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November 3, 2011 by changescapeweb Leave a Comment

Tips for Keeping Your Home Healthy

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Maintaining a healthy home is critical for your family’s welfare – especially now as the weather in St. Louis and St. Charles cools and you begin to spend more time indoors. Applying a few simple solutions now will ensure your indoor living environment is safe and healthy for seasons to come.

Reduce toxins

Less desirable weather may make fall and winter seem like an ideal time to tackle your indoor painting projects. However, you need to be mindful of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in many interior paints and finishes. VOCs are one of the biggest threats to indoor air quality; they include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have both short- and long-term health effects. For indoor jobs, select paint with low or no VOCs to keep your air fresher. Additionally, some houseplants such as ivy and gerbera daisies can help to naturally remove VOCs from your indoor air.

Clean your indoor air

Ragweed and pollen will trigger allergy symptoms for millions of people this fall; however, the worst allergy triggers are often found inside the home. Installing a whole-home air filtration system can help to remove indoor allergens including dust, mildew, pet dander and pollen from the air you breathe. For example, the AccuClean (TM) System by American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning removes up to 99.98 percent of the allergens from your filtered air, so even if it’s allergy season outdoors, your indoor air is crisp and clean.

Prevent mold

During the cooler fall and winter months, people tend to seal up their homes and spend more time inside, which traps moisture and humidity – both significant contributors to indoor mold growth. Maintain healthy indoor humidity levels by venting bathrooms and clothes dryers and using an exhaust fan while cooking. Install an air humidifier to provide year-round control of your indoor moisture level, and keep your home at 50 percent humidity or lower to reduce the chance for mold growth.

Watch out for CO

Protect your indoor living environment from carbon monoxide or CO by installing CO detectors or alarms throughout your home. This fall, make sure your home’s heating system, including items such as a furnace or heat pump, vents and chimney, are inspected and serviced by a professional contractor. And, if there is a fireplace in your home, open the damper before lighting a fire to help prevent the buildup of potentially poisonous gases inside of your home.

Keep a seasonal routine

Most homeowners already know it’s important to test their smoke alarms on a monthly basis, but how often do you change the alarm’s batteries? One way to keep track of alarm maintenance is to make battery changing a seasonal activity. For example, beginning this fall, replace the batteries in your smoke alarms (and CO detectors), every time you reset your clocks.

By taking these simple steps now, you’ll create a safer and healthier home, allowing your family to relax and enjoy all the delights the St. Louis fall season has to offer – both outdoors and indoors.

Used with permission courtesy of Dan Main

Filed Under: Carbon Monoxide, Home Safety, Keeping Your Home Healthy

April 2, 2011 by changescapeweb Leave a Comment

A HIDDEN HAZARD – CARBON MONOXIDE

Spring is the time to change our clock and get ready for the new baseball season, especially here in St. Louis and St. Charles!  And it is also time to think about, and build awareness of, the threat of carbon monoxide poisoning.  I came across a good article about this that I have included below.  As you are thinking about buying or selling a home, please think about protecting your family from the hidden hazard of carbon monoxide.

What is Carbon Monoxide?
Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless, tasteless poisonous gas. When inhaled, it readily enters the bloodstream ultimately depriving the heart and brain of oxygen. Signs of CO poisoning include fatigue, headaches, dizziness, nausea, confusion and irritability. At lower levels of exposure, CO poison is often mistaken for the flu.

Who is at Risk?
Everyone is at risk, but the effects of CO exposure can vary greatly from person to person depending on age, overall health and the concentration and length of exposure. Infants, children, senior citizens and people with heart or lung problems are especially susceptible to CO poisoning.

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Where Does Carbon Monoxide Come From?
CO is a by-product of the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels such as natural or liquefied petroleum (LP) gas, kerosene, oil, gasoline, wood and coal. Sources of CO in the home include heating systems, kitchen ranges and ovens, clothes dryers, water heaters, fireplaces and stoves. Other possible sources include motor vehicles, gas-powered tools and generators, and charcoal grills.

If the burners on heating systems and other equipment are properly adjusted and maintained, adequate air for combustion is provided, and the venting system is working properly, the likelihood of CO is reduced. But if burners are poorly adjusted, there is no combustion air, and/or the venting is faulty, lethal CO levels can develop, especially in a tightly-sealed house.

