Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

There are 3 key elements to solving indoor pollution problems and creating a healthy indoor environment in the long-term. They are:

• Elimination

  The first step to a healthier home is to eliminate offending chemicals from the indoor environment. This can be as simple as removing old paintpots, cleaning chemicals, etc from under the sink. When dustmites are a problem, eliminating products such as carpets and curtains can be of great benefit. Using paints that do not contain any VOC's (such as the Dulux Breath Easy paint) is definitely a major step in the right direction.

• Separation

  If products can not be eliminated from the house for whatever reason, it will be necessary to separate them from the inside environment and our airways. This way, the chemicals,and their offgassing, cannot reach our lungs and therefore posing little risk to our health. An example of separation is the complete laminating of the kitchen cupboards, doors and benchtops. By laminating all sides, the formaldehyde, present in the medium density fibreboard (MDF), will be trapped and will not be released into the environment. Another example is the use of fibreglass insulation batts. The ADA technique (Airtight Drywall Approach) ensures that any fibres stay where they belong: behind the plasterboard. This technique is well practised in North America and Europe.

• Ventilation

  Although natural ventilation ( opening windows, external doors or wall registers) has it's benefits, the biggest drawback is the lack of control for the homeowner. Air will flow in and out of the house at will, depending on the whim of Mother Nature. When there is no wind, there is no ventilation. Another drawback is the loss of energy.To guarantee a supply of fresh air throughout the house, a balanced, ducted mechanical ventilation system is required. The Energy Recovery Ventilator is one such system . It introduces fresh, filtered air from the outside and at the same time, removes polluted, moist air from the house. During this air exchange it also recovers over 70 % of the energy (heat or cool) that would normally be lost in the outgoing stale air and controls the humidity level in the house. The benefits of controlled humidity are: limiting dustmite growth, elimination of moulds and mildews and prevention of chemical off-gassing.