AIR QUALITY
The home, where a great deal of our time is spent forms our immediate environment and our well being is significantly determined by it. Indoor air quality has been researched to have a major effect on our health.

A myriad of factors contribute to the quality of the indoor air: the outdoor air, the furnishings, personal products, cleaning chemicals, materials used in the construction/renovation, heating-cooling-ventilation designs, the occupants activities...

There are variables between people's tolerances to contaminants. Some become ill at the minimum polluting levels, while others are more resilient. It is my opinion, and that of many experts that regardless of the intensity of the immediate symptoms felt, stress will invariably take place, affecting the integrity of the immune system, hence our health at large. Many other factors are also part of the process of becoming ill such as nutrition, emotional poise, exercise, rest, etc.

WHAT AFFECTS PEOPLE MOST:
 Formaldehyde Gas released by many glues, building materials and furnishings
 Carbon monoxide gas by improperly vented gas and wood fired appliances
 Soil gases (radon)
 Nitrogen dioxide from unvented gas-kerosene appliances
 Volatile organic compounds from cleaning products (ammonia and chlorine), cooking, hobbies, paints, building materials, etc.
 Fibres and dust from insulation, furnishings, floors, wall decorating, etc.
 Biological contaminants derived from molds and mildews, dust mites, pollen, animal dander, viruses and bacteria.
 Other elements are electromagnetic fields (EMF's), ions, light, thermal conditions, sound and many other factors.

REASONS BUILDING MATERIALS AFFECT PEOPLE:
 Emissions of gases
 Toxicity levels
 Amounts of materials used
 Proximity to occupants

WHO IS AT THE MOST IMMEDIATE RISK?:
 Children
 Elderly
 ILL people
 Pregnant women

WAYS TO IMPROVE INDOOR AIR QUALITY:
 Remove the source of pollutant
 Segregate problematic materials from living quarters
 Ventilate living spaces, etc.

MAIN MATERIALS AND INSTALLATIONS THAT ARE OF A CONTAMINANT NATURE:
Adhesives, barriers (vapour, air, weather, moisture), cabinets and countertops, caulking, doors and windows, electrical (off-gassing and electromagnetic fields), exterior walls, floors, foundations, basements, gaskets, weatherstrip, insulation, interior walls and ceilings, radiant heating systems, paints, coatings, plumbing, roofs.

Therefore, as a summary, we ought to consider the following when building or renovating:
 Avoid using polluting materials. This may not be an easy task, but it is a possible task to become aware and take responsibility for your well being
 Hire an eco-evolved builder who uses natural materials

VENTILATION
For our purpose, this word implies a lot more than it normally does. The main purpose of ventilation is to:
 Supply fresh-clean air to the occupants
 Control humidity levels
 Remove contaminants
 Supply combustion and draft air for fuel burning equipment