IS YOUR BUILDING SUFFERING FROM OUTDATED ‘TRENDS’?
With the new year comes a new opportunity to be hip — or at least more put together than last year. Commercial buildings don’t often have to worry about being trendy, but there are some outdated problems we see in buildings every day that could easily be addressed. Here are some outdated “trends” you can fix that will improve both the look of your building and its indoor air quality.
DIAGNOSING AN UNHEALTHY BUILDING WITH AIRBORNE PARTICLE COUNTS
Airborne particles are an often-overlooked aspect of indoor air quality (IAQ). Even among my own peers, particles are rarely a top priority. In this area, I’m an outlier.
When I do indoor air quality surveys, not only do I look at the standard environmental indicators like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, temperature, and relative humidity, but I also collect airborne particle counts at that time.
STRANGE CASES OF IAQ MYSTERIES
While most indoor air quality issues are pretty straightforward, the mix of environmental factors and human elements can create some surprising circumstances. It’s not all mold from water damage or problems with the HVAC system. Just look at these strange IAQ mysteries we’ve solved over the years.
WHAT MAKES AN IAQ EXPERT
Technology is only as smart as the person using it. A quality graphing calculator might be able to determine the force needed to break free of the Earth’s gravity, but I’m not a rocket scientist. You could give me the fanciest calculator on the market, but you shouldn’t use any equation I come up with to build rockets. It’s not enough to have a quality piece of equipment; you need
to know how to use it.
A LOOK AT IAQ AND DUST
It’s like a domino effect. Suddenly, everyone in the office is sneezing. Is it allergies? A cold? There was that exposé about the dangers of indoor mold hiding between walls … it must be mold! That’s it. Time to clear the building. Suddenly, occupants are up in arms over possible causes of their discomfort.
WHEN THERMAL BRIDGING GUIDES MOLD INTO YOUR BUILDING
Over the last 10 years, whenever I get a call in late August or early September, I can guess what the problem is before I even answer the phone. The ends of my summers are almost always spent in hot, humid stairwells, looking at mold.
THE TRUTH ABOUT OZONE GENERATORS
When dealing with a foul odor in your building, the first step is to hire a professional to identify the source of the odor and eliminate it. This usually solves your odor issue. However, there are some situations in which unpleasant odors linger long after the offending substance is gone.
STRANGE STORIES OF CHASING ODORS
Of all the work I do with indoor air quality (IAQ), chasing odors tends to lead to some of the strangest stories. It’s not my favorite part of my job, but when a client calls with an odor problem, I’m not going to leave them hanging.
4 WAYS TO FAIL YOUR LEED IAQ TESTING
One of the most misunderstood aspects of receiving LEED 3.2 indoor air testing clearance is how a building can fail or succeed. At Building Air Quality, we’ve worked on a number of projects in recent years where general contractors have been successful, and other projects where the contractor failed miserably. We know where many mistakes are made and how to prevent them. Here are four mistakes …
IAQ POINTS IN LEED CERTIFICATIONS
Everyone wants a better building, which is why so many new buildings aim to meet the high standards outlined by the Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). LEED-certified buildings are recognized internationally for green building design, occupant comfort, productivity, construction, operations, and maintenance solutions.