11–20 of 133 posts
Air tight homes and health problems. https://www.cibsejournal.com/news/airtight-new-homes-creatin...
Why showering?
I understand that the construction materials were chosen to be healthier, but wouldn’t it be even better to have a ‘loose’ house with those same materials?
I understand that the construction materials were chosen to be healthier, but wouldn’t it be even better to have a ‘loose’ house with those same materials?
This is however, very much in theory, since as far as I can tell we're still in the early stages of figuring out how to do airtight houses well. My home was built in ~2006 and has an unhealthy CO2 build-up if I close the windows, since it has no active ventilation whatsoever.
Air tight homes and health problems. https://www.cibsejournal.com/news/airtight-new-homes-creatin...
> "The unit has produced a public awareness film urging people to ventilate their homes properly by ‘keeping vents or windows open when cooking, showering and cleaning..." Why showering?
Air tight homes and health problems. https://www.cibsejournal.com/news/airtight-new-homes-creatin...
> "The unit has produced a public awareness film urging people to ventilate their homes properly by ‘keeping vents or windows open when cooking, showering and cleaning..." Why showering?
Air tight homes and health problems. https://www.cibsejournal.com/news/airtight-new-homes-creatin...
> "The unit has produced a public awareness film urging people to ventilate their homes properly by ‘keeping vents or windows open when cooking, showering and cleaning..." Why showering?
Ideally you want external exhausting vent fans in every kitchen and bathroom, although lots of places have nothing at all or only internal vent fans.
Air tight homes and health problems. https://www.cibsejournal.com/news/airtight-new-homes-creatin...
At the same time, the theory isn't always embodied correctly. The ventilation design may be poor or make wrong assumptions (like requiring bedroom doors to be open) or the homeowner may unwittingly turn it off or not change the filter periodically.
I have a ~40 year old house that has some energy-efficient features, but ultimately isn't very tight and doesn't need ventilation. I still hope to install an ERV in the next few years, though, just because I think the benefits of good ventilation will be so strong.
How much does this construction cost vs. standard building? Looks like it could be relatively cost competitive.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> "The unit has produced a public awareness film urging people to ventilate their homes properly by ‘keeping vents or windows open when cooking, showering and cleaning..." Why showering?
I assume, steam causing moisture build up and associated mould and rot. That's a problem easily solved with a $20 exhaust fan though.
If you’re in a warmish climate (like the SF bay area), you probably don’t want to insulate the concrete slab. You get lots of passive heating of the slab in winter already, and having the ground suck that heat out is a win almost year round. South facing windows can be designed with an eave, etc to lower passive heating in the summer and increase it in the winter. There are reference maps for this, and an architect can work out the passive heating projections for you.
We opted for different insulation (there are new eco friendly spray foams, and rockwool is nice for moisture resistance, etc). We didn’t do the split stud double frame thing, but we’re not in Wisconsin, and the R value for the house is already overkill (with an insulation budget that was a tiny fraction of the cost of the house).