Radon Mitigation Basics for an Older Home
I've been telling you the story of radon in my Atlanta home for three years now. In April 2023, I got the results of my first radon test. In July of that year, I installed a continuous radon monitor to…
health & safety
5 Ways to Get Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in an All-Electric Home
Carbon monoxide poisoning can be deadly. Even if it's not deadly, it can make you ill. Maybe it's just a headache that won't go away. Or flu-like symptoms. How about brain fog and lethargy? You can't see or smell carbon…
Have You Seen What’s Hiding Behind That…
...drywall, flooring, ceiling, baseboard, et cetera? Children often fear the unknown monsters hiding beneath their bed or in the closet, but it's the adults who should be afraid. The monsters hiding from them are real. I've seen a bunch of…
How Electrification Can Keep You Healthy
It's Thanksgiving week here in the US again. That means a lot of people will be spending a lot of time indoors with ovens and cooktops firing. I'm one of those people. We're having a big get-together at my house,…
The 6 Worst Indoor Air Pollutants
Consider the multitude of air pollutants you could inhale. You're probably inhaling some of them right now. Which of them, though, should you worry about the most? Well, IAQ researchers have begun addressing that question. The early work is showing…
Mosquito Death Buckets, My 2 Week Update
My four mosquito death buckets have been set up in my yard for two weeks now. So how are they doing? Well, that's not enough time to reduce the adult population of mosquitoes yet, but there are three things we…
Try the Mosquito Bucket of Death
I usually focus on the building science of homes, HVAC, and indoor environmental quality. Today, though, I'm going to cover a topic of outdoor environmental quality. I've had mosquitoes in my backyard since we bought the house in 2019. This…
High-Efficiency Filtration Essentials
Over the past seven years or so, I've written a bunch of articles about high-efficiency filtration. I've covered everything from how filtration fits into a good indoor air quality (IAQ) plan to why high-MERV filters often don't work to the…
The Basics of Clean Air Delivery Rate
Let's take the next step in understanding filtration efficiency today and talk about Clean Air Delivery Rate. You know that the really small particles, especially those that are 2.5 microns and smaller (aka PM2.5), are the most important indoor air…
7 Steps to Good Indoor Air Quality
Breathing clean, healthy air at home doesn't happen by accident. And it's not something you can buy a magic product to do for you. No, it's the result of understanding the basic measures that work to keep your air clean. …