Carbon Monoxide (CO) Detectors

Home Inspectors will make note of the absence of smoke detectors but will hesitate to speculate on their working order and service life. Most inspectors will do the same for carbon monoxide (CO) detectors.

CMHC recommends every home have at least one CO detector. If you live in an older house with an older furnace, I suspect CMHC would strongly recommend the installation of a detector.

The quality and service life of CO detectors vary considerably but minimum performance standards must be met by manufactures. On top of reading the warranty it is suggested the CO detector be replaced every 5 years.

Installing a CO detector does not mean you don't have to inspect and maintain your gas and wood burning appliances. Installation should be viewed as a back-up precaution.

Calgary is a cold city and our furnaces go hard during the winter. That time of the year is approaching and it might be a good idea to give some thought to checking, replacing or buying a new detector.

Handbook on Indoor Radon

The United Nation's World Health Organization has concluded that radon is a worldwide health risk in homes. It is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. Recommendations are contained in the "Handbook on Indoor Radon: A Public Health Perspective". Scroll down for the free download.

Indoor Air Quality

Since the birth of my son I have made an effort to better inform myself about the Indoor Air Quality of our home. I just read a great article titled, The Current State of the Science: Health Effects and Indoor Environmental Quality. The abstract starts out,

"Our understanding of the relationship between human health and the indoor environment continues to evolve. Previous research on health and indoor environments has tended to concentrate on discrete pollutant sources and exposures and on specific disease processes. Recently, efforts have been made to characterize more fully the complex interactions between the health of occupants and the interior spaces they inhabit..."

You can read the rest at Healthy Living Education Resource Site.

Radon in Calgary Homes

The percentage of Calgary homes with Radon Daughter Concentration 0.02WL and higher was 0.08 in 1980. This study was undertaken by R.G McGregor (1980). The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) advises concentrations over 0.02WL are considered a concern.

Radon has been linked to Lung Cancer but there is considered debate over Radon levels in the home and the actual impact on occupant's health.

Nevertheless, Health Canada suggests, since there is some risk at any level, homeowners may want to reduce their exposure to radon, regardless of levels tested.


Source: The Canadian Centre of Occupational Health and Safety

Radon & Canadian Building Codes

"Radon rules likely to be included in National Building Code" writes Peter Kenter, a correspondent at the Journal of Commerce.

"Tough new Health Canada recommendations on radon exposure may soon affect forming and foundation contractors, if proposed changes to the 2010 National Building Code (NBC) take effect."

"Radon is a colourless, odourless gas formed in soil, rock and groundwater as radium decays.

“Recent scientific evidence has conclusively linked long-term exposure to high levels of radon to a higher incidence of lung cancer, said Gary Holub, a Health Canada media relations officer."

Read the rest at The Journal of Commerce - Western Canada's Construction News Paper.

Vermiculite

Vermiculite was once a very controversial insulation product that was used in many Calgary homes. What is the Zonolite man doing wrong in the picture below?

Vermiculite, is not as dangerous as some people made it out to be... but, if your attic has it and you need to go up there - I would wear a dust mask, a long sleeve shirt and gloves.

Relevant links are posted below.




Vermiculite - CBC National
Vermiculite Attic Insulation

Calgary's Dirty Secret

Turns out Calgary is a bit of a mold factory. Mold needs moisture and there are a lot of leaky roofs and foundations in Calgary.

Some Calgary Architects, Engineers, Builders and trades people really dropped the ball.

To be fair, a lot of Building Material Manufacturing companies have been long on promises and short on performance.

To quote Mike Holmes, "Make it Right".

Global TV Calgary has a four part series on the topic.

Part One - Industry insiders are blowing the whistle on a growing number of leaky homes and condos in our city.

Pine Shakes Information

This is from the Alberta Government Municipal Affairs website.

It is wise practice to have all roofs using wood shakes or shingles, including those made of untreated pine shakes, inspected by a qualified person at least annually.

If black spots or other indications of fungus appear on an untreated pine shake roof, a qualified person should inspect the roof promptly. As with other wood on or in a building, if shakes become infested with fungus, this could lead to safety and health issues.

Dew Point and Mold

The Dew Point is the temperature to which the air must be cooled before it becomes saturated. When it is saturated, it is holding all the water vapor it is able to hold. The dew point cannot be higher than the temperature. It can be the same, but not higher

Warm air can hold more water than cold air or said another way, as air cools, it loses its ability to hold water. The dew point (the temperature at which moisture will condense out of the air) correlates with absolute humidity 100%.

The dew point is an indication of how much water vapor is in the air. The more water vapor, the closer the dew point is to the temperature. When the air becomes saturated, the dew point and the temperature are the same.

Understanding the dew point is one step in better understanding where mold might come from in your home. Certified Industrial Hygienist Barry Westbrook writes in the American Home Inspectors Directory,

"Dew point is the other scientific principle necessary to understand the mold phenomenon. For water vapor in the air to condense onto a surface, the temperature of that surface must be below the dew point. At that point, the air is 100% saturated and can no longer hold all the moisture. The air begins to drop some of the water onto the surface as condensation. The colder the surface, the more condensation will form. That is why there is usually more mold underneath bathrooms and kitchens. These floors are not insulated as well as carpeted floors, and become very cool in the summertime.

New House Smell ?

"Do you love the "new" smell? That interior of a new car, a freshly painted room or a newly installed carpet? Experts are discovering that the new smell carries chemicals you breathe that can be harmful to your health..."

Mike Holmes (the rock star of the home renovation industry) has written a great article for the National Post about Off-Gassing. As a father of a young baby, I found it very informative. You can read the rest here.