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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1994-05-11, Page 18PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 1994. ' ''"'''"/J ''7' 7 ''' Are you living in a pickle jar? More than five years ago, David Walker's 16-year-old daughter, Stacey, began breathing easier thanks to some of the best home building advice he's ever received. During the construction of his new home in Kincardine, someone told him to add a heat recovery ventilation (HRV) system. To begin with, Mr. Walker was simply interested in achieving proper air circulation in his new airtight home, but he soon realized that the constant exchange of fresh air was making a difference to Stacey's allergies. He noticed that whenever she entered the house, she experienced fewer allergic symptoms. Not only was the HRV ensuring fresh, filtered air, it was also eliminating indoor pollutants caused by building products, furniture, carpets and animals. The HRV was giving the family the ability to control their indoor air quality. Mr. Walker has just put his house on the market and is thinking of buying an older home. "The first renovation I'm going to do is upgrade the ventilation system to an HRV," he says. Heat recovery systems exhaust stale inside air while bringing in equal amounts of fresh outside air at the same time, with one complete exchange occurring every three hours. However, unlike ordinary ventilation systems, HRVs allow for the exchange of heat energy between the ingoing and outgoing air streams. In this way, the warm air that is exhausted from the home in the winter, heats the cold air coming in. This process is reversed in warmer weather. While much attention has been I I Garden ponds I easy to install, maintain If you really enjoy being in your yard and would like to give it that extra dimension to make it even more enjoyable, as well as the envy of the neighbourhood, there's a great suggestion - put in your own yard pond! Too much trouble? Don't know how to do it? Through new technology, all these worries are needless. Installing your own garden pond is simple, maintaining it is easy, and best of all, your pond will provide years of trouble-free given to outdoor air pollution in recent years, far less has been paid to indoor air quality. Jean Poisson, Product Manager at Venmar Ventilation, manufacturers of the HRV that the Walker family installed, says indoor air quality can actually be much worse than outdoor air quality. "If your house is less than 20 years old, it's likely to be virtually airtight," he says. Mr. Poisson attributes this phenomenon to the energy crisis of the mid 1970s. But while energy consumption and waste are declining, poor indoor air quality is on the rise. With airtight homes the "pickle jar" syndrome begins - chemical contaminants, dust mites, odours and moulds build up inside. He adds that the public is becoming more aware of air quality problems in large office buildings, commonly referred to as "sick building syndrome". Now, he says, it's time for people to understand the dangers locked away in their own homes. For example, there are thousands of chemicals that are known to be used in the average home. Toxins given off by glues, cleaners, paints, sprays and solvents are of particular concern. New homes also have high levels of formaldehyde from cupboards and other material glued together with formaldehyde- based glues. These tend to be concentrated at floor level, where children play. Stale air from tobacco smoke, cooking and even pets, can all contribute to poor air quality, and carpets become breeding grounds for dust and airborne bacteria. "The health risks within the airtight home cannot be under­ estimated," continues Mr. Poisson. "And we should take preventative measures to make sure we have an effective system of air exchange." In addition to controlling the flow of fresh air and the elimination of pollutants, HRVs play an important role in minimizing excess humidity in airtight homes. New homes often give off moisture for up to two years and biological contaminants, like dust mites and moulds, thrive in this environment. Owners of R- 2000 homes, where HRV systems are mandatory, can attest to the health benefits of controlled humidity levels. In 1993, Ontario changed its building code to deal with the challenges of airtight homes and air quality. Mechanical ventilation is now required in every new home and HRVs are mandatory in those with gas furnaces using standard chimneys, wood burning fireplaces or electric heat. Some houses, however, are still built with exhaust fans and rely solely on the likelihood of structural air leaks to bring in the fresh air. According to Mr. Poisson, this is still not enough. Homeowners have no control over the quality and quantity of incoming air as it is not filtered. They are also at the mercy of family or guests to turn on the exhaust fans, which are usually noisy. Mr. Poisson urges all those interested in buying a new house to ask the builder exactly what type of ventilation system is in place. SERVICE 1 REPAIR KEITH'S SMALL ENGINE SALES & SERVICE Hwy. 86, WHITECHURCH 357-2277 If you're looking for quality, variety, price and service, il Husqvarna has it all. Small 12 HP lawn tractors right up to our largest 20HP garden tractor. EIHusqyama TE-EM FARM w°s Quality Pools At Affordable Prices! WHOLESALE R.R. 1 BAYFIELD 482-3020 RETAIL • Farm Market • Garden Centre • Nursery • Greenhouse IT S PLANTING TIME We grow top quality bedding plants, over 130 varieties to choose from, Perennials, Hanging Baskets, Potted Planters for your patio in various sizes, Tuberous Begonias, Hanging Bags, Geraniums and an excellent selection of nursery stock and wind break trees all home grown. New for 1994 - Come see our Perennial Display Garden, boasting over 100 varieties of beautiful perennials - flowering at various times __________throughout the season. Hydroponic Tomatoes - great tasting Home grown asparagus - weather permitting Call 482-3020 Landscape Ontario f Goderich N ATelephone Rd. Hwy TE-EM #21 FARM Huron County *13 ■ | Bayfield Clinton"* Everything is grown in our own greenhouses from seed or cuttings enjoyment. European gardens, particularly in Great Britain, southern France, northern Italy, Holland, and Germany, almost always feature a yard pond. Eight years ago, a Germany company, Tetra Werke, developed a bonded two piece heavy duty (32 Mil. thick) flexible rubber pond liner. This liner allows homeowners to free-form a yard pond efficiently and easily, in whatever shape is best suited for the terrain or the homeowner's needs. This liner can withstand the warmest summers and the coldest winters, and is available in sizes big enough to create ponds almost 10 feet in diameter. How do you construct a garden pond? Start by selecting a location on your property where the ground is fairly even, although because of the flexibility of the liner some levelling can be achieved when digging your pond. The pond should be placed where it will get Continued on page 19 "A Gardener's Paradise" Open 7 days a week Mon. - Fri. 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. Sat. & Sun. 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.