| "If your eyes, nose or throat are irritated, or you | | | | become breeding grounds for fungi and bacteria, |
| have a stuffy nose, headaches or chronic fatigue, | | | | which are then distributed throughout the house. |
| you could be living in one."IMPROPER USE and | | | | In 1976 a bacteria entered the air conditioning |
| storage of solvents, cleaners, paints and fuels are | | | | system of a hotel in Philadelphia, killing 29 people |
| some of the more common and easily identifiable | | | | at a Legion convention (it was labelled Legionaire's |
| causes of environmental illnesses in Canadian | | | | Desease).THE BOTTOM LINE: How do you know |
| homes.OTHERS CAN BE MORE DIFFICULT to | | | | if your house is sick? Health experts agree that if |
| diagnose. In more than one case, improperly | | | | more than one person in the family complains of |
| constructed stairwells in attached garages have | | | | the same symptoms, or if symptoms in even |
| led to exhaust fumes entering the basement. | | | | one person disappear when they leave the home |
| These fumes can be drawn into a return air duct | | | | - you have a problem. When a house is suspect, |
| and distributed throughout the house by the | | | | you should sniff the air for odors upon entry |
| forced-air heating system. In lower | | | | from outdoors, and look for telltale signs like |
| concentrations, you may not be able to smell the | | | | blocked air ducts,smudges around supply or return |
| fumes, but they can lead to headaches, fatigue | | | | diffusers, mouldy basements or closets, and |
| and nausea.BURNING LUNGS AND DIZZINESS are | | | | elevated humidity levels. Ensure an adequate |
| among the complaints from residents of homes | | | | exchange of air - ideally, the entire volume of air |
| with new carpeting. Most manufactured products | | | | in a home should be fully exchanged with outdoor |
| go through a period of off-gassing following | | | | air every two hours. This is difficult to measure, |
| production, and the shorter the time between | | | | but if your home is tightly sealed and you don't |
| manufacture and installation in your home, the | | | | have some sort of mechanical ventilator (HRV, |
| worse the effect. Many people report similar | | | | etc.) you're quite likely breathing stale air.FOR |
| symptoms after only a few minutes in a | | | | MORE INFORMATION:Environment General |
| furniture, carpeting or hardware store.DURING | | | | Information |
| THE OIL CRISIS in the early 1970's, we started | | | | Ministry of the Environment |
| to build houses to be airtight, and recyled indoor | | | | District Office |
| air to lower heating and cooling costs. Pollutants | | | | 470 Dundas Street East |
| can build up and cause sick-building syndrome | | | | Belleville, OntarioFOR FREE LITERATURE:CMHC |
| (SBS), a litany of symptoms including itchy eyes, | | | | Publications |
| stuffy nose, fatigue, headaches and inability to | | | | Canada Mortage & Housing Corp. |
| concentrate.THE WORLD HEALTH | | | | 700 Montreal Road, |
| ORGANIZATION (WHO) reports that about one in | | | | Kingston, Ontario |
| every three new or renovated buildings is "sick". | | | | K1A 0P7Kingston CMHC area rep. |
| An Ontario Ministry of the Environment study | | | | 1-613-547-0066Copyright Gil Strachan - All rights |
| conducted in 1990 concluded "indoor air quality | | | | reserved.Gil Strachan is a professional home |
| appears to be two to five times worse than | | | | inspector, representing Electrospec Home |
| outdoor air quality".WITH BUILDING ENVELOPES | | | | Inspection Services in east-central Ontario, Canada |
| SEALED TIGHT, the use of air conditioners has | | | | since 1994. Visit to learn more about home |
| increased, and in some homes as much as 90 | | | | inspections."The Home Reference Book" |
| percent of the air is recylcled. Hazardous | | | | You can probably find a home inspection for a |
| substances build up in the air - cleaning solutions, | | | | little less than what we ask, but you probably |
| radon gas from the earth, formaldehyde from | | | | won't find the Home Reference Book. A $60 |
| manufactured items, hydrocarbons from wood | | | | value, this solutions-oriented reference tool comes |
| heating, and a list as long as your arm from | | | | free with every inspection we perform.It's the |
| tobacco smoke. Left unattended, the damp | | | | first tool you should have around the house! |
| interiors and dirty filters of air conditioners | | | | |