You are here: Home / Archives for allergies

Remarkable Benefits Of An HEPA Filter Home Air Purifier

By

A HEPA home air purifier is an effective choice when it comes to your household’s well being. There are numerous rewards to using a HEPA air purifier and you will probably typically recognize all these benefits inside the first few weeks. Anybody who relates to symptoms of asthma, allergy symptoms, or persistent chest colds should consider investing in one of these brilliant “phenomenal” systems. Most consumers see a substantial decrease in their symptoms in particular allergy sufferers. Visualize having the capacity to breathe easily in your house again.

HEPA air cleaners tend to be most known for how effectively they thoroughly clean air, filtering out 99.997% of all the particles. Nevertheless it is not all that they can do effectively. There are many benefits you’ll receive from the device. You will see that you sleep better, you get sick less often, and many consumers have claimed they can concentrate far better and just get more done on the whole.

A person with difficulty in breathing appreciates how frightening an allergy or asthma attack is. It may strike anytime, and quite often problems happen as you try to get to sleep at night, continually waking you up. Then when you do not get adequate rest, your entire day can be ruined. And the cycle continues on night after night. If you have a HEPA air cleaner one can stop this cycle. By simply blocking out all those contaminants in the atmosphere which have an affect on you, you will subsequently reduce your signs and symptoms.

Give some thought to how hard it usually is to get something accomplished that needs exertion when you just got a couple of hours of sleep the evening before. You undoubtedly can not focus, rather you desire rest and concentrating on how lousy you actually feel. It is an dreadful feeling, no doubt. Clean fresh air is definitely the answer, and an air cleanser is just what you need to clean the atmosphere in your home.

Many customers are convinced that they get sick less often. It is a common advantage when you are not inhaling things that trigger allergies and also other damaging particles floating around. Undoubtedly you are able to absolutely see why HEPA air purifiers are such a effective investment decision. Not only can your house be more cozy, but you plus your family’s health will get countless blessings.

There are numerous styles in the marketplace and it looks like each year there is some new innovation in the systems. Don’t allow that to discourage you though. You will find plenty of information on the web to help you make a choice and choose the unit that’s going to work most effectively for your needs and your house.

There are many benefits of hepa purifiers. Find out how buying hepa filters can be good for you and your family.

Filed Under: Asthma and Allergies, Healthy Home Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Green Homes | The Basic 10 of Green Construction Part IV

By Leave a Comment

The 6 aspects of good green construction that we’ve discussed in parts I through III of this series all have a direct affect on energy conservation, a large part of green building. These next two components address building a healthy home and reducing the usage and subsequent cost of water.

7 – Water. Water conservation is another integral part of green construction. Only 3 percent of all water on earth is fresh, and 2 percent of that is frozen in icecaps and glaciers. Selecting low-flow fixtures, low-flush commodes, and installing low-volume irrigation all contribute to preserving one of the earth’s most precious resources.

Low-flow fixtures, defined as those that supply less than the standard 2.2 gpm (gallons per minute) for a sink faucet, 2.5 gpm for a showerhead, and less than 1.6 gpf (gallons per flush) for the toilets, are now offered by many companies.

Advances in technology have made significant improvements in the performance of these products. To make it easy to find and select water-efficient products with good performance, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has introduced its WaterSense® program, a label that’s backed by independent testing and certification. Click here for a list of qualified low-flow products.

Irrigation is listed as the largest guzzler of household water. Green construction considers either eliminating the need for irrigation through the use of drought-tolerant turf, plants, and trees, or utilizing low-volume irrigation methods and efficient design to drastically reduce water usage while improving coverage. To find a professional proficient in water-conserving irrigation design and installation, visit the Irrigation Association. Ask your potential suppliers if they have taken the training courses and have experience designing and/or installing low-volume, efficient systems.

The three components of efficient irrigation include:

A reduced need for water: Reduce the need for irrigation by selecting native and site-appropriate plants and turf.

An efficient irrigation design: Implement an efficient design with features that include low-volume planting-bed irrigation, turf/bed zone separation, and sprinkler heads directed so that only turf and plants are being watered, not driveways and sidewalks.

Improved irrigation scheduling: Select an irrigation controller that provides the programming flexibility to water at the proper times, in the proper amounts for your area.

As discussed in last month’s article, Energy Star® dishwashers and washing machines also contribute to water conservation.

