Imagine what it would be like to have to breath through a straw.  That is how one of my clients’ daughters, who has severe asthma, describes how she feels when she is exposed to even the slightest bit of toxins in the air…including the ingredients in popular air fresheners and scented candles.  While I was recently showing her family some Lake Norman waterfront homes, she had two serious asthma attacks triggered by just that.  Each time it took her over a day to recover from just seconds of exposure to an air freshener or lingering cigarette smoke. 

I must admit, despite my avid focus on “green” or “high performance” housing in Lake Norman  I don’t think I totally grasped the seriousness of indoor air quality until I met this family.  It is one thing to learn about the latest low or no VOC (Volatile Organic compounds) paint products and the amount of organic gases like Formaldehyde that are emitted from such solid and liquids as hardwood floors, cabinets, sealers, paints, pressed wood products…the list goes on and on.  It is quite another to watch this young woman gasping for air.

The good news is that indoor air quality is an important part of the “green” housing movement nationally and right here in Lake Norman.  So much so, that the US Environmental Protection Agency recently created Indoor airPLUS  which is designed to work in partnership with their more well known ENERGY STAR  program. Just as ENERGY STAR is an accreditation program for energy efficiency, Indoor airPLUS is a program designed to encourage home builders to “employ a variety of construction practices and technologies in their new homes to help address” such air quality issues as:

• Moisture Control
• Radon Control
• Pest Management
• HVAC
• Ventilation and Filtration
• Combustion Venting
• Building Materials

At the Indoor airPLUS’s first outreach webinar they explained that 19% of US households have a member with Asthma, 40% of households have a member with a respiratory problem and that they have found that typical indoor air chemical pollution levels may be 2-5 times higher than what is considered “safe” levels.

Including these pollutants and sources of indoor air pollution:

• Asbestos
• Biological Pollutants
• Carbon Monoxide
• Formaldehyde/Pressed Wood Products
• Household Cleaning and Maintenance, Personal Care, or Hobbies
• Lead
• Nitrogen Dioxide
• Pesticides
• Radon
• Respirable Particles
• Secondhand Smoke/Environmental Tobacco Smoke
• Stoves, Heaters, Fireplaces, and Chimneys

So, how does a home in our Lake Norman area earn the Indoor AirPlus label?  “A home must first be designed to earn the ENERGY STAR label, the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency.  By adding up to 30 additional home design and construction features, an Indoor airPLUS qualified home helps protects residents…” from indoor air pollution.  During the Lake Norman home-building process testers or “HERS” raters will visit the build site and verify the required construction specifications.  The Indoor airPLUS label will be placed on the electrical panel along with the ENERGY STAR label when it has passed the certification process.

Knowledgeable Lake Norman “green” home builders view ENERGY STAR ratings as the lowest/less stringent when compared to such “green” rating systems as North Carolina’s Healthy Built Homes, the National Association of Home Builders Green Home Building Guidelines and the very toughest LEED certified homes.  However, while ENERGY STAR and Indoor airPLUS may not be as comprehensive as these, I am excited to be an early Lake Norman supporter or “ally” of the new Indoor airPLUS program in hopes that it will lead to an increased focus on indoor air quality throughout the building industry and by consumers both here in the Lake Norman area and throughout the country. 

For more information  “The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality”.

We all know that energy efficiency is a big component of a “green” home.  Properly sealed, moisture protected, and insulated walls help increase comfort, reduce noise and save energy.

The keys to an effective wall are:

• Airtight Construction
• Moisture Control
• Complete Insulation Coverage

Most people know that the different levels of insulation are measured in R-Values.  But, there are also many types of insulation which provide different qualities of performance.

R-value:

Insulation level is specified by R-value.  R-value is a measure of the insulation’s ability to resist heat traveling through it.  The higher the R-value, the better the thermal performance of the insulation. Generally recommended R-values = R-38 for ceilings, R-21 for walls and R-10+ for foundations.

Types of Insulation:

• Fiberglass and rock wool batts- generally the most inexpensive wall insulation
• Cellulose insulation – made from recycled newsprint, usually loose-fill
• Fiberglas and rock wool loosefill insulation – full coverage that involves blowing insulation into open stud cavities
• Rigid foam insulation – higher R-value per inch than fiberglass or cellulose insulation.  Stops air leaks.  More expensive.
• Foam-in-place insulation – blown into walls, reduces air leakage.  It is preferable to use Carbon Dioxide in the manufacturing process than more environmentally harmful gases such as pentane or hyrofluorocarbons.

