Blueprint For Healthier Indoor Air
Home by DIVINE Custom Homes. Certified as ENERGY STAR®, Indoor airPLUS, and BUILT TO SAVE®
The quality of the air we breathe inside our homes should be as important—if not more—than how pretty our home looks. In recent years, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) studies have shown that indoor air quality can be from 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air. Additional research suggests most people spend 90% of their time indoors. Sadly, the people that spend the most time indoors are those like the elderly and the sick who are the most impacted by poor-quality indoor air. With growing concerns about pollutants like dust, mold, allergens, and other contaminants, the quest for healthy indoor air quality is paramount. It’s crucial not only for comfort but also for health, particularly for those with respiratory issues such as asthma, allergies, or chronic sinusitis.
Healthy indoor air is not automatically guaranteed when you buy a new home. And you should not assume that it is. While new constructions are typically built with modern materials and standards that can contribute to cleaner air, there are specific factors and practices that must be intentionally included to ensure healthy indoor air quality. The areas of the home that determine the quality of indoor air are many and, in the end, must work together in a “whole-house” strategy that not only provides cleaner indoor air but also a comfortable home with superior energy efficiency and durable construction. The best way to be sure you are getting all these things in your new home is to look for homes that have received a certificate of completion from a high-performance home program like BUILT TO SAVE® or ENERGY STAR®. More specifically with regard to healthy indoor air, you should look for ENERGY STAR® homes with the EPA’s Indoor airPLUS label.
The Indoor airPLUS label is a beacon for homebuyers prioritizing air quality. Homes boasting the Indoor airPLUS label meet stringent guidelines that exceed minimum code standards required by law. To qualify, a home must first be certified as ENERGY STAR®, which ensures base-level energy efficiency standards. The Indoor airPLUS standards take this further by focusing on reducing exposure to airborne pollutants and contaminants through superior construction practices and careful product selection. Here are some key points to remember.
1. Proper Ventilation:
Homes need well-designed ventilation systems that can efficiently exchange indoor air with fresh outdoor air, reducing pollutants and moisture levels indoors. This is particularly important in homes with tight construction.
2. Use of Non-Toxic Materials:
The selection of low-emission materials for paints, sealants, and building supplies can significantly reduce the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other harmful chemicals in the air.
3. Moisture Control:
Properly managing moisture through good building design and materials, including vapor barriers and appropriate grading and drainage, helps prevent mold growth. Ensuring that the HVAC equipment is properly sized will keep humidity levels low and make the home more comfortable.
L-R: Chris Carroll (Carroll’s Inspectors) and Olga Treviño
Olga Treviño: Builder/Owner (DIVINE Custom Homes)
4. Tight Construction:
Reducing gaps and sealing entry points can help prevent dust, pests, outside allergens, and contaminants from entering the home and cool air from escaping.
5. Routine Maintenance and Inspections:
Regular checks and maintenance of HVAC systems, filters, and ducts are essential to maintain good air quality. The Rio Grande Valley is lucky to have a builder, DIVINE Custom Homes, who integrates the high standards of the Indoor airPLUS label into every home they build, ensuring that their homes provide a safe, healthy, and clean breathing environment. DIVINE Custom Homes has been a committed partner of ENERGY STAR® since 2009. Owner/builder Olga Treviño insists on 100% compliance with ENERGY STAR® standards. “We build all of our homes 100% ENERGY STAR® and Indoor airPlus or we won’t build it,” declares Treviño.
In addition to ENERGY STAR® certification, DIVINE Custom Homes also dual-certifies its homes in the BUILT TO SAVE® program for homes located in Magic Valley Electric Cooperative communities in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. For years, DIVINE has taken pride in building superior homes that offer customers not only more energy savings and enhanced comfort but also the peace of mind that comes from knowing the air they are breathing every day in their home is healthy and safe from harmful pollutants. For buyers choosing a home built by DIVINE Custom Homes, it’s not just an investment in a home—it’s an investment in comfort, well-being, and long-term health.
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Enjoy the peace of mind that your home was quality built.
For more information on how these certifications can impact your homebuying decision, the EPA’s official website at www. epa.gov/indoorairplus offers extensive resources and insights into the benefits of the Indoor airPLUS program. You should also visit www.BuiltToSave.org to see the benefits of a buying a verified high-performance home. Remember, when it comes to the indoor air in a home, quality is not just an option—it is essential.
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