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Indoor Air Quality Survey
* Indoor Air Services * Richard T. Van Dyke * Arlene Van Dyke * Larry Robertson * Dr. Michael Rinaldi * Home Investigations * Basic Testing Procedures * Visuals of Testing Equipment * Definition of Indoor Air Quality * Conditions and Limitations of Testing * Explanation of Written Report * Health Issues * Molds * VOCs |
INDOOR
AIRSERVICES, INC. |
P.O. Box 9013 |
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Industry Standards: Definition of Indoor Air Quality
The term "indoor air quality" pertains to the quality of air in an enclosed environment. From ancient times, man has been concerned about the quality of air. When living in caves fires were situated in such a way that the air would blow the smoke away from the opening and prevent it from contaminating the air in the cave. Later on when man moved into structures simple holes in the roof were made to exhaust the smoke from fires. Tepees with an exhaust hole in the roof and a draft provided by the door flap as well as fireplace chimneys with dampers were and are such remedies used. Later on, man began regulating his indoor environment through mechanical means, air-conditioning and heating systems that used ventilation in the form of ductwork.
Older homes were built less efficiently and had natural sources of fresh air infiltration through structural cracks and spaces caused by poor construction, and of course, the windows were more frequently opened to allow fresh air into the dwelling. Since the 1970s and the oil crunch of that time, homes have been built with energy efficiency in mind allowing less infiltration of fresh air from the outside. Unfortunately, this has also caused an increase in the amount of allergies and asthma related illnesses. Why? Because our indoor air quality has deteriorated and people are spending increasingly more time indoors. The average person spends between 70-90% of their time indoors. When you consider that the same air is being breathed repeatedly with very little fresh air exchange, no amount of filtering can keep the air clean.
Many variables must be taken into consideration when determining the quality of the air we breathe in a home. These variables can affect our comfort as well as our health. The type of ventilation system in the home, if any; if there has been any previous or recent water damage in the home; if those in the home are experiencing adverse health effects to name just a few
The answer to these questions along with others can give a fairly comprehensive picture of what is contaminating the indoor air environment.
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