With the increased interest in the “green” movement, many insulation products that are green-friendly and have higher rates of energy efficiency have gained in popularity.  At the most recent North Carolina Home Builders Association Convention in Charlotte I was able to go from booth to booth collecting information and observing demonstrations of many “green” and high efficiency types of insulation.  Here is a summary of the most notable:

Nu-Wool Premium Cellulose Insulation…Green Since 1949: Made from recycled newspaper, this product is blown in for maximum reduction of air leakage and claims to save a homeowner up to 40% on utility bills. Nu-wool is an Energy Star product and adds significant points toward a LEED Certification. www.nuwool.com.

Sealection Agribalance Spray Foam Insulation: Is another highly energy efficient spray foam insulation with approval by “Energy Choice”,  a member of the US Green Building Council and an Energy Star partner.  They offer several products including Heatlok Soy spray polyurethane foam.

BioBased Insulation is an energy efficient, soy-based spray foam insulation that is said to be ” the most environmentally friendly insulation” because of it’s use of soy-based technology and a minimum of petroleum.

NCFI polyurethanes Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation claims to be “simply the best insulation you can install”.

Low -E Reflective Insulation: “Reduces your carbon footprint”.

BioFoam Insulation (919.821.3288): ” A healthier, more durable, energy efficient and environmentally responsible insulation.”  It is applied as a liquid which quickly expands, conforming and filling cavities,and voids to create a sealed thermal envelope. Named “Outstanding Green Product of the Year” in 2003 by the National Association of Home Builders.

Green Fiber is also made of recycled newsprint and is sprayed in for improved sealing and energy efficiency.  It also claims to be more fire resistant than more commonly used insulation

Clearly there are many insulation products available with varying degrees of energy efficiency and additional benefits in comfort, sound proofing and even health.  If you are interested in learning more about how to make your home more energy efficient, I highly recommend that you work with a Certified Green Builder.  You can contact the Lake Norman Home Builder’s Association for a list of CGB’s in our area.

Have you ever walked in a brand new home and felt…ahhh, it smells so new?

Well, what you may not know is that that “new” smell is most likely toxic.  That is because the majority of house paints have various levels of Volatile Organic Chemicals or VOCs.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “Volatile organic compounds” are emitted as gasses from certain solids or liquids.  VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short and long-term adverse health effects.”

The growing focus on “green housing” has resulted in the introduction of many brands of low-VOC or even no-VOC paints.  These paints, according to Greenfeet “release significantly fewer to no polluting toxins, and no-VOC paints are odor free.

While at the NC Home Builders Expo last week I discovered Mythic Paint which is a true “Non-Toxic” paint.

While many of the top paint companies have introduced or are planning to introduce low-VOC paints like Sherwyn William’s Harmony, Mythic Paint is the only one I have found that claims that it is 0% toxic with no toxins, low odor AND has the ability to mix any color.  This is important because many of the low-VOC paints currently on the market have limited or lesser quality colors.

Mythic Paint products include: Primers, Ceiling, Flat, Eggshell (flat but cleanable), Semi-Gloss, High Gloss and even exterior Satin and Semi-Gloss.  Price will be a bit higher than many brand-name paints.

Here is a list of other Low- and No-VOC Paints:

AFM (American Formulating and Manufacturing) www.afmsafecoat.com

Benjamin Moore & Co. (Pristine® Eco-Spec® ) www.benjaminmoore.com

BioShield Paints www.bioshieldpaint.com

Devoe Paint www.devoe.com

Duron Paints and Wallcoverings (Genesis Odor-Free products) www.duron.com

Home Depot www.homedepot.com

ICI Dulux Paints www.iciduluxpaints.com

Kelly Moore www.kellymoore.com

Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company www.milkpaint.com

Sherwin-Williams (HealthSpec® paints) www.sherwin.com

The Green Home is more than just energy efficienct, it is healthy and more comfortable.  Your desire to make every effort to eliminate Volatile Organic Compounds may start with using No-VOC Paint. We will discuss other sources of VOC/indoor air pollutants in upcoming articles.