My Rental Made Me Sick!

I think, in fact, my rental car did make me sick! And I am going to tell you why I know this to be true in order to help you avoid the same thing happening to you.

I was fortunate enough to be invited to a dear friend’s daughter’s wedding in Utah. I was so excited to witness what was sure to be a wonderful celebration uniting not only two people in love, but also the marriage of two incredible cultures steeped in rich tradition and two large, loving, supportive families. Kelsie and Laki (names are changed to protect their identities) come from two very different cultures. She from a large family very active in their Church of Latter-Day Saints community and he, from the Polynesian, Samoan culture. This was a wedding not to be missed held at a beautiful ranch in the mountains of Utah. I couldn’t wait!

I had to travel from my midwestern hometown to Salt Lake City, UT to attend the wedding. My travel day was gratefully uneventful – gotta appreciate that in these days of flight delays, ground stops, staffing shortages and other challenges to airline travel. I was feeling grateful that all went smoothly, arriving shortly before noon local time. I must be livin’ right, I thought!

Upon arrival in Salt Lake City, Utah I collected my rental car without incident, highlighting the few scratches I saw on the driver’s side door to the efficient rental car representative helping me load my luggage. He noted the scratches, and I was on my way.

When I got in the car, I noticed it had a bit of an odor, a fragrance or sorts, reminding me of cheap men’s cologne that lingers in the nostrils for hours. It brought me right back to 1993, Spring Break at Carlos and Charlies where co-eds famously drank too much tequila, danced on a too crowded dance floor and doused themselves with too much cheap cologne! I had assumed that the odor may have been left over from whomever cleaned the vehicle and the smell would dissipate once I started the car, opened windows and got the air moving.

I was dead wrong about that. The smell never went away. Even getting stronger when I turned up the fan as I desperately tried to air out the car with the fan on high and windows open to provide a path of escape for this awful air. I noticed I had developed a slight headache behind my right eye, like someone was stabbing me with a sharp knife! I have been in the Indoor Air Quality industry for the last two decades, so I know a thing or two about the consequences of breathing contaminated indoor air quality and it was starting to happen to me. Headache, dizziness, nausea, etc. I became acutely aware that I was breathing the 100s of chemicals found in home/car “fragrances” that are designed to mask unpleasant odors.

Our company has been providing ventilation solutions to homeowners for over 20 years now. I understand the importance of contaminant removal by creating air exchanges near or at the source of contamination. I know how to do this…why was it not working?!?!? I stopped more than three times on my 2 hour drive to see if I could locate the source of the odor. I knew if I could find what was creating this noxious smell, I could remedy the situation. No such luck. My headache was getting more intense with every passing moment.

Upon arrival at my destination, I was beyond thrilled to get out of that car and breathe in the fresh mountain air and see all my friends gathered in that way that only the excitement of a wedding creates.  Much to my distress, the headache, dizziness and nausea lingered into dinner. I realized at one point that nausea was growing in intensity. Unable to eat as I felt so ill, I excused myself from the table and spent the next hour and half in the restroom getting violently ill.  WHAT THE?!?!?!

I’ve spent the last 20 years educating our team and others on the detrimental health consequences of poor indoor air quality as contaminated indoor air has been named one of the top 3 health concerns by the US Environmental Protection Agency. I found it quite ironic that there I was bent over a restroom toilet feeling all the nasty effects of breathing that polluted indoor air. I had literally been trapped in that rental car forced to breathe dirty, polluted indoor air. Not unlike our many customers who are at their wits end with all the trapped chemicals and pollutants recirculating through their indoor environments.

I had always known this was what the experts warned against, I preached to anyone who would listen that breathing dirty, polluted indoor air was bad for our health, but I had never experienced it like this for myself. I will never pull out of a rental car lot again with a car that has an odor or “freshener” scent and I encourage you not to as well!

