It has been amazing how much cleaner the house smells after we vacuum. It used to smell like dog for a few hours. Now it just smells clean.

We don’t seem to need to dust as much any more either. I guess our old vacuum did a better job of kicking up dust than it did sucking up dust.

It has also helped us save on our electric bills. We used to have several air purifiers running 24/7. But so far we have not needed them yet. I’m sure that spring allergy season may put this to the test.

What do we owe this change to? A Dyson DC14. Although I’m sure most any model will suffice.

Another bonus is that we will never have to buy vacuum cleaner bags ever again. Just empty the canister once in a while and rinse the filters with water a few times a year.

What a deal! A cleaner house, lower electric bills, better indoor air quality, no hum of air filters, and one less thing to remember at the grocery store.

Dan Bossenbroek

The first step to seal big cracks or gaps is to clean out any loose material from the gap and any old caulk.  The sealant needs a solid material to attach to in order to make an effective seal.

Next, insert a backer rod or caulk saver.  Make sure that the caulk saver is appropriately sized – it should be 10% to 30% wider than the space you want it to fill.  Insert the caulk saver in the gap with the face set back from the face of the finished surface by about 1/3 the width of the gap and up to ¼” maximum.

If the cracks are extra wide or very irregular, you will want to use expanding foam insulation.  There are several types that come in a spray can.  Be careful, this stuff will stick to everything and is very difficult to get off. 

Before you spray the foam in the crack you may want to protect one or more of the adjacent surfaces with blue painter’s tape.  Once this is done, spray in the foam and allow it to cure for at least an hour.

It’s difficult to control how much this will foam up, so you will probably have to trim some off.  Use a brand new blade in your knife and it will cut much more cleanly.

Next you will want to make sure that both edges of the foam are below the face of the adjoining surface.  A putty knife will do the job. 

Finally, it is time to load up your caulk gun, cut off the tip of the tube and squeeze.   Latex caulk will work best in most exterior applications.  Make sure that the bead of caulk touches both sides of the joint.

At this point, you can leave the caulk joint just as it is.  However, if you plan to paint the caulk, if you want to make sure you have a good seal on both sides of the joint, or if you just want the joint to be nice and smooth wet your finger with on a wad of wet paper towels and smooth our the joint.  This can get a little messy, but the results are worth it!  Finally, wash up with soap and water and enjoy a warmer, dryer less leaky home.

Dan Bossenbroek

The air inside most buildings is more polluted than the air outside.  Controlling contaminants at their source in your house is a great first (or ten) step to improving your indoor air quality, your comfort and your health.  However, this will not eliminate all of the contaminants in your house.  There are some negative substances that are almost impossible to eliminate at their source: viruses, bacteria, pollen, dust mites, mold, carbon monoxide, just to name a few.  Some of these contaminants can lead to increased short term allergic type reactions and symptoms like irritated eyes, nose and throat, dizziness and fatigue.  These short term reactions are typically not serious health concerns, but some indoor air contaminants have been linked to long term and serious conditions such as respiratory disease, heart disease, and cancer.  It is difficult to pinpoint what level of exposure to these contaminants is potentially dangerous, and it also seems to vary from person to person.  These substances are created by every day activities like cooking, brining most any object into the house, visiting a sick friend, taking a shower, and running the furnace.

Therefore, additional efforts need to be made in order to provide the clean air that will promote healthy living:

1.      Open the windows:  Many times simply opening the widows will provide enough air movement to flush most of the lingering contaminants out of your house.

2.      Whole house fans: Using one of these is a great way to really flush any lingering unwanted gasses and some fine particulates out of your house

3.      Bathroom fans and stove hoods:  Some contaminants are byproducts of other positive and necessary activities.  The down-side of a warm shower is the excessive moisture that can sometimes be left behind and lead to mold and mildew.  Cooking on the stove can result in culinary masterpieces, but it can also result in carbon monoxide, lingering odors, smoke and other contaminants.  Using bathroom fans and stove hoods can quickly eliminate the excess moisture and other contaminants before they can spread throughout the house and become a problem.

4.      HEPA Filters: A HEPA filter for your furnace or air purifier will help to remove many small particles like dust, dust mite allergens, anthrax spores, mold spores, pet dander, and even some harmful gases and airborne asbestos from the air in your house.

5.      Carbon Filters:  Many air purifiers rely on carbon filters to eliminate smoke, fumes, and odors from your house.  Air is forced through a layer of activated granular charcoal which absorbs the odors and allows clean fresh air to pass through.

6.      UV Germicidal Light:  This ultraviolet light feature of many air purifiers neutralizes and eliminates many bacteria, mold spores, protozoa, yeasts and even some viruses.

7.      Ozone:  This naturally occurring unstable gas quickly oxidizes with the pollutants in the air moving through the air purifier and completely neutralizes them.  Many air purifiers use this chemical reaction to effectively eliminate bacteria, fungus and odors from the air.

8.      Ionize:  Air purifiers with ionizers create negatively charged ions which attract small airborne particles such as viruses, pollen, bacteria, smoke, dust, animal dander as well as other allergens.  Once this occurs the particles cling to a metal collector or the particles to fall out of the air.

