flow is measured by its R-value. “R” stands for “resistance.” Like many numerical values, there are two R-values and we refer to both as “R-value.” The metric R-value is also known as RSI or R for resistance in the “Systeme...
