Building materials and indoor air pollution are critical factors to consider when making decisions about constructing or renovating a home. Avoiding short and long-term health risks for you and your family when choosing building materials for your next remodeling project or new home is
necessary.
Although I am an experienced carpenter and General Contractor, I am not
a health expert on indoor air pollution. Indoor air pollution can be 2-5 times
greater than outdoor air pollution, according to the EPA. I have looked into what
building materials should be avoided if you’re trying to lower indoor air pollution.
The first product that you want to avoid is formaldehyde, which is a
naturally occurring substance that is composed of carbon, hydrogen, and
oxygen. The problem is that formaldehyde is used by manufacturers in a lot of
building materials. Some of the building materials that I found online include
some OSB, MDF, Paints, and inexpensive cabinetry.
When it comes to building materials and indoor air pollution, the second building material that I am aware of that can raise indoor air pollution is spray foam, which has been a popular trend in the last decade in the
construction industry.
“Spray foam insulation consists of a mix of toxic chemicals, which
can release VOCs (volitle organic compounds) and create poor indoor air
quality into your home, especially if the chemicals are not combined
properly if it’s not applied at the right temperature, or if it’s not properly
installed.”, according to Google.
VOCs are man-made chemicals with high vapor pressure and low water
solubility. VOCs are not good for your overall health and can, in some cases,
cause death. There are alternatives to spray foam and my recommendation is to
search for these alternatives.
The third item to be aware of in regards to building materials and indoor air pollution, are paints and their levels of VOCs. Unfortunately, even low-VOC paints still emit VOC gasses. To lower your
exposure to VOCs it’s recommended that all finishes that are not being painted
be covered in plastic to prevent VOCs from being absorbed into these finishes.
I hope that this blog is helpful when deciding on what building materials to
use on your next remodeling project.