One of my favorite sites for providing some really good content is Green Expo 365 & this last week they held 2 webinars dealing with Indoor Air Quality. Below is the results of one of the polls taken…
I got to say I was surprised at the numbers and had to double check the wording to make sure I wasn’t answering wrong. In short, no you can’t build a house to tight & breathing is relegated to living creatures, not houses… so make sure you account for that & life is good. (or as the saying goes – build it tight, ventilate it right)
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I am shocked by those numbers, considering how much attention is going toward air sealing now. However most architects & builders just don’t understand why besides energy savings. A lot of education is still needed for our industry to get things right in regards to IAQ for our homes.
Thanks Josh & I am to, especially considering the location & individuals attending. I almost got to wonder if it isn’t part of the BPI/WX culture going don’t seal it past 35 or we have to…
First off, I am not in the building / remodeling field at all – I just enjoy reading this blog to learn. So that being said:
I am part of the large group that thinks, probably incorrectly from what I am reading, that a house does need to breathe (not for the houses sake but for those that reside in it). Wouldn’t you need to allow a house to breathe so that you can allow Radon and other gases and/or chemicals (perhaps from new carpets) to leave the house?
Well first off thanks for the kind comments & the question. I am not going to be able to answer all of this here, but I should have a post (or two) up within a few weeks to actually cover this exact topic more in depth.
With that said, there are 5 main ventilation strategies;
Active (where you open a window, leave a door open, use a swamp cooler, whole house fan, etc…)
Passive (aka letting the house breathe – where you allow stack effect, wind, etc… to introduce “fresh” air to the house through your basement, crawl space, attic & other cracks & crevices / the BPI/WX approach mentioned below)
Then there are 3 types of mechanical strategies; Exhaust only, Pressurize, & Balanced all with their own pros & cons
For some prior articles & pieces until I can get the piece done;
I have briefly touched on the issue on why passive isn’t so hot (slides 35-37 https://thehtrc.com/2013/making-the-jump-to-the-aerc )
As for the radon issue let me point you to this article here & especially the “How it Enters” & “Tip” section right below it https://thehtrc.com/2013/common-sense-building-build-radon-out
As for getting VOC’s out caused by carpets, paints, etc… I got to say, active ventilation is hands down the best https://thehtrc.com/2012/ventilation-strategies-renovating-retrofitting-work
Thank you for your quick response and thanks for the time you took to answer my question and provide some information that I can review while I wait for the in-depth post.
Sean: who is the audience for this survey?
Well Peter they are free webinars open to anyone interested in “green” – with that I did see a bunch of builders, specialty trades, & architects attending.
I was going to say, usually a lot of architects use it as a free resource for continuing education for AIA & GBCI. I am curious on how many were in attendance.
Wow. I guess I’m not surprised, but even more of a spear in the chest given that it is from professionals.
Peter, there is really good information that is being produced & taught to the weatherization industry through BPI & RESNET that is not making it to the design & construction industry that should. There is still a lot of confusion about how structures should “breathe”.
Josh–I’m aware, but guess I just didn’t expect the numbers to be quite that skewed. I may be biased by the low load/tight building crowd that is making real inroads here in Maine. I’ve spoken to the AIA crowd, and they are coming around. But it really is amazing how pervasive the “houses need to breathe” myth is.
I am shocked by those numbers, considering how much attention is going toward air sealing now. However most architects & builders just don’t understand why besides energy savings. A lot of education is still needed for our industry to get things right in regards to IAQ for our homes.
Thanks Josh & I am to, especially considering the location & individuals attending. I almost got to wonder if it isn’t part of the BPI/WX culture going don’t seal it past 35 or we have to…
First off, I am not in the building / remodeling field at all – I just enjoy reading this blog to learn. So that being said:
I am part of the large group that thinks, probably incorrectly from what I am reading, that a house does need to breathe (not for the houses sake but for those that reside in it). Wouldn’t you need to allow a house to breathe so that you can allow Radon and other gases and/or chemicals (perhaps from new carpets) to leave the house?
Well first off thanks for the kind comments & the question. I am not going to be able to answer all of this here, but I should have a post (or two) up within a few weeks to actually cover this exact topic more in depth.
With that said, there are 5 main ventilation strategies;
Active (where you open a window, leave a door open, use a swamp cooler, whole house fan, etc…)
Passive (aka letting the house breathe – where you allow stack effect, wind, etc… to introduce “fresh” air to the house through your basement, crawl space, attic & other cracks & crevices / the BPI/WX approach mentioned below)
Then there are 3 types of mechanical strategies; Exhaust only, Pressurize, & Balanced all with their own pros & cons
For some prior articles & pieces until I can get the piece done;
I have briefly touched on the issue on why passive isn’t so hot (slides 35-37 https://thehtrc.com/2013/making-the-jump-to-the-aerc )
As for the radon issue let me point you to this article here & especially the “How it Enters” & “Tip” section right below it https://thehtrc.com/2013/common-sense-building-build-radon-out
As for getting VOC’s out caused by carpets, paints, etc… I got to say, active ventilation is hands down the best https://thehtrc.com/2012/ventilation-strategies-renovating-retrofitting-work
Thank you for your quick response and thanks for the time you took to answer my question and provide some information that I can review while I wait for the in-depth post.
Sean: who is the audience for this survey?
Well Peter they are free webinars open to anyone interested in “green” – with that I did see a bunch of builders, specialty trades, & architects attending.
I was going to say, usually a lot of architects use it as a free resource for continuing education for AIA & GBCI. I am curious on how many were in attendance.
Wow. I guess I’m not surprised, but even more of a spear in the chest given that it is from professionals.
Peter, there is really good information that is being produced & taught to the weatherization industry through BPI & RESNET that is not making it to the design & construction industry that should. There is still a lot of confusion about how structures should “breathe”.
Josh–I’m aware, but guess I just didn’t expect the numbers to be quite that skewed. I may be biased by the low load/tight building crowd that is making real inroads here in Maine. I’ve spoken to the AIA crowd, and they are coming around. But it really is amazing how pervasive the “houses need to breathe” myth is.