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Buying And Selling Home

By: Shan

Does your building have a healthy environment? Do you practice less polluting and more resource efficient methods of construction/renovation/maintenance to provide good IEQ (Indoor Environmental Quality)? How you do this can greatly affect the comfort and health of its occupants.
While the list of environmental hazards seems to keep growing everyday, here are the more common ones you should think about.


Air Quality: Poor air quality leads to a host of illnesses and complaints such as asthma, dizziness and headaches. It is usually caused by poor ventilation. Make sure your house is well ventilated. Every room must have enough windows to allow fresh air to enter.
Rooms that are sealed off because of air conditioning also need to have windows that can be opened at cleaning time or when the air conditioner is switched off.
Windows must be so set at to allow cross ventilation.
High temperatures and humidity also make for poor air quality so make sure that air conditioners, fans dehumidifiers and the like are all in good working condition and are cleaned and serviced regularly. The drain pans of dehumidifiers must be emptied out regularly and disinfected in order to prevent mold growing there.

Molds. Damp conditions encourage the proliferation of molds. They can be toxic and dangerous and can cause allergic reactions such as asthma.
To keep humidity levels low all leaks and seepage should be repaired, and exhaust fans should be installed in the bathrooms and the kitchen.
Organic, bacterial chemical and mineral pollutants also account for poor air quality.

Asbestos. Asbestos is a mineral fiber used commonly in building construction for insulation and as a fire retardant. Although there are no immediate symptoms asbestos has been connected to the long-term risks of lung diseases and chest and abdominal cancer.
If the asbestos material on your property is in good condition leave it alone because the danger arises when fibers are released through cutting it and they are inhaled into the lungs. When you need to clean up or remove asbestos it is best to employ a contractor who has been professionally trained.

Carbon monoxide. The poisonous gas, Carbon monoxide, or CO1,is produced by the incomplete burning of fuel. This sort of combustion usually takes place inside your garage .Exhaust Fumes and fumes from other sources such as oils and automotive fluids and stored gasoline can filter into living spaces. A landlord is therefore responsible to see that the connecting door between and the garage is well sealed and can be closed properly at will.

Bugs / Pests. While pests like cockroaches are unwelcome, the measures taken to control them are often as hazardous. Sprayed pesticides are inhaled and are even absorbed through the skin. Use effective non toxic methods of combating them and other pests like ants.
Check for termites regularly or they will literally ‘eat’ you out of house and home.
Landlords do not usually encourage pets because of the odor and dander that they leave behind and the possibility of flea infestation. Flea bites can cause itching and irritation. If a tenant who had a pet has just vacated an apartment the landlord must be responsible to see that no odor, dander or fleas are left behind before re leasing it.

Lead. Although lead based paints have been banned it is possible that older buildings still have traces of it.
Leaded gasoline has been phased out so there is a vast improvement in the levels of lead in the atmosphere. But it is still released into the air through the burning of solid waste (garbage) coal and oil, and tobacco smoke.

Radon. Radon is a radioactive gas that occurs naturally and is especially dangerous in that it cannot be seen, tasted or smelled. It is a proven cause of lung cancer. It is sometimes found in great quantities in the soil and in rocks.
It can seep out of the ground into the house, so it would be advisable to get a test kit that can be used to check the level in the house.

With a few precautions you can make your home / property a safer and healthier place to live in.
So, how environmentally safe is your house? That’s how safe your life is.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:
Amenda is a seo copywriter for wine country tour shuttle site as well. She has involved herself in this field for more than 2 years. For further details related to the article you can visit the site http:// www.ehomenc.com/you can contact her through mail at amendashan@gmail.com

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