Let’s begin with something that is easily improved. Allergies and asthma can be aggravated by dust.

• Nearly two thirds of the dust in your home is tracked in. Take your shoes off when you come in and vacuum often.
• Change the air filter on your furnace often, preferably with a HEPA filter.If your heating system does not have a filter, consider using portable air purifiers.

   Toxins are often overlooked.

• Use the mildest cleaners possible.
• Avoid pesticides.
• Properly ventilate when painting. Consider using low voc paint.
• Use common sense. Even burning a candle can bother some people.

   Excess moisture should be avoided at all costs. It inhibits mold growth, dust mites love it, and it can lead to pests such as carpenter ants.

• Leaky roofs, windows, doors, basements, etc…, must be repaired.
• Make sure your bathroom fans exhaust an adequate volume for the room size.
• Consider installing humistats. They turn the exhaust fans on and off at adjustable humidity levels.
• Have an exhaust fan in the kitchen that vents outside, and use it.
• If your basement is damp, run a dehumidifer.
• Do not air out the basement during warm, humid spells. The warmer, moist air, will condensate on the cooler masonry surfaces.
• Would installing gutters or correcting the grade around your home help with a damp or leaky basement?
• Drafts should be sealed. Cold air entering during the winter will condensate with the warm surfaces in the house.
• If you must use a portable humidifer, be careful. It must be kept clean or it will spew mold spores throughout the house.
• Portable humidifers can also over humidify your home. This will lead to condensation on cold surfaces and possibly mold growth.

   Proper ventilation is essential. Fresh air should be allowed in and stale or “contaminated” air should be exhausted. This helps to rid the home of toxins, excess moisture and odors.

• Make sure your roof has adequate ventilation. Does it have a ridge vent? Gable vents? Is air allowed in through the soffit? Many hip roofs will need a power vent.
• Inadequate roof ventilation can lead to excess moisture buildup in your attic, possible mold growth, and will make your home hotter in the summer.
• Do not vent exhaust fans or dryers into the attic. Vent them out a gable wall or through the soffit.
• A HRV (heat recovering ventilator) should be considered for homes with baseboard or radiant heat systems. These units intake fresh air from outside while exhausting the stale or “contaminated” air from the house simultanesouly. A great deal of the heat (or cooling) is recovered through the design of these systems.
• A “makeup air” inlet should be installed on forced air systems. This allows air to enter the house through the ductwork while the system cycles.

   “Combustion spillage” is a term commonly used to describe the unwanted flow of combustion gases into your home. These gases are at best dangerous, and can be lethal. Exposure to these gases can cause minor ailments, long term health deterioration, or even death. Installing carbon monoxide detectors near potential sources should be considered.

   The sources of combustion spillage are many. The type of system (forced air, baseboard, radiant…), the method of venting (chimney, direct vent, power vent), and the combustion air source (from within the home or from outside), affect how the gases get into the house.

• A cracked or leaking heat exchanger on a forced air system will put combustion gases directly into the ductwork.
• An exhaust vent located to close to a window or fresh air inlet can allow combustion gases in.

   Chimneys are usually the culprit and I personally avoid using them for the heat and hot water systems. If the “draw” or draft on the chimney is insufficent for any reason, it can lead to combustion spillage..

• Make sure to keep your chimney clean and check for any obstructions.
• Hook up only 1 item per flue. (i.e. don’t hook a wood stove to the same flue as the boiler)
• Have your system(s) serviced annually.
• A chimney located on a outside wall will be cold and may not draw properly.

   Be aware of conditions that can cause de-pressuration of your home which may lead to “backdrafting”. This occurs when the air pressure in the home drops below the pressure outside. This can cause air to be drawn into the house through the chimney, bringing with it the combustion gases.

• Exhaust fans and dryers can contribute to backdrafting.
• Combustion air for the dryer, hot water tank, boiler, furnace, etc…, can also contribute to backdrafting.

   To check your home:

1. Take a smoke indicator (like an incense stick), and place it near the draft hood of gas hot water heater or furnace (or near the barometric damper of an oil furnace / boiler), while the unit is running. The smoke should be drawn out.
2. Turn on all the exhaust fans in the house and re-check. (make sure the unit is still running). The smoke should still be drawn out.
3. If any smoke stays in the home, call your heating contractor.

   I personally prefer direct vent systems. The sealed combustion design of these units eliminates the need for a chimney. The exhaust gases are vented out the wall with PVC pipe.They intake the combustion air from outside. This helps keep the air pressure and flow inside the home more stable.

   Radon is a natural ocurring, radioactive gas.

• It is the leading cause of lung cancer among non smokers.
• It is produced by the radioactive decay of radium.
• It is found in the soil and rock beneath your home and can also be found in well water.
• It is more prevalent in certain soil types than others, but unacceptable levels can be found anywhere.
• The EPA recommends a level no higher than 4pCi/L.
• All homes should be tested. If high levels are found an abatement system should be installed.

   I hope this article awakens people to an important issue that is often overlooked. I only touched briefly on a few major points. For more information I suggest going to the EPA’s web site. There you can find more in depth articles and links to specific topics.

   When viewing your home as investment the total monthly cost, future expenditures on maintenance/upkeep, and resale value all come together to make up your bottom line.

   Let’s start with the total monthly cost. It should include more than the principal & interest on the mortgage plus property taxes. What will it cost to heat it in the winter, cool it in the summer, keep the lights & appliances running? Consider this - if you build a home with better windows and doors that have a low U factor, additional insulation, a higher efficiency heating & cooling system, and install energy star rated appliances and lighting fixtures, you can initally invest another 10 to 20 thousand dollars in your home. Think it’s worth it?

   We’ll use $15,000 as an example. At current interest rates $15,000 on principal & interest is about $95.00 per month.

   Now let’s  take into consideration two more things: 1) A new mortgage payment is mainly interest, (which is tax deductible).  2) The payment is usually fixed (dependant on mortgage type).

   If you initally save $50.00 a month on utilities (which is after tax money), how hard will it be to come up with that extra $45.00 per month (in before tax money)?

   It’s anyone’s guess where energy prices will go. It’s a safe bet to say they’ll increase, quite possibly astronomically. In 5 years will you be breaking even on your inital investment or starting to save/make make money from it? How much will you have saved in 10, 20 or even 30 years? Won’t it be a great selling feature when it comes time to cash in on your investment?

   Now to maintenance and upkeep. When selecting items such as siding, roofing materials, kitchen cabinets, floors, etc…, keep in mind that it is always cheaper to do it right the first time.

   Say you have a beautiful building lot in a field on top of a hill. Is it cheaper to spend an extra $300 on a more wind resistant shingle or fix your roof everytime there’s a windstorm? What will it cost if there are leaks?

   You can save a lot of money on kitchen cabinets but be careful not to go too cheap. A kitchen remodel is always expensive and aggravating.

   Another great example is flooring. Ceramic tile will outlast vinyl flooring. Porceiain tile will wear better than ceramic. Epoxy grout is much more money and than standard grout but is much more stain resistant. Laminate flooring is much cheaper than hardwood but cannot be sanded and re-finished.

   Keep in mind that wear and tear starts the day you move in. Products selected for their durability will not only keep your home looking good but will also pay off when it’s time to cash in on your investment.

   Resale. Now it’s time to move on. How much did you really spend on your home? Did you spend thousands of dollars more in utilities and repairs than you had to? How long will it be on the market? What will the actual closing price be? It all boils down to this. Did you make an investment or a purchase? The size of the check at closing will be the proof.