Is your home making you sick?
In our last blog we touched on humidity control ( IAQ) and how we optimize the indoor environment for your family’s health by . Starting with NET ZERO specification we seal the house tightly, then to be a truly HIGH PERFORMANCE home we ensure that despite the bone dry outside winter air, the indoor humidity is set for maximum health benefits!
Did you know that the humidity of your home’s air effects your health? The right humidity can:
- reduce viruses/bacteria
- increase sleep quality
- increase alertness/decrease brain fog
- give overall health benefits.
In 2007, in a Globe and Mail article, Mike Holmes decried the R2000 building program (the foundation of our current building code) as he said it made the house “too tight” as it needs, as he went on, “to breathe”. This idea has now been debunked as research clearly shows an “air-tight” house is essential for controlling indoor environment for maximum occupant health and comfort.
In a TECH TALK in fall 2019, Dr. Stephanie Taylor, an MD as well as an Architect and expert on indoor air quality, presented a webinar to American Heating Engineers. In it she underscores the need for humidity control as absolutely essential for the health of occupants. A must see video for any interested in a HEALTHY INDOOR ENVIRONMENT! Dr. Taylor’s findings are represented in the graph below summarizing the health benefits of keeping a relative humidity between 40% and 60%.**
See Dr. Taylor’s presentation here.
Each home is different and each family’s needs and goals are individual. At our Ennisclare Project a steam humidifier was chosen which will provide precise humidity control in the cold months. This unit will produce more than enough humidity to not only protect occupant health but hardwood, furniture and musical instruments!!
But where your health is concerned, getting it right is one of our top priorities and keeping up with best practices so we can design your home to give your family maximum health and comfort is something we take very seriously! You’ll read more in our future blogs on the many ways we build to keep your family safe and thriving.
Follow along with all the updates about this specific project or read more about Healthy Green Building.
Are you ready to build a healthy dream home? We’d be happy to help you. Get in touch with us today to book a consultation.
**(a modification of the Sterling Avondale Chart of the 1980’s now revised by Taylor)
