El “Chapulin Colorado” Goes Green #3

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Aug 25, 2009

During the past two months, National Gypsum’s “Chapulin Goes Green” Hispanic educational series has explored the basics of the sustainable building trend. In doing so, we’ve asked Hispanic architects and contractors to share their thoughts about why it’s essential to be familiar with “green” building practices >(http://www.lowesforpros.com/el-chapulin-colorado-goes-green), how to learn more about high-performance construction, and how to make jobsites environmentally friendly. (http://www.lowesforpros.com/el-chapulin-colorado-goes-green-part-2)

In this third article in the four-part “Chapulin” series, we’ll focus on the basics of indoor air quality, including why it’s more important to protect it now than ever before, the three major pollutants that can affect it and what architects and contractors can do to manage them.

A more health-conscious community
In recent years, developers, builders and owners have become increasingly aware of a structure’s indoor air quality, particularly in public buildings such as schools, hospitals, elderly care facilities and office spaces.

“We’re becoming more health conscious every day,” says Jose Luis Guevara, an Ecuador native who is an architectural designer at McClure Nicholson Montgomery Architects in Charlotte, N.C. “We’re reducing our carbon footprint by building tighter, more energy-efficient, environmentally friendly structures – and in doing so, are making it even more essential to keep indoor air clean both during construction and prior to occupancy.”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offers some strong statistics to support that argument, estimating that adults in the United States spend up to 90 percent of their time indoors, where air can be up to two to five times more polluted than the air outside.

Typically, indoor air pollutants fall into one of three categories: materials that emit volatile organic compounds (commonly known as VOCs), allergens such as dust or dander, and mold.

Learning quicker, advancing faster
It’s a three-part task to manage these contaminants and minimize their impact on the indoor environment, says Jack Ossa, LEED AP, AIA Associate, owner of Ossa Studio in Charlotte, N.C.

The first step, he says, is to specify the right products.

“When architects develop plans for sustainable buildings, they select materials and finishes that will have the smallest impact on indoor air quality,” he says. “Those selections range from paints, carpet, composite wood, adhesives and sealants to ceiling and wall systems to furniture and ventilation units.”

Guevara, who is currently pursuing certification as a LEED accredited professional for new construction, agrees and also suggests a longer-term advantage.

“By specifying low-emitting materials, we prevent indoor air quality problems before they happen,” he says. “That’s less expensive than trying to solve an air quality problem in the future, so the specifying process in and of itself can become a cost-saving measure.”

The next step, Ossa says, is for the contractor to employ sound building practices and remain organized throughout the construction process. This process begins with the team keeping construction materials clean and dry to avoid mold and moisture damage. It continues with the contractor maintaining a housekeeping plan to keep the jobsite uncontaminated by dust or other pollutants – for example, by requiring teams clean their shoes before entering or only opening paints in certain areas.

This step also requires contractors stick to the construction timeline. To do so, Guevara says planning and early coordination are the key.

“When the contracting teams coordinate early with the architect, they can plan to install the emitting materials first, and then allow for the proper amount of time for the structure to be ventilated before the porous materials that could absorb the dangerous fumes – for example, carpet – are installed.”

The construction team’s last responsibility in protecting a project’s indoor air quality is to perform a full flush-out of the structure’s air by activating the ventilation system prior to occupancy. In addition to achieving a LEED credit, the flush-out rids the indoor environment of impurities and particulate matter that might have accumulated during construction.

Guevara and Ossa both expect construction industry products and practices to continue to evolve to better protect indoor air quality in the years ahead.

“We’re just now beginning to understand the health consequences of the materials and practices that were used 50 or 60 years ago,” says Ossa. “And though we’re still learning what works and what doesn’t, we’re doing so quicker than ever before. At the same time, technology is advancing faster. As a result of that combination, I believe we’ll continue to achieve even better indoor air quality as we move forward.”

In next month’s fourth and final piece, El Chapulin Colorado will explain the construction industry’s most widely accepted indoor air quality certifications and take a closer look at how National Gypsum’s products can be used to achieve sustainable building standards.

Helpful Links
National Gypsum - www.nationalgypsum.com/espanol

U.S. Green Building Council - www.usgbc.org

For other relevant searches, you might want to try:
(09250) Gypsum Board