Kitchen & Bath Business - July/August 2018 - 54

Learning Corner
Ever been in a house that smells like an old fireplace when the hood is
turned on? Or had a CO2 alarm go off from a water heater that back drafted?
Homes must be mechanically or naturally provided with makeup air at a rate
approximately equal to the exhaust air rate and be discharged into the same
room in which the exhaust system is located[1] says the latest building code
for hoods capable of 400 cfm or more. Otherwise, it's coming from somewhere that won't make for a happy family. Makeup air is now recognized
as necessary for a healthy indoor environment. Several manufacturers offer
products specifically designed to provide makeup air, which can be filtered,
tempered and boosted and should be part of every kitchen plan and bath plan
with significant exhaust capability.
UNDERSTANDING HARMFUL ITEMS ALREADY IN THE HOME

Indoor Air
Vigilance

ABOVE Gibson chose ultra-

What goes in must...
or should...come out
AS RALPH CAPLAN, RENOWNED DESIGNER,

writer, public speaker and Herman Miller consultant wisely said, "Thinking about design is hard,
but not thinking about it can be disastrous." And
so it goes as we design for homes that are so airtight - as codes mandate - that ears often pop
when doing something as natural as closing the
front door. That's great for energy efficiency, but
unlike in houses of the past, air should not seep
through the cracks (there shouldn't be any cracks).
ACCOMMODATING VIABLE VENTILATION

Here's a sexy topic if science makes your hot air
rise: a discussion on how we ventilate homes.
When we add a kitchen exhaust or multiple bath
fans, we create negative air pressure. For the exhaust to be effective, air must pull from somewhere. That could be through a dusty attic (past
the drywall around light fixtures), from a moist
crawl space or even through siding or a brick façade via electrical receptacles. Thus, we need to
provide controlled makeup air. If the home is truly
tight, and we're not providing makeup air, then the
fans aren't able to do their jobs, and the specified
cubic feet per minute (cfm) is inaccurate.

low-emitting formaldehyde
cabinets from Pennville
Custom Cabinetry for this
kitchen project, as well as
Greenguard-certified bamboo floors from US Floors,
Cambria countertops and
Sherwin-Williams paint; a
soy-based foam insulation;
and electrostatic filtration.
Photo by Tony Valainis

Let's address what we're putting into homes. Americans spend 80-90 percent
of their time indoors. The Environmental Protection Agency states that
indoor air can be 2-5 percent more polluted than outside [2], and a 2018
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration study states it can be as
much as 10 times higher [3]. Although 95 percent of raw oil winds up being
burned in vehicle engines, the remaining 5 percent is refined into chemicals
for household products.
Think about this: volatile chemical products used in common solvents and
personal care products are literally designed to evaporate indoors! We wear
perfume or use scented products so we can enjoy the aroma. We burn paraffin candles that release benzene and toluene (alternatives like beeswax, soy
and vegetable bases are available). Permanent and dry-erase markers contain
xylene. Look into the effects of fire-retardant fabric and furniture foam.
Flooring, including carpet, and cabinets containing formaldehyde are the
worst offenders for off-gassing volatile organic compounds; some possibly
forever. Radon, a radioactive gas formed from the decay of uranium in most
soil, is now remediated with mechanical pumps because it's a known carcinogen, and it's proven that homes trap it inside. Eventually, as with radon, other
indoor pollutants will be recognized as hazardous. Until then, it's up to us to
educate our clients to avoid and remediate.
REMEDIES WE CAN PROVIDE

REFERENCES
[1] 2015 International

Residential Code:
M1503.4 Makeup Air
Required
[2] cfpub.epa.gov/roe/
chapter/air/
indoorair.cfm
[3] www.noaa.gov/news/
those-scented-productsyou-love-noaa-studyfinds-they-can-cause-airpollution

By ADAM GIBSON, CMKBD,
Indiana Design Center

Fresh, measured air exchanges can help remove toxins. For example, heat
recovery ventilation (HRV) and energy recovery ventilation (ERV) installed
in line with an HVAC system save money by capturing about 70 percent of
energy already expended to temper incoming air. While they are not strong
enough to provide makeup air from exhaust fans, if used correctly they can
provide continuous filtered air exchanges, removing contaminants and excess
humidity generated by normal human activity. For the record, with HRV
heat is retained during cooler seasons and removed during warmer seasons.
ERV is typically recommended in warmer climates to remove humidity from
incoming fresh air.
With regard to whole-house filters, HEPA filters (high-efficiency particulate arrestor) seem to be proven most effective. They have an 87-99 percent
first-pass efficiency rate but must be replaced regularly. Electrostatic air filters
are washable and theoretically never need replacing. Air passes through
multiple layers of vented metal, air molecules are positively charged, and
the charged molecules attach themselves to the adjacent layers as they pass
through. They require multiple cycles to capture impurities (60-80 percent
first-pass efficiency rate) and must be washed every month or so.
Whatever methods we choose, it's important to be aware of the possibilities
and that we provide a healthy indoor environment for our clients.


Kitchen & Bath Business / JULY-AUGUST 2018 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official publication of KBIS (KBIS.com)

http://www.KBBONLINE.COM http://www.KBIS.com

Kitchen & Bath Business - July/August 2018

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