Indoor Air Quality in the workplace has been a hot topic in recent years. Even in the south we spend much of our time indoors. Many of us work indoors. Poor indoor air quality in public buildings which caused employee illness & building closures finally resulted in changes in building codes mandating major improvements in commercial buildings - NOT SO in the home!
Energy efficiency has been the holy grail of home design since the 80's. Much time and effort has been devoted to designing homes that are "tight". Old homes leaked a lot of air - that is - air came and went through the cracks and other openings in the walls, floors and ceiling. This type of home became unacceptable with rising energy costs, so homes became tighter and energy usage was reduced. The down side to 'tight' homes is that the people who live in them - you and your family - need clean, fresh air.
New homes often have high levels of dust, paint fumes, formaldehyde from carpeting, furnishings & draperies as well as carbon dioxide that is produced by the occupants. Put all that into an "energy efficient" home and it doesn't leave much clean, fresh air.
What can the individual homeowner do?
Define the problems - have your home tested. We have the specialized equipment and expertise to pinpoint your needs and plan a course of corrective action whether it involves airflow, moisture or a combination of indoor air quality issues. Healthy buildings are our business!
Just one of our many diagnostic tools is shown below.
Electronic air capture hoods allow us to measure air flow quantity and velocity.
What is it?
AIR FLOW TESTING & BALANCING:
Buildings with poor air flow often seem uncomfortable due to lack of fresh air. Or there may be rooms that are always hot (or cold) no matter what the temperature in the rest of the building. By using computerized flow hoods to accurately "measure" the airflow, we can determine the source of the problem and adjust the system to achieve the desired air flow. (This may include consulting the plans and/or doing a computerized load calculation.) The focus is health & safety, with comfort and energy savings as a bonus!