Rain harvesting through the use of cisterns is growing across the United States. Massive amounts of water can be captured from roof runoff, stored in cisterns, and utilized for irrigation, clothes washing, or flushing toilets. For more information visit The American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association, or The Rainwater Harvesting Community.

8 – Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). According to the EPA, indoor air quality is three to five times worse than outdoor air quality. The American Lung Association says that an estimated 34.1 million Americans have been diagnosed with asthma in their lifetime by a health professional. In 2006, over 6.8 million children under age 18 had asthma making it the leading chronic illness of children in the United States. Both asthma and allergies are exacerbated by poor indoor air quality.

Selecting products and features that contribute to indoor air quality is an important part of creating a green home. There are several components in this area from which to choose. The following are just a few:

Central vacuum system: Research at the University of California, Davis, showed that a prominent brand central vacuum removed allergens and reduced allergy symptoms by 47 percent for nasal, 48 percent for non-nasal, 61 percent for eye, and 44 percent for sleep. The EPA has acknowledged this product as an indoor-air-quality enhancer.

Low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) products: Many products such as flooring, paint, countertops, cabinetry, caulks, sealants, adhesives, and some insulation emit chemicals into the air in the form of gases. These chemicals, such as formaldehyde (a classified carcinogen), are known as VOCs. The good news is that low- or no-VOC options for all of these products are readily available.

Sealing the HVAC registers upon completion of the ductwork installation is a very simple, inexpensive procedure that contributes to improved IAQ. By preventing construction dust and debris from settling in the ductwork during the building process, the homeowner won’t be breathing in this mess (or cleaning up the dust) when the system is turned on.



***************************************************************************

Guest Writer Tracy DeCarlo

Tracy DeCarlo is author of The Difference is in the Details: The Homeowner’s Planning Guide for Building a Functional Home and owner of One Stop Green Home Certification.

Click Here To Purchase The Book

Green building tips by Tracy DeCarlo & Curt Roese, Orlando Green Home and realty specialists.

Filed Under: Green Homes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Cork Flooring – One Green Option For Your Home

By Leave a Comment

healthy-homesChoosing the right floor is an important part of putting together a green home. It’s about more than just picking a floor that’s produced in a sustainable, responsible manner. You also need to pay attention to how your body reacts to the floors you walk and stand on. There are lots of options out there, but not all of them are healthy and good for use, as well as for the environment. Cork flooring is one option that’s both ecologically friendly and inviting.

Conventional flooring products are neither attractive, or eco-friendly. Most of them are also bad for our health. For instance – the majority of floor covering in the US is nylon carpet. This substance wears badly, and tends to off gas volatile organic compounds, which are hazardous to our health. Once nylon carpet is removed from a home, it’s disposed of in a landfill, since it’s not biodegradable.

Vinyl flooring, such as you’ll see in many bathrooms and kitchens, has similar problems. Phthalates found in this material have been blamed for problems in child development. Synthetic laminate woods aren’t much better. While they use recycled lumber waste, this mostly goes into them in the form of fiber board, a short lived product that contains a lot of formaldehyde. Hardwood floors are healthier and fully natural, but may not have been produced sustainably. You should also pay attention to the finish that’s used on any hardwood floors – most are petroleum based and bad for air quality.

Cork as a flooring is solid, sustainable, and long lasting. This material comes from the bark of the Mediterranean cork oak, harvested by hand about once every ten years. Cork grows back without harming the tree, and the tree itself can live for over two centuries. That makes cork one of the greenest possible options, since even the excess material gets used in bottle corks. You can get different colors and textures, depending on how the cork has been treated, and the material is naturally resistant to insect damage, moisture, and fire.

Cork also has many insulating problems, both for heat and sound. It’s gentle to walk on, sparing your back, knees, and feet. Just remember to pay attention to how your cork floor has been installed. Some urethane finishes may contain VOCs, much like other petroleum based products. Wax is a safer option, but it’s less durable. For cork, installation in a glue less tongue and groove style is recommended.

Since cork is a hypo allergenic material, it’s good for use in playrooms and kids’ bedrooms, as well as for people who suffer from allergies to other materials. Remember that cork isn’t a permanent type of flooring. It can be scratched, and needs to be replaced after about ten years. High traffic areas will wear faster, and lower traffic ones may last longer. Resealing your cork floor may also be necessary, but a well sealed floor can be mopped or cleaned with gentle, non abrasive cleansers.

