Although most building owners are unaware of current building stock energy efficiency programs, they can significantly affect the indoor environment of buildings.
Widely viewed as the latest trend in home remodeling, home performance improvement takes a holistic approach to home improvement where improvements to improve energy efficiency directly affect comfort, health and safety in the building. In fact, the mainstream view in building science is to intentionally control indoor air quality through effective energy efficiency improvement. This is accomplished by executing specific steps. Here are 4 basic steps consistent with this view:
1. Tighten the building envelope by sealing, caulking, and insulating to create a sealed boundary between indoor and outdoor air.
2. Reducing or eradicating the sources of pollutants (toxins) found in the building is one of the easiest ways to treat to improve air quality, keeping them away whenever possible. Also, vent all burning appliances to the outside.
3. Keep indoor humidity within a healthy range To reduce sources of mold, high humidity areas in the building such as the bathroom and kitchen should be adequately ventilated. Bathroom fans located on the walls or ceiling should exhaust air outside, not just into the attic, for example. Kitchen range hoods should always be vented directly to the outside, forget about the so-called useful carbon filter.
4. Intentionally introduce fresh air into the building by using a mechanical ventilation system, whenever the home has one. In fact, commit to treating the air like you treat water: clean water is essential to our health, so we monitor it carefully. Fresh air is also essential, but in most homes (compared to being in the office), we don’t pay attention to controlling it. By keeping unwanted air out and intentionally bringing in fresh air, a healthier and more controlled indoor environment would be achieved.
Together, these 4 basic steps reduce heating and cooling costs, reduce uncomfortable drafts, minimize airborne toxins, control moisture content, and generally provide a healthier, safer indoor environment that is comfortable.