Balanced = Living Magazine - September - October 2005 - Seven Steps to a Healthier = Habitat in the Home

The=20 National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) recommends seven = steps to=20 create and maintain a healthy habitat in the home. =

1. Keep It Dry
A = house with=20 a damp basement, unattended leaks from plumbing fixtures or = roofs=20 and baths or kitchens without fans or those not in regular = use can=20 harbor the moisture it takes to support significant mold = growth.=20 Mold has become the nemesis of many houses. In addition to = damaging=20 a house's structure, mold is a principal trigger for those = suffering=20 from asthma. Properly grading the landscape surrounding the = house,=20 as well as clearing gutters and downspouts can help reduce = moisture=20 entering a house through its foundation. Keeping anything = made out=20 of wood, paper or cardboard away from potentially damp = surfaces can=20 also reduce the chance of mold growth.

2. Keep It = Clean
Carpeting=20 is a depository for all kinds of things tracked in from the = outside.=20 Studies show that lead dust is commonly found in carpets in=20 inner-city neighborhoods, and residue from pesticides and = herbicides=20 is found in carpets in suburbia. A hard-floor surface that = has lead=20 and pesticide residues that have been tracked in may present = an even=20 greater health hazard. To prevent tracking in pollutants = from the=20 outside, remember to remove shoes at the door or use = =93walk-off mats=94=20 on the outside and inside of entryways.

3. Keep It=20 Pest-Free
Droppings from pests = as well=20 as their body parts are major triggers for people with = asthma.=20 Eliminating pests eliminates this threat. Maintaining a dry = home and=20 keeping it clean are two of the most important ways to = reduce pest=20 infestations. A method called Integrated Pest Management = (IPM)=20 avoids introducing toxic chemicals into the home environment = to=20 abate pests. One hundred percent roach removal, without ever = spraying, is one of the most dramatic fruits of this new and = healthier pest-control methodology.

4. Keep It Well=20 Ventilated
As homes become = more=20 air-tight in an effort to reduce energy costs, air exchange = in most=20 homes has become a very important issue. A house needs a = certain=20 number of air changes each hour in order to circulate fresh = air to=20 both the people living there and the combustion appliances = (such as=20 gas furnaces, hot water tanks, dryers and stoves). Building=20 scientists feel a need to install not only fans to help = avoid=20 moisture and control pollutant exhaust, but fans that bring = fresh=20 air into the entire structure on a continuous basis. As a = result,=20 numerous ventilation strategies and equipment are coming to = the=20 new-home market. It is very important that ventilation for = the=20 purpose of bringing in fresh air does not conflict with the=20 exhausting of the combustion by-products of gas or = oil-burning=20 appliances. Modern appliances now commonly use = sealed-combustion.=20 They get their fresh air directly from the exterior of the = house and=20 they exhaust directly to the outside. Thankfully, the = remaining=20 ventilation needs of the home are not compromised.

5. Avoid = Contaminants
   Radon=20 is naturally occurring, colorless, odorless, radioactive gas = emitted=20 from the earth's crust. This gas, which forms a minute = constituency=20 of air near the ground, can seep into a home from the ground = and can=20 lead to lung cancer. Homes in high-risk areas should test = for radon=20 and take appropriate steps if air levels exceed EPA=20 standards.

   Building materials and = furnishings in=20 homes often release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that = over time=20 can cause health conditions that range from respiratory = distress to=20 cancerous conditions. The presence of fire-retardant = chemicals in=20 many furnishings has become a recent consumer concern. Some = of these=20 chemicals are known to be hazardous to health, even though = their=20 purpose is to retard the spread of fire. There is also a = concern=20 over the spraying of personal-care products used in homes. = Of=20 course, smoking is an obvious indoor air-quality=20 problem.

   It is critical to = understand that=20 even the best ventilation system may not effectively remove = all=20 airborne contaminants. Additionally, some air-cleaning = devices now=20 on the market may actually make things worse. The key to = reducing=20 contaminants is being aware of them and removing their = source.=20 Consumers need to be educated about materials that should be = avoided=20 in homes.

6. Keep It Safe
   A = multitude=20 of hazards in a home can cause injury or even death. = Extension cords=20 under a rug is a fire hazard, no railings on stairs and rugs = that=20 slide easily can cause falls, unlocked cabinets with drugs = or=20 chemicals can lead to the poisoning of a child =96 to name = just a few.=20 There has even been a rash of children falling through = window=20 screens from two-story heights and higher. Window guards = that=20 provide protection, yet can be opened by an adult in case of = a fire,=20 can be installed.

7. Keep It Well=20 Maintained
   Occupants in a home = play a=20 critical role in maintaining it in a healthy manner. The = best=20 systems and materials can be put in place, but the homeowner = must be=20 able to use the equipment or materials effectively in order = to=20 prevent matters from growing worse. An unused bath or = kitchen fan is=20 an invitation to mold growth. An unattended sink trap that = leaks for=20 any duration can result in mold growth in the cabinets = beneath it.=20 Poor food waste handling can lead to pest infestation. Pets = that are=20 not properly groomed can become the source of allergens that = can=20 trigger asthma.

   Creating a = healthier home=20 environment is hardly a new subject, but each generation = builds=20 houses with new materials, modern mechanical systems and = newly=20 invented domestic goods. Maintaining an awareness of = possible=20 threats to our safety and health at home is an ever-present=20 challenge. For more information about these steps to = creating and=20 maintaining healthier living spaces, visit the website of = the=20 National Center for Healthy Housing at=20 www.centerforhealthyhousing.org. For additional information = about=20 healthy home habitats, see the website of Environmental = Health=20 Watch, which is a local Cleveland resource, at www.ehw.org.

The NCHH is conducting workshops for = sanitarians,=20 public health nurses and building professionals committed to = doing=20 work that provides a healthier living space. For information = about=20 its next two-day workshop called Essentials in Healthy = Homes:=20 Practitioner Course, which will be held in Columbus, Ohio in = October, contact Tara Jordan at (410) 715-7445 or tjordan@centerforheal= thyhousing.org.=20

Jim LaRue, of The HouseMender, Inc., is a technical = resource=20 to The Cleveland Green Building Coalition, Environmental = Health=20 Watch and the National Center for Healthy Housing. He = provides=20 experience and information regarding =93green=94 or=20 environmentally-friendly residential housing, which is also=20 healthier = housing.