Understanding
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
Indoor Air Quality is a science that has been receiving much publicity in the mass media. According to Health Canada, we Canadians, we spend almost 90% of our time in indoor environments and for the most part, we are unaware of the effects that poor indoor air quality can have on their
health.
Indoor air quality is a multi-faceted problem, where more than one issue can contribute to the deterioration of the air in a home or office. Terms like Sick Building Syndrome or Toxic Building Syndrome have often been used to decribe this problem.
"Indoor Air Quality" involves exposure to many types of biological
factors including dust, pollen, bacteria, viruses, dust mites, roaches, rodents, mould or fungus, along with their decomposed parts; gases such as radon gas, ozone ( from electrostatic air cleaners), carbon dioxide (CO2), tobacco smoke, even incense.
Other factors that could impact the air quality are those man made products that contain semi-volatile or volatile organic compounds (VOC's) such as new carpets, paints varnishes, press board furniture, room air fresheners, cleaning products and formaldehyde from wet or decaying building materials or pesticides.
Poor ventilation in a home or work place can contribute to a number of health related problems. Contributing factors focus on natural links to the air-tightness of building envelopes, air movement in
buildings and thermal comfort.
The medical aspects of poor ventilation and indoor air quality are well documented on reliable websites such as the The Lung Association, Health Canada, the Canadian Centre
for Occupational Health and Safety and The Asthma Society of Canada.
Finding a Solution to Indoor Air Quality Problems
In some cases, where visible mould is present, the obvious starting place would be to have the mould removed, either yourself or professionally. If the area involved is less that 3 square meters,then in most cases, this can be done as a do-it yourself project. ** Please remember that even small areas of mould are potentially harmful, and face masks, gloves and eye protection should be worn.
If the area is greater than 3 square meters, or if you have cleaned the mould and the mould has come back, then a full environmental assessment should be conducted.
In cases where there is no obvious signs of mould, but there is a persistent odour, or if there have been incidents of water intrusion, flooding or previous renovations, a full environmental inspection will be required to determine the source or sources of the problem.
Based on the evidence found during the inspection, options for solving the problem can be provided. The plan could recommend abatement (cleaning and removal) or remediation, as a first step.
Other solutions
generally involve fixing the cause of the air quality problem such as repair or replacement of damaged structural components,
replacing or installing air filters, dehumidification, ventilation and the control of moisture.
See Mold in the News for more information on Indoor Air Quality
Our team of specialists are Certified Indoor Air Quality Specialists, Certified Mould Inspectors and Certified Microbial
Remediators and Certified for Radon Measurement
Servicing the following areas: The Greater Vancouver area, The Lower Mainland; Abbotsford, Burnaby, Chilliwack, Coquitlam, Delta, Deep Cove, Hope, Ladner, Langley, Maple Ridge, Mission, North Vancouver, Pemberton, Powell River, Richmond, Squamish, Surrey, West Vancouver, White Rock, Whistler
Call for an appointment.
- Telephone: (778) 786-1552
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