Sustainable Strategies

1. Sustainable Strategies • Reduce Reuse Reclaim and Recycle • Appropriate use of land • Use water and energy efficiently • Enhance human health • Strengthen local economies • Conserve plants and animals

2. Sustainable Strategies • Protect agricultural, cultural and archeological resources • Build and maintain economically • Nice to live in • Build it Beautiful

3. Healthy Indoor Air

4. Radon • * Radon is estimated to cause about 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year, according to EPA's 2003 Assessment of Risks from Radon in Homes (EPA 402-R-03-003).  The numbers of deaths from other causes are taken from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 1999-2001 National Center for Injury Prevention and Control Report and 2002 National Safety Council Reports.

5. Radon

6. Radon

7. What is Radon? • A radioactive gas that comes from the natural decay of uranium and is found in nearly all soils.

8. Radon • Radon gets into the home through • Cracks in concrete floors • Construction joints • Cracks in walls • Gaps in suspended floors • Gaps around service pipes • Cavities inside walls • The water supply (wells typically)

9. Radon Radon Resistant Construction Techniques • Gas Permeable LayerThis layer is placed beneath the slab or flooring system to allow the soil gas to move freely underneath the house. In many cases, the material used is a 4-inch layer of clean gravel. • Plastic SheetingPlastic sheeting is placed on top of the gas permeable layer and under the slab to help prevent the soil gas from entering the home. In crawlspaces, the sheeting is placed under the crawlspace floor. • Sealing and CaulkingAll openings in the concrete foundation floor are sealed to reduce soil gas entry into the home. • Vent PipeA 3- or 4-inch gas-tight or PVC pipe (commonly used for plumbing) runs from the gas permeable layer through the house to the roof to safely vent radon and other soil gases above the house. • Junction BoxAn electrical junction box is installed in case an electric venting fan is needed later.

12. Volatile Organic Compounds • Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects.

13. VOC’s • Paints • Lacquers • Paint Strippers • Cleaning Supplies • Pesticides • Building Materials • Furnishings • Glues • Adhesives………

14. Health Effects • Eye nose and throat irritation • Headaches • Loss of coordination • Nausea • Liver damage • Kidney damage • Central Nervous system damage • Cancer

15. Formaldehyde • What is Formaldehyde? • Formaldehyde is a low cost and common chemical that has a strong pickle-like odor. It is currently used in thousands of products as an adhesive, bonding agent and solvent.

16. Formaldehyde • Where is it found? • Particle board, plywood, paneling, pressed-wood products • Urea formaldehyde foam insulation • Synthetic fabrics (especially permanent press) • Produced through combustion • Natural gas • Wood • Gasoline • Tobacco

17. Formaldehyde Health Effects Vary • Eye, nose and throat irritation • Coughing, headaches, dizziness, and nausea The effects of long-term exposure are not well known The United States Environmental Protection Agency has listed formaldehyde as a chemical that can possibly cause cancer in people.

18. Formaldehyde What is an acceptable level in the home? 0.10 PPM or less If a higher level is measured steps should be taken to mitigate the problem

19. Formaldehyde Methods for lowering levels • Remove the source • Treat the source • Ventilate • Control the climate • Allow products to off-gas

20. How are Radon and Formaldehyde Detected? • Radon Detection Kits www.radonzone.com • Formaldehyde www.rkiinstruments.com/pages/fp30.htm

21. Bathroom Exhaust Fans CODE for Baths with bathing or spas facilities: • Minimum 80 CFM Intermittent Ventilation required orContinuous Ventilation System at 20 cfm CODE for Toilet Rooms without bathing or spas facilities: • 3SF Minimum Window ½ of which must be operable • Minimum 50 CFM Intermittent Ventilation

22. Home Ventilation Institute Recommendations - Baths • Bathrooms to 80SF - 80CFM fan (Code) • Bathrooms 81sf to 100 sf – 1 cfm per square foot (~ 8 air changes/hour) • Bathrooms over 100 sf add the CFM for each fixture • Allow 50 CFM per standard toilets, shower and steam shower (put on timer) • Allow 100 CFM per Whirlpool, garden and hot tubs • HVI recommends continuous ventilations as augmentation to intermittent ventilation

23. Bathroom Exhaust Fans • A toilet in its own enclosure should have its own fan • Fans approved for wet areas should be placed over or very near the shower or tub when possible. • Bath doors should be undercut at least 3/4” • Leave fan on for 20 minutes after use of the bathroom

24. Ventilation Considerations Fan Type • Propeller Fan – Limited air capacity and noisy • Axial Fan – Better air movement but still noisy • Centrifugal Blower (Squirrel Cage) The best

25. Humidistatns Humidistat

26. Kitchens

27. Kitchen Exhaust Fans CODE (ASHRAE) The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers 100 CFM Intermittent Or 25 CFM Continuous

28. Home Ventilation Institute Recommendations - Kitchens • Wall Mount Hoods – 100 cfm per foot of width • Island Mount Hoods – 150 cfm per foot of width

29. Air Flow Rules of Thumb Rule of Thumb 1: Take the hood area (in square feet) and multiply it by 75 to get the CFM (cubic feet per minute) for a wall hood, or multiply it by 100 for an island hood. Rule of Thumb 2: Allow 15 air changes per hour (ACH) for the kitchen. Take the kitchen volume (length x width x height) and divide by 4 to get the required CFM.

30. Rule of Thumb 3: Allow 1 CFM per 100 BTU's per hour (BTUH) heat output. Take the output of the oven and cooktop (if together or close) and divide by 100 to get the required CFM. Rule of Thumb 4: (this applies to commercial type ranges) Allow 100 CFM per linear foot of hood. Take the perimeter of the hood and multiply it by 100 to get the required CFM. Which rule of thumb is the best one to use? The most popular rules of thumb are #1 and #3. We typically use rule of thumb #1 when we size fans.

31. NKBA Recommendations

32. Ventilation Calculator

33. Why Ventilate? To provide enough air to keep occupants health To remove odors To dilute indoor pollutants To lower relative humidity

34. Negative Aspects • Typical home • Gas furnace – vents to outside • Gas Hot Water Heater – vents to outside • 2 bath fans – vent to outside • 1 kitchen ventilator – vents to outside • What happens when the home is winterized, windows closed, doors closed and all of these ventilators are running?

35. Furnace

36. Gas dryer

37. Gas Hot Water Heater

38. Hot Water Heater Vent

39. -Negative Pressure • Where does the makeup air come from?

40. Hot Water Heater Vent

41. Negative Pressure • What happens when we tighten the house up?

42. Heat Recovery Ventilator

43. HRV

44. HRV

45. ERV Energy Recovery Ventilator • Energy Recovery Ventilator • Used in the southern states where humidity is a problem • Works the same as a HRV but ~ 9% of the stale air mixes with the fresh air to adjust humidity.

46. Bioclimate Chart

47. Example 1 • Dry Bulb 73° • Relative Humidity 50%

48. In the zone

49. Example 2 • Dry Bulb Temp. 78° • Relative Humidity 70%