I went to bed that night with a renewed enthusiasm to do all I can to help educate and inform as many people as possible about the detrimental health consequences of breathing contaminated air, especially when it comes to so called “air fresheners”. I woke up the next morning feeling much better and did my best to stay out of that car for the next few days. What I found so interesting as I sat at the wedding surrounded by the aroma of roses, frangipani, and other flowers present was that these smells cannot be duplicated or substituted by chemicals, nothing smells as wonderful as the actual flower…why bother with the fake stuff full of toxins when you know it can (and will) make you sick!

– Erika Lacroix, Indoor Air Quality Advocate

How I know it was the car that made me sick:

“Volatile organic compounds and other chemicals contribute to poor indoor quality that causes or contributes to health concerns such as asthma, headaches, dry eyes, nasal congestion, nausea and fatigue, it’s extremely important to understand the role of proper ventilation or air exchanges.” – US EPA

“The majority of home and car air fresheners are created with Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). These are synthetic chemicals that can stay suspended in air. The EPA lists a number of possible adverse effects of exposure to VOCs including headaches, loss of coordination, nausea, liver, kidney, and central nervous system damage, cancer, and more.”  – National Motorists Assoc.

“Indoor air is on average two to five times more polluted than the air outdoors and can be up to 100 times more.” – US EPA

Read more here: Hazards of Car Air Fresheners – How to Stay Safe – National Motorists Association

Volatile chemical emissions from car air fresheners; Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health. Aug 4, 2020

”Air fresheners, used in a variety of indoor environments, emit a range of volatile chemicals, including some classified as hazardous. However, little is known about the emissions from air fresheners designed for use in cars. This study investigates the volatile organic compounds emitted from car air fresheners, identifies potentially hazardous compounds, compares emissions between so-called natural and regular versions, and assesses whether ingredients are disclosed. Using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, 12 car air fresheners were analyzed for their volatile emissions. Air freshener types included car vent clips, wraps, hanging ornaments, cans, and spray. Results reveal that the air fresheners collectively emitted 546 VOCs with 30 VOCs classified as potentially hazardous. All air freshener types emitted one or more potentially hazardous compounds. Comparing regular air fresheners with so-called natural or green air fresheners, no significant difference was found in the emissions of hazardous compounds. Notably, all products emitted at least one VOC classified as potentially hazardous. Among all of the 546 compounds emitted, fewer than 2% of all VOCs, and none of the potentially hazardous VOCs, were disclosed on any product label or safety data sheet. This study reveals that car air fresheners can be a source of exposure to numerous volatile compounds, including potentially hazardous VOCs, most of which are undisclosed. Of particular concern for human exposure is the small and enclosed breathing space within vehicles, as well as involuntary exposure in commercial vehicles such as taxi cabs and rideshares.”

  • Anne Steinemann,
  • Neda Nematollahi,
  • Justine Lew Weinberg,
  • Jennifer Flattery,
  • Nigel Goodman &
  • Spas D. Kolev
indoor air particles

May Is Asthma & Allergy Awareness Month

Take a deep breath in….aaaaaand exhale out….

Now, think about the fact that you will do that approximately 22,000-25,000 times EACH DAY.  That equates to 3,200 gallons of air you will breathe per day (about the same amount of gallons of water that’s in a 20’x40’ in-ground pool!).

breathing in and out - ezbreathe

Compare that to what you drink & eat. 

  • You drink an average of 3 ½ cups of liquid per day
  • You eat an average of 5 ½ lbs. of food per day.

We put a lot of consideration in to the kinds of food & drink we put in our body, but do we do the same with the air we breathe?

The foods we eat come with Nutrition Information, or what I like to call, an “Ingredients Disclosure”.  What if our house had the same thing?  What would be listed in your home’s Ingredients Disclosure?

Studies show that the air in our homes are, at a minimum, 5 times more polluted than the air outside.  And we are breathing 3,200 gallons of that air every day.  What are you doing about that?

air fresheners & spray - ezbreatheSome of the most common “solutions” actually make the indoor environment worse.  Things like candles, plug in air fresheners & sprays actually add dangerