TRAVIS REVIEWS ‘HEALTHY BUILDINGS’
By the time you reach 80, you will have spent 72 years of your life indoors. This means that the people who design, build, and maintain our buildings can have a major impact on your health. That statement is one of the most profound statements noted on the inside cover for a book that I recently purchased…
2 WEEKS OF REMODELING WREAKED HAVOC ON OUR HOME’S AIR QUALITY
The air quality Kaye and I experienced during our kitchen renovation can be summed up in two words: not good! As I mentioned on Page 1, I used my laser particle counter to collect data on the air we were breathing. Specifically, I analyzed two different particle types: PM2.5 and PM10.0.
THIS GREAT PYRENEES GUIDED HIS GOATS THROUGH A WILDFIRE
In October 2017, California was in flames. One of those blazes was the Tubbs Fire, which charred its way through 36,800 miles of forests and vineyards in both Napa and Sonoma County. More than 5,600 buildings were destroyed, and 22 people were killed. But when the flames finally died, a fourlegged hero emerged…
WE HAVE A TRICK TO SPOT IT
As I write this, we’re right in the middle of hurricane season, and that means it’s also the reason for mold. No one wants to deal with the aftermath of a hurricane (and I hope you don’t have to),
but they’re notorious for causing leaks and pesky mold, even in commercial buildings built to be hurricane-resistant.
DON’T MAKE THESE 3 BIG IAQ MISTAKES
This is a difficult time for building engineers and managers. You probably feel like you’re walking a tightrope, caught between the stresses of low occupancy and the pressure to ensure your buildings will be COVID-19-proof when tenants return. It’s tough to negotiate this transition…
HOW BROOKFIELD PROPERTIES WEATHERED THE PANDEMIC
Five years ago, I interviewed my friend and client for the very first edition of this newsletter. Wayne is the vice president of engineering for Brookfield Properties, a commercial real estate company based in New York. He lives here in Texas and oversees a dozen commercial buildings, including 11 in Houston and one in Nashville.
ONE OF HOUSTON’S TOP MOLD EXPERTS
Two years ago, I took a class on asbestos inspection here in Houston and ended up sitting next to another expert in the field: mold assessment consultant Justin Soliz. Justin owns the local company HTX Mold Consulting and has more than 15 years of experience in insurance adjusting, restoration, and forensic reviews of buildings with problems.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR YOUR BUILDING?
Houston, we have a problem: ozone pollution. If you’ve lived in the city for a while, then you probably know we have an uncomfortable amount of ozone swirling in Houston’s air. In fact, our ozone levels are so high that, on many days, they don’t meet National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). That means the air is considered unhealthy for some people to breathe safely.
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM COVID-19 SCAMMERS AND THEIR FAULTY FILTERS
Every industry includes scammers and con artists willing to do anything to make a buck — even with indoor air quality. When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, these snake oil salesmen jumped on the opportunity to make money off of honest people’s fears.
THE HOME AIR FILTER HACK YOU NEED FOR NEXT FIRE SEASON
Last summer, my daughter, Monica, called me in a panic from her home in Napa, California. Wildfires were raging through the state, and she was struggling with smoke entering her house. For the first three weeks, the wind had been on her side, but after that, it was funneling dirty air directly into her community.