The Healthy House

The Healthy House (2001) by John Bower, is a very well organized reference work on almost everything that needs to be done to ensure a healthy home, i.e. a house with good indoor air quality, free of most gases, odors, particulates, or dust. This comprehensive work is good for anyone interested in living in a healthy home and is essential for anyone who is chemically sensitive or has suffered from sick building syndrome. First, John Bower introduces the reader to indoor air quality and other fundamentals. He then discusses the subsystems contained within a building and explains the different materials and components that go into building a house, specifically the health aspects of each. He follows up with detailed examples of three healthy houses along with a complete section of resource material detailing organizations and suppliers that may be contacted for getting started on creating or recreating a healthy home.

Basically, a healthy house is defined by the indoor air quality. Since most people spend the majority of their time indoors, it is paramount that the quality of air within buildings be clean and free from pollutants. However, "the atmosphere inside most houses is typically 5-10 times worse than the outdoor air, and the concentration of individual air pollutants can easily be 100 times higher indoors than outdoors" (Bower, 2001, p. 21). There are no regulations concerning indoor air pollutants since by law the Environmental Prot

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are harmful to the individual. If the individual is going to build a new home or renovate an old one then they should look for contractors who are familiar with the healthy house concept or are willing to work with the client in determining which materials should be used (Bower, 2001, p. 78). As each new material is used, the person should request a copy of the MSDS and keep it on file for reference in case there are any problems later (p. 91). If the person is relatively healthy, then opting for low-tox materials should ensure good health. If, however, the individual is sensitive then they should then test materials with each step of the process to ensure their tolerance. Since glass is relatively inert, Bower suggests using exposure to glass as a control to compare to other material. For instance when testing paints or finishes, paint them on glass since the glass will not contaminate the paint or finish. To test for outgassing, place the sample in a closed glass jar outdoors. This will accelerate the outgassing that would happen in an enclosed space. The person can then test the effects that outgassing will have on them (Bower, 2001, p. 94-95). Ventilation, the heating and cooling systems, air filtration and tigh

Category: Science - T