Healthy indoor air quality

Which Houseplants are Best to Clean Air & Remove Toxins?
Healthy indoor air quality

Which houseplants are best for purifying air? Ecohome investigates

We explore the oft-touted notion that air-purifying house plants remove toxins & improve air in homes. As much as we like a little interior greenery, we're forced to conclude it's a whole pile of compost in the making. Do house plants clean indoor air? The idea that house plants filter and clean indoor air is at…

HEPA filters & SMART Air Filters catch airborne dust, pollen, allergens, viruses
Healthy indoor air quality

Buying guide for home air filters in furnaces - HEPA, SMART or Regular?

Finding the right high-efficiency home air filter for furnaces & ventilation systems is essential for keeping indoor air clean, healthy & protecting us from allergens, animal dander, pollen, mold spores & maybe worse. What are home air filters used for?   Air filters on air handling units such as furnaces, HRV and…

MDF Formaldehyde Free Alternatives - Made from Rice Stalks
Healthy indoor air quality

The formaldehyde-free MDF non-toxic alternative made of natural rice-stalks

Formaldehyde-free & Eco-friendly MDF alternative interior finishing wood products such as Rice Stalk MDF panels are coming to the USA & Canada. Zero VOC to improve the indoor air quality of homes and protect our health. Formaldehyde-free MDF made from rice - available at distributors in USA & Canada There is a…

Poly vapour barriers in air conditioned houses can cause mold and rot
Healthy indoor air quality

Why you should Never Install Air-Con in a Home with a Vapor Barrier

The practice of putting polyethylene vapor barriers in houses was intended to keep them dry, but it ends up keeping them wet. It's time to explore alternatives and to reconsider how to keep homes cool in summer. Vapor Barrier + Air-Con = Damp Moldy Walls So here's a little known fact that most HVAC installers won't…

Finished basements can lead to mold and mildew
Healthy indoor air quality

Why are basements moldy? How to fix or Prevent a Moldy Basement

Basement mold and mildew can easily be avoided with better designed walls. Common building practices trap moisture in wall assemblies preventing them from drying. That musty, moldy basement smell that we have come to accept as unavoidable, is actually quite avoidable. The solution is really quite simple - stop…

Wildfire Smoke & How to Keep it Outside Homes
Healthy indoor air quality

How to keep wildfire smoke out of Homes with mechanical ventilation systems?

Normally Homes & Indoor Spaces Should be Ventilated with Outdoor Air - But What Should we do when It's Smoky Outside? How to protect our Health when our high efficiency Homes have HRV, ERV or Central Aircon Systems. How to protect indoor air quality from smoke during wildfires in homes with HVAC? As we move towards…

DIY Natural Earth Pigment Paint, Making it at Home is Easy
Healthy indoor air quality

DIY recipe for natural healthy paint

Natural paint is non-toxic, cheap and easy to make & provides a beautiful texture to walls. Ditch the VOC's & improve interior air quality for your family with these tips on making Eco-friendly natural paint at home. Making Eco-friendly paint at home is easy when you know how If you want to decorate your home with…

Healthy indoor air quality

The impact of ambient fragrances on our health

Adding insult to injury - trying to mask the smell of airborne contaminants with more airborne contaminants. Given that we spend about three quarters of our time indoors (counting both home and work), it is essential that we work to ensure clear indoor air quality. Contrary to what many people believe, indoor air is…

Living green wall
Healthy indoor air quality

Living walls: what they do and don't do

Bring nature into your home with a living green wall, but don't count on it for air purification. It is well-documented that indoor air is filled with contaminants, mostly due to cooking (specifically burning) and improperly vented combustion appliances (woodstoves, gas water heaters, gas ranges, etc.). Following…

stove hood bathroom fan central vac
Healthy indoor air quality

Removing dust and moisture from homes

Removing moisture and contaminants directly from sources improves air quality and home durability. Removing source contaminants and moisture from homes helps keep air healthy for occupants, and helps keep home humidity down. Excess humidity in houses can cause moisture damage, but what is not often considered is…

Basement Design for walls prevents mold & midlew when renovating & finishing
Healthy indoor air quality

Basement renovations: How to prevent mold when finishing basements

Why are basements moldy? Because we build walls so they can't dry. Simple changes in wall design will result in mould-free durable basements. Basements don't have to be moldy, that is the first thing to realize. It's easy to build a basement better, or to finish an existing basement correctly, we just need to…