Filed Under: Green Homes, Healthy Home, Healthy Home Featured Tagged With: , , , ,

Indoor Air Quality

By Leave a Comment

Can be More Polluted Than the Biggest Cities of the World

Scientific evidence shows us that that the indoor air quality of our homes and other buildings can be more unhealthy than the polluted outdoor air of the largest and most industrialized cities on our planet. Research demonstrates that we spend an average of 90 percent of our time indoors, whether it is home, office or other building. Health risks may be far more substantial than given thought due to chronic exposure to indoor air pollution indoors. The first step in resolving any air quality issues in your home is to conduct an air quality test by either purchasing an indoor air quality test for homes or hiring a professional to evaluate your home air-quality.

Indoor air pollution comes from many sources in the home and can be a health risk to anyone in the home, whether it is a multi-million dollar mansion or a small condo off Main Street, USA. Negative health effects might be fairly immediate, as in a toxic reaction, chronic allergies, or even unexplained headaches and fatigue. In addition, detrimental health effects might not show up for many years, long after the initial exposure and manifest as chronic fatigue, cancers and respiratory diseases.

Some of the most common indoor air quality busters are sources of combustion (oil, wood, kerosene, tobacco), building materials and furnishings, out-dated asbestos insulation, household cleaning products, central heating and cooling systems as well as outdoor sources such as radon and pesticides.

The first step is to evaluate your home for pollutants. Once you have feedback from the indoor air quality test for homes evaluation, changes can be made. If you have a substantial amount of pollutants, there are citywide agencies to help eliminate an air pollution problem in your home.

Filed Under: Healthy Home Tagged With: , , , ,

Asthma & Allergies – Clear Your Home of Asthma Triggers!

By Leave a Comment

Asthma & Allergy

Asthma is a serious lung disease, during an attack, the airways get narrow, making it difficult to breathe. About 17 million Americans have Asthma and it is the leading cause of long-term illness in children. In addition to consulting a doctor, you can make a difference by reducing allergens and irritants that are common in homes. The following is a list of some of the most common asthma triggers and suggestions to eliminate them from your home.

Secondhand smoke
Asthma can be triggered by the smoke from the burning end of a cigarette, pipe, or cigar and the smoke breathed out by a smoker.

  • Choose not to smoke in your home or car and do not allow others to do so either.

    • Dust mites
    Dust mites are too small to be seen but are found in every home. Dust mites live in mattresses, pillows, carpets, fabric-covered furniture, bedcovers, clothes, and stuffed toys.

    • Wash sheets and blankets once a week in hot water.
    • Choose washable stuffed toys, wash them often in hot water, and dry thoroughly. Keep stuffed toys off beds.
    • Cover mattresses and pillows in dust-proof (allergen-impermeable) zippered covers.

    Pets
    Your pet’s skin flakes, urine, and saliva can be asthma triggers.

    • Consider keeping pets outdoors or even finding a new home for your pets, if necessary.
    • Keep pets out of the bedroom and other sleeping areas at all times, and keep the door closed.
    • Keep pets away from fabric-covered furniture, carpets, and stuffed toys.

    Molds
    Molds grow on damp materials. The key to mold control is moisture control. If mold is a problem in your home, clean up the mold and get rid of excess water or moisture. Lowering the moisture also helps reduce other triggers, such as dust mites and cockroaches.

    • Wash mold off hard surfaces and dry completely. Absorbent materials, such as ceiling tiles and carpet, with mold may need to be replaced.
    • Fix leaky plumbing or other sources of water.
    • Keep drip pans in your air conditioner, refrigerator, and dehumidifier clean and dry.
    • Use exhaust fans or open windows in kitchens and bathrooms when showering, cooking, or using the dishwasher.
    • Vent clothes dryers to the outside.
    • Maintain low indoor humidity, ideally between 30-50% relative humidity. Humidity levels can be measured by hygrometers which are available at local hardware stores.

    Pests
    Droppings or body parts of pests such as cockroaches or rodents can be asthma triggers.

    • Do not leave food or garbage out.
    • Store food in airtight containers.
    • Clean all food crumbs or spilled liquids right away.
    • Try using poison baits, boric acid (for cockroaches), or traps first before using pesticidal sprays.

    If sprays are used:

    • Limit the spray to infested area.
    • Carefully follow instructions on the label.
    • Make sure there is plenty of fresh air when you spray, and keep the person with asthma out of the room.
    Filed Under: Asthma and Allergies Tagged With: , , , , ,