Who’s Responsible for IAQ?
When it comes to property management or home ownership, one might wonder who is responsible for indoor air quality. In truth, just about everyone has a role to play, including management and tenants.
An App for That
BRINGING IAQ INTO THE 21ST CENTURY
Happy New Year! Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten what month it is. With the way my business operates, March is the start of our year. This is the time when proactive building owners and property managers call me to walk through their buildings. They say the best defense is a good offense,
The Accidental Terrarium
IS YOUR AHU HIDING UNDISCOVERED LIFE?
When a tenant starts to complain about the indoor air quality of a building, the first thing your IAQ expert will do is examine the air handler units (AHU) in the complaint area. It’s easy to mistake an AHU as clean as a whistle based on outward appearances, but inside the AHU, an entire ecosystem can thrive.
Going for Gold
THIS YEAR, WE’RE ATTENDING THE OLYMPICS!
As you read this, there’s a good chance I’m in South Korea for the 2018 Winter Olympics! You may remember that my eldest daughter, Shelley, is a schoolteacher for the Department of Defense. She’s been teaching third grade on a base in Seoul, South Korea
2018 (Fashion) IAQ Guide
SPOTTED CEILINGS ARE NOT IN VOGUE
Acoustical tiles on the ceiling are as common in commercial buildings as gypsum wallboard or a broken printer. In fact, it’s somewhat unnerving to walk into a commercial building that doesn’t have acoustical tiles overhead! Classic white mineral board tiles
Education is Key
HOW TO KNOW YOU DON’T KNOW SOMETHING
Is there anything more frustrating than having your instructions ignored, especially when someone has asked you to help them solve a problem? Shortly after Hurricane Harvey, we visited a site where one large wall experienced major water damage and threatened the air
Who Can Clean Up Black Water?
WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT WATER CAN LEAVE YOU LIABLE
In elementary school, we’re taught water can exist in three states: liquid (drinking water), solid (ice), and gas (clouds or fog). Building owners and managers need have a greater understanding of water and to recognize that it comes in three categories in addition to the states of matter. These categories are defined by
Thankful for the Busy Year
WHO ELSE IS READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS?
To put it mildly, 2017 was a wild year. All year long, news across the nation reported one new crisis after another. And when hurricane season started in the ATLANTIC Pacific, we entered a whole new ballgame.
Eyes That Follow
WHEN GOOD TROPHIES GO BAD
The average person will spend 90,000 hours of their life at work. That amounts to around 3,750 days spent at the office. When so much of your time is dedicated to one location, it’s no wonder people want to personalize their workspaces. Pictures of the family,
To Test or Not to Test
WHEN YOU SHOULD CALL AN IAQ CONSULTANT
When I get called out to a job site, the occasional property manager will ask, “Do I need to check for mold, too?” To which I respond, “That depends. Can you see mold growing anywhere? Because if so, we probably don’t need to bother with a test.”