Fall is in the air!

Brrr! Did you feel the wind blow this weekend? We sure did here in Northern Michigan! Makes you want to grab your blanket and curl up on the couch, doesn't it? We've already started to light those furnaces, shut the windows, lock it all up tight! The goal is to trap all that cold air outside, right? What about what you've trapped inside?

The Toxic Air We Breath - Just How Dangerous is our Indoor Air?

Since the end of World War II conventional building practices and product selections have proven to be unsafe for both the builder and the occupant of the building. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) studies have shown that Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is 2-5 times worse than the outdoor air quality in a newly constructed home. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) cause acute and chronic illnesses. Acute problems like eye, nose, throat irritations, and headaches are caused by these compounds. VOCs can also cause birth defects, chronic illnesses such as kidney and liver failure, central nervous system damage, and even cancer. In recent years we have come to recognize that many conventional building materials have high VOC content. Installation of conventional building materials cause off gassing of potent VOCs. Even after these products have been installed they may continue to off gas toxins into living and working spaces in less noticeable doses. These less noticeable doses have become a significant contributor to “Sick Building Syndrome” according to the EPA.

Eco-Building Products Solution - An Easy Way to a Healthier Building Process

IAQ can be improved through Moisture Control, Pest Management, HVAC Systems, Combustion Ventilation Systems, Radon Control and the appropriate Building Material Selection. Simply specifying high quality non-toxic building materials will have a signifi cant and long-lasting impact on the quality of your client’s indoor air. Eco-Building Products represents high performance building materials that earn credits for green building standards, are long-lasting, cost effective and safe to install for the applicator and the occupant. Now you have a number of environmentally friendly building products that can be specified to improve indoor air quality.

While you might think that this is going to be expensive - hold on, it's not! Less than 1% of your total home cost is the amount out of pocket - but what it saves? Your health!!!

Next Week:

Marmoleum: The most natural flooring on earth!