October 17 , 2007 Healthy Buildings

Windows are closing all over Maine, keeping out the chill night air but keeping in a host of molds, toxic gasses, and asthma-inducing particulates. How do we stay warm, keep our energy costs down and breathe fresh air at the same time?

Join our dialogue about curing unhealthy buildings and building green buildings for the future on Wednesday, October 17th at 10:00 AM.

We invite your calls and email with questions, comments and personal stories about substance abuse and ways we can prevent it.

Audio Archives

Guest:

• Naomi Mermin, consultant for the National Center for Healthy Housing and author of Comparing Green Building Guidelines and Healthy Homes Principles: A Preliminary Investigation. 
• Bruce Stahnke, Green Building Designer at Stahnke & Kitagawa Architects

Links:

• Hancock County Planning Commission
• Maine Chapter of the US Green Building Council
• Maine Office of Economic and Community Development
• Maine State Housing Authority
  • Maine Housing, Maine Energy Loan Program
• National Center for Healthy Housing
• Washington-Hancock Community Agency

• www.greenguard.org Test and certify building and cleaning materials for their IAQ
• www.greenseal.org Test and certify building and cleaning materials for their IAQ
• www.carpet-rug.com Test carpeting (if you must have carpet) for off-gassing
• www.usgbc.org Website for all of the LEED rating systems and  information

Documents:

• Homeowner's guide to ventilation
• A DO-IT-YOURSELF GUIDE. TO ENERGY STAR. ®. HOME SEALING. SEALING AIR LEAKS AND ADDING ATTIC INSULATION.
• The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality
• Healthy Homes and Families, Learning Disabilities Association of Maine
• Green Building Guide

Everything You Need To Know About MOLD

• Healthy and Affordable Housing: Housing and Asthma
  Practical Recommendations for Building, Renovating and Maintaining Housing:
  2001, Dr. Joseph Lstiburek and Terry Brennan.
  • READ THIS: Before You Design, Build or Renovate
    PDF - 3.7MB
  • READ THIS: Before You Move In 
    PDF - 298KB
  • READ THIS: Before You Turn Over a Unit
    PDF 435KB
  • READ THIS: Before You Ventilate
    PDF 1.6MB

1. §         What You Need To Know About Mold
   Updated January 2002, Nathan Yost, MD,  Joseph Lstiburek, Ph.D, P.Eng. & Terry Brennan, MS. This article answers your questions about mold, what it is, where it grows, how it spreads, how can I prevent it.

• Mold Testing
  January 2002, Nathan Yost, MD,  Joseph Lstiburek, Ph.D, P.Eng. & Terry Brennan, MS. Although this article is titled "Mold Testing" it actually tells you why testing for mold is usually not needed.
• Mold Remediation in Occupied Homes
  January 2002, Nathan Yost, MD,  Joseph Lstiburek, Ph.D, P.Eng. & Terry Brennan, MS. This article provides both general guidelines for mold remediation as well as specific guidelines for the typical locations where mold is most often found in houses.
• Mold: Causes, Health Effects and Clean-up
  January 2002, Nathan Yost, MD,  Joseph Lstiburek, Ph.D, P.Eng. & Terry Brennan, MS. This article briefly repeats some of the information in the other mold articles but also includes information on how to prevent mold in residential structures.