9.      House Plants: All plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen (O₂), but some plants will effectively absorb one or more other unwanted gasses such as: benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene.  Another benefit of having houseplants is that they help to humidify the air in your house.  Some of the best plants at cleaning the air in your house are: English Ivy; Spider Plant; Golden Pothos or Devil’s Ivy; Peace Lily; Chinese Evergreen; Bamboo Palm or Reed Palm; Snake Plant or Mother-in-Law’s Tongue; Heartleaf, Selloum, and Elephant Ear Philodendron; Red-edged, Cornstalk, Janet Craig, and Warneck Dracaena; Weeping Fig; Gerbera Daisy or Barberton Daisy; Pot Mum or Florist’s Chrysanthemum; and Rubber Plant.  Get out your green thumb and breathe a little easier.

10. Suck it up: Purchase a quality vacuum cleaner, one with cyclone cleaning and a washable HEPA filter.  Using it frequently will help to eliminate many of the contaminants that collect all over your house and are stirred up in a number of ways.

Every one of the above strategies will help to improve the indoor air quality in your home, but each works on different contaminants and they should be used in combination in order to clean all types of contaminants from the air in your house.

Dan Bossenbroek

 

Chinese Evergreen – JustFlowers.com

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Engelmann Direct 45LEP010296-01 Exotic Angel Plants – Pothos Golden in 4.5 LE	Philodendron Plant

If you would like to improve your indoor air quality the natural way there are some house plants that will do a much better job than others.  Some of these plants do a great better job at converting carbon dioxide to oxygen, while others help to remove harmful elements such as trichloroethylene, benzene, formaldehyde and other volitile organic compounds (VOC’s).  Some of the best plants for this are:  English Ivy, Spider plant, Devil’s ivy, Peace lily, Chinese evergreen, Bamboo palm or reed palm, Snake plant or mother-in-law’s tongue, Heartleaf philodendron, Selloum philodendron, Elephant ear philodendron, Red-edged dracaena, Cornstalk dracaena, Janet Craig dracaena, Warneck dracaena, Weeping Fig, Gerbera Daisy or Barberton daisy, Pot Mum or Florist’s Chrysanthemum, and Rubber Plant.   

Some of these contaminants can lead to increased short term allergic type reactions and symptoms like irritated eyes, nose and throat, dizziness and fatigue.  These short term reactions are typically not serious health concerns, but some indoor air contaminants have been linked to long term and serious conditions such as respiratory disease, heart disease, and cancer.  It is difficult to pinpoint what level of exposure to these contaminants is potentially dangerous, and it also seems to vary from person to person.  However, whether you suffer from short term reactions or are concerned about the potential dangers of long term exposure here are ten ways to control indoor air contaminants at their source:

1. Leave your shoes at the door:  The soles of your shoes can track numerous types of contaminants into your house like tar, dirt, feces, sticks, leaves, road salt, oil, and numerous types of chemicals found on our streets, sidewalks, parking lots and driveways.
2. Chemical free cleaning:  Eliminate potentially harmful chemicals from your house and improve the indoor air quality by switching to natural, organic cleaners and/or cleaning cloths made of mirafibers which only require water to clean just about anything.  These incredible cleaning cloths will also help you save on paper towels too.
3. Purchase formaldehyde free and low VOC (volatile organic compound) products:  Many building products have traditionally been made with chemicals that have been shown to produce negative effects in some people.  These include fiberglass batt insulation, engineered wood products like plywood and particle board, paints, adhesives, varnishes, polyurethane, and carpeting.
4. Quit smoking or smoke outside:  Second hand smoke is a proven carcinogen, not to mention the foul odor that it leaves behind.
5.  Provide adequate exhaust for combustion sources:  Stoves, ovens, furnaces, fireplaces and kerosene heaters that are improperly vented can introduce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide gas into your house.  Carbon monoxide is poisonous, and especially dangerous since it is colorless and odorless.
6. Contain the mess or take it outside:  Many hobbies and home improvement activities like soldering, gluing, woodworking, sawing, furniture refinishing and sanding can create a huge mess and that mess can quickly spread throughout your house.  Several ways to minimize this are to turn off your furnace while you are working, clean up as soon as you are finished, install an automatic vacuum system in your wood shop, or simply do the project outside.
7. Keep the pests under control:  A clean house that is well sealed to the elements will also keep pests like ants, cockroaches, mice, and other vermin from coming into your house, bringing various contaminants along with them.  Properly storing dry goods in sealed containers will also help to keep the pests away.
8. Moisture control and mold prevention:  Mold will thrive in warm, moist environments wherever there is a “food” source like paper, wood, or other organic material.  Keep a watchful eye out for any water leaks indoors and out, and fix any problems immediately.
9. Weatherize your home:  Sealing all of the cracks and holes on the outside of your house will also keep many pollutants from ever coming into your house.
10. Keep the beach and the pool outside:  The chlorine laden pool water in your suits and towels should stay outside along with the sand form the beach.  Line dry your suits and towels outside and then toss them in the washer as soon as possible.

The first step to improving the quality of the air in your house is to stop the contaminants at their source.  Following these ten steps will help you keep the inside of your house cleaner, limit your exposure to potentially harmful substances and can even improve your health.  Keep these pollutants under control and breathe easy.

Dan Bossenbroek

Air Purifiers help solve indoor air quality problems by eliminating contaminants.  Most forced air furnaces are equipped with some sort of filter, but many are inexpensive and only filter out the largest contaminants.  However, even expensive HEPA filters only work when the furnace fan is running.  Furthermore, homes that are not heated by forced air systems have no built-in air filtration system at all.  Many Air Purifiers available today use several methods including: UV light, HEPA filters, carbon filters and ionizers to remove multiple types of contaminants.

Click Here to shop for Air Purifiers.