As we being to dissect our Home Health Guide, be sure to get familiar with it here: take a look. Many of these blogs are an expansion and discussion of those concepts and should help you gain a better understanding of why and how these concepts work to improve your health and well-being.

Cross-ventilation is critical in a home

Let’s start at the beginning - natural ventilation. If you have a home or apartment, then you have at least one window (if not, go here). Since the first man-made structure, people have used natural ventilation to keep their spaces healthy and livable. Our methods have evolved, but the concept has remained constant - move outdoor air indoors; move indoor air outdoors. In the architecture world, we talk about air exchange rates in terms of cubic feet per minute (cfm) or air changes per hour (ACH), which is just a technical way of asking “how fresh is the air in the space?” Generally, in a commercial building, engineers design a ventilation system to move air at an average of 20cfm, which is the bare-minimum to meet code (hey business owners: raising your exchange rate to 40cfm can actually make your business more money. Take a look at this study to see how.). However, your home probably doesn’t have a way to measure or adjust this rate; that’s where natural ventilation comes into play. Per a study from 2002, “one may conclude that opening windows or using the atticfan produced, on average, about two to three times the effect on air change rates of typical indoor–outdoor temperature differences.” The study measured that typical homes have an ACH of about 0.44, but opening the windows increased that exchange rate to 1.57ACH. That means that opening the windows can completely replace your old, indoor air with fresh, outdoor air, about one-and-a-half times every hour; the study even accounted for winter conditions when the windows were only open 10% of the day.

So if you have windows on two sides of your home, you can improve air quality and brain function simply by opening the window for a couple hours a day. For those of you in an apartment, you still have options. Opening windows on just one side of your home can still exchange air, albeit at a lower rate (up to 0.22ACH, though our understanding of how this works is still developing. The problem is surprisingly complex). You can also use your kitchen hood to pull air out of your space and help the air exchange rate. Do you live in a below-grade apartment or basement? The principles still apply and may even be better than an apartment scenario, due to the stack effect (warm air rises and escapes out of high windows). The bottom-line is: if you get more fresh air into your home, you can improve your cognitive function and reduce allergens and particulates that effect multiple health factors.

Dust and Particulates in a home

It may seem fairly obvious that we should dust our homes. But I know that’s pretty low on most people’s list of chores, especially when it comes to dusting the top of your door frames or your window sills. But that dust builds up quickly and will be spread throughout your home once you open the windows or turn on a fan (because you were sure to use the strategies I talked about earlier, right?). And if you think you don’t have a lot of dust in your home, consider this: the average person consumes up to 100 milligrams of dust and soil every day; children might consume close to 200mg per day. That’s the measured, upper limit of consumption, but by allowing dust to accumulate in those forgotten spots, you may find yourself at the top end of the spectrum. So why does this matter, apart from being a bit gross? Dust is more than just dirt, it turns out. Dust may be composed of dirt, fur/hair, and mites. Dust Mites are known to be a particular problem for asthmatic children, who have a higher risk of dust mite allergies that increase their risk for hospitalization. Besides harboring mites, dust also carries airborne chemicals, which come from various places in your home (sealants, varnishes, carpeting, cabinets, paint, the list goes on and on). These chemicals were never designed to be in your body, but dust conveys them there every day. We’ll go into more detail about this in a future post, but eating chemicals from your couch is not an ideal situation.

Besides dusting regularly, you can help eliminate many larger particles in your home by cleaning the filter of your range hood. The kitchen is the source of many large particles, which get caught in the filter. However, if your filter isn’t clean, they don’t get caught there. Instead, they bounce off and remain in your home. By simply rinsing your filter with hot water, you can give your hood a better chance at performing as it was designed. You might also consider replacing the filter a few times a year, especially if you do a lot of cooking.

The impact of clean air in Architectural Designs

Fresh, clean air can have a dramatic effect on your daily life, especially as we spend more time in our homes, thanks to the Covid-19 Pandemic. But even when things get back to some sense of normalcy, we’re still an indoor species, spending about 90% of our lives inside our home or business. It is critical that we all begin considering our indoor environment just as much as our outdoor environment. And, unlike trying to solve the massive problem of Climate Change, we can all experience an immediate, positive impact by working to create clean air in our own homes. Immediate gratification can be a strong motivator for forming a habit.

If you’re ready to move forward with creating a truly healthy home, be sure to send me a message. As a licensed Architect, I am ready to guide you and your family through any home remodel or addition, all with your health and well-being in mind; I’m ready to help you cultivate a healthy space.