IAQ Assessment using the 7 Principals of Healthy Homes #IAQS 3-18-2014 #IAQS #IAQ

www.FloridaIAQ.com Slide 1 OF 105

Questions6
The Holistic Approach3
Introduction1
“It’s Not Always Mold”4
Seven Principles of Healthy Homes2
The Healthy Homes Specialist5
www.FloridaIAQ.com

National Center for Healthy Housing
www.nchh.org www.healthyhomestraining.org

Seven Principles of Healthy Homes
www.FloridaIAQ.com

Seven Principles of Healthy Homes
• An Indoor Environmental Assessments is an
education on the 7 Seven Principles of Healthy
Homes.
www.FloridaIAQ.com

Principal 1
• 1. Keep your home Dry
Damp houses provide a nurturing environment for
mites, roaches, rodents, and molds, all of which are
associated with asthma.
www.FloridaIAQ.com

Principal 2
• 2. Keep your home Clean:
Clean homes help reduce pest infestations and
exposure to contaminants.

Principal 3
• 3. Keep your home Pest-Free:
Recent studies show a causal relationship between
exposure to mice and cockroaches and asthma
episodes in children; yet inappropriate treatment for
pest infestations can exacerbate health problems, since
pesticide residues in homes pose risks for neurological
damage and cancer.

Principal 4
• 4. Keep your home Safe:
The majority of injuries among children occur in the
home. Falls are the most frequent cause of
residential injuries to children, followed by injuries
from objects in the home, burns, and poisonings.

Principal 5
• 5. Keep your home Contaminant-Free:
Chemical exposures include lead, radon, pesticides,
volatile organic compounds, and environmental
tobacco smoke. Exposures to asbestos particles,
radon gas, carbon monoxide, and second-hand
tobacco smoke are far higher indoors than outside.

Principal 6
• 6. Keep your home Ventilated:
Studies show that increasing the fresh air supply in a
home improves respiratory health.

Principal 7
• 7. Keep your home Maintained:
Poorly-maintained homes are at risk for moisture
and pest problems. Deteriorated lead-based paint in
older housing is the primary cause of lead poisoning,
which affects some 240,000 U.S. children.

The Holistic Approach
www.FloridaIAQ.com

Remember
It’s Not Always Mold
www.FloridaIAQ.com

• By using the Seven Principals the IEP will broaden
their approach to the assessment of indoor
environments beyond the inspection or sampling of
mold.
• Our industry poorly defines an Indoor Environmental
Assessment and far too often a mold inspection is
referred to as an Indoor Air Quality Assessment.
www.FloridaIAQ.com

It’s Not Just Mold
• If an Indoor Environmental Assessment is
approached as a mold inspection the inspector runs
the risk of missing the obvious issues within the
home.
• If the determination of an indoor environmental
concern is based solely on the sampling for mold
even more will be overlooked by the inspector.
www.FloridaIAQ.com

It’s Not Just Mold
• The following are examples of homes that were
previously assessed for mold , many under the
classification of an Indoor Air Quality Inspection and
Testing.
• The issues identified ranged from entertaining to
painfully obvious as we assessed each home with the
use of the Seven Principals of Healthy Homes.
www.FloridaIAQ.com

Body Powder

The Fireplace
• Unfortunately one of the most overlooked
contributors in the home.
• One of the primary sources of make up air for a
running bathroom exhaust fan or ducted kitchen
exhaust fan.
– Obvious source of carbon soot,
– potential source of natural gas
– Potential source of carbon monoxide

Fireplace & Open Chimney Flue

Gas Fireplace

The Gas Furnace
• Must have unfiltered undampered outdoor air
– Combustion air supply / make up air supply
• Furnace Cabinet is louvered to allow for necessary
ventilation
– Inevitably leads to filter bypass
– Inevitably introduces unfiltered outdoor air
– Inevitably leads to elevated indoor particulates
– Potential source of natural gas
– Potential source of carbon monoxide

The Gas Furnace

The Garage Gas Furnace

The Garage Air Handler
• The worst location for the source of a homes
conditioned air
– Very High potential to introduce garage contaminates
• Vehicle and small engine emissions
• Carbon monoxide
• Petroleum based VOC’s
• Stored chemicals and solvents
– High Temperature Differential
• Excessive condensation

Garage Air Handler

Garage Open Return Plenum

Open AC Ducts

Garage Air Handler

Garage Air Handlers

Garage Air Handler

Garage Ceiling Hung Air Handler

Garage Air Handlers

The Attic Air Handler
• Tied for Second worst location for a homes
conditioned air supply
– High Potential for attic air infiltration
– High temperature differential
• Premature coil deterioration
• Attracts rodents

Attic Air Handler

Attic Air handler

Attic Air Handler Correct Coils

Attic Air Handler Reversed Coils

Secondary Drain Pan

Redneck Secondary Drain Line

The Basement Air Handler
– High Potential for basement air infiltration

The Basement Air Handler

Basement Air Handler

The Crawlspace Air Handler
– High Potential for crawlspace air infiltration

Crawlspace Air Handler

Basement & Crawlspace Ducts

Attic Dryer Vent

Clogged & Separated Dryer Vent

Candle Soot

Fire Damage

Rodents

Bats

Attic Soda Blasting Media

Meth Lab

Air Admittance Valve

House Plants

Exterior Wall Assemblies

Termites

Tools of the Trade

Healthy Homes Specialist

• Healthy Homes Specialist Credential
• NCHH and the National Environmental Health
Association (NEHA) offer a “Healthy Homes
Specialist” credential, designed for health and
housing professionals in the public, private, and
nonprofit sectors.

• To achieve the credential, individuals must complete
a comprehensive exam on the seven principles of
healthy housing, which include keeping homes: Dry,
Clean, Pest-Free, Contaminant-Free, Ventilated, Safe,
and Maintained. Individuals seeking the Healthy
Homes Specialist credential must:

• Be at least 21 years of age;
• Have five years of experience in housing,
environmental health, or public health;
• Achieve a minimum score of 70% on the qualifying
examination; and
• Successfully complete an online home assessment
exercise.

• Apply for the HHS credential by completing an
application downloadable at
www.neha.org/credential/HHS.
• Cost of applying for and taking the HHS exam is $150
NEHA members or $205 non-members.
• For more information on this credential you can visit
www.neha.org to read the fact sheet or contact
NEHA’s Credentialing Staff at 303.756.9090 ext. 339.

IAQ Assessment using the 7 Principals of Healthy Homes #IAQS 3-18-2014 #IAQS #IAQ

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

More from John P. Lapotaire, CIEC.

More from John P. Lapotaire, CIEC. (18)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

IAQ Assessment using the 7 Principals of Healthy Homes #IAQS 3-18-2014 #IAQS #IAQ