A car or other motor vehicle should not be started up in a closed garage; but even with the door open there may be enough residual CO to seep into the house. Cooking with a gas range/oven also contributes to indoor CO levels. Ideally, external venting should be provided for the range to minimize the chance of a build-up of carbon monoxide.

Reducing the Hazard
To minimize CO concerns, all fuel-burning systems and venting provisions should be checked annually by a qualified professional, particularly when there are signs of system damage or other potential concerns,. It is also generally recommended that at least one CO alarm be installed in homes with fuel-burning appliances, fireplaces or attached garages. Specific placement guidelines vary, but sleeping areas are the first locations to consider. Additional units can be located in other areas for added protection.

CO Alarms
CO-alarmsCO DetectorWhen purchasing a CO alarm, look for an Underwriters Laboratories (UL) listing on the label. Follow manufacturer installation and maintenance guidelines. Replace batteries at least annually and replace older units, as recommended by the manufacturer (typically when 5 to 7 years old). Also, when considering CO detector placement, don’t forget the need for regular testing of smoke/fire detectors and fire extinguishers.

What to Do if a Carbon Monoxide Detector/Alarm Goes Off?
Never ignore a sounding CO alarm. A CO alarm may indicate elevated levels of CO in the home, even if no one is experiencing symptoms. What needs to be done when an alarm sounds depends on whether or not anyone is feeling ill or obvious signs of a carbon monoxide source are present.

If no one is feeling ill:

  • Turn off all appliances and sources of combustion (e.g., furnaces and fireplaces).
  • Ventilate the house with fresh air by opening doors and windows.
  • Reset the alarm.
  • Call a qualified professional to investigate the source of the possible CO buildup before starting up any CO producing equipment.
  • Realize that the source of CO may be outside your house or apartment.

If illness is a factor or an alarm continues after possible sources of CO have been turned off:

  • Evacuate all occupants immediately.
  • Determine how many occupants are ill and determine their symptoms.
  • Call 911 or your local emergency number and when relaying information, include the number of people feeling ill.
  • Do not allow anyone to re-enter the home until it has been checked for CO or other hazards.
  • Call a qualified professional to repair or correct the source of the CO or other cause of the alarm.

Originally posted at https://enewsletter.housemaster.com/documents/article4_3_2011.html

Filed Under: Carbon Monoxide, Home Safety

April 1, 2011 by changescapeweb Leave a Comment

GO GREEN – CONSIDER ALTERNATIVE CLEANING PRODUCTS

Spring is a time when we think about cleaning and recycling.  I'm sponsoring a shredding / recycle day in St. Charles at the end of April, but also consider the following post that I want to share with you.

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According to the National Environmental Service Center (NESC) it is estimated that the average homeowner may have up to 100 pounds of various types of hazardous household waste products at any time in their home. This includes products that are flammable, combustible, toxic, explosive or corrosive. You are probably well aware of the hazards associated with the improper storage and use of certain products such as gasoline, anti-freeze, pesticides, and varnishes. But other common products such as nail polish remover, charcoal lighter fluid, and fluorescent light bulbs can be hazardous to humans, pets and the environment when used or disposed of improperly.

One way to reduce the need to have these hazardous products around is to use alternate cleaning solutions for everyday home maintenance needs. By reducing your reliance on the potentially hazardous products, you not only reduce the risk of injury to yourself or other family members, but also help the environment.

Two long-used and widely available products, baking soda and vinegar, are good alternatives for many household cleaning products. Baking soda, mixed with water or other products, depending on the particular need, can be used to remove perspiration stains, as a scoring powder to clean plumbing fixtures, and as a general household cleaner. Vinegar can serve as a water softener, pet odor remover, paintbrush softener, and window cleaner. Even baby oil can substitute for harsh chemicals to remove grease and tree sap. Club soda helps remove stains from carpets. Use baking soda with the right mix of vinegar and you have a drain cleaner or tile scum remover.

The National Environmental Service Center  has a technical assistance hotline (800-624-8301) available to answer questions. Environment Canada  also provides information and offers solutions for the disposal of household hazardous waste.

Even alternative products must be used and handled with care. Check with product manufacturers and green product websites for specific recommendations and mixtures. And of course, don’t take any chances; store all cleaning products in a safe and appropriate location.

This article was originally posted at https://enewsletter.housemaster.com/documents/article2_3_2011.html
 

Filed Under: Hazardous Household Waste, Home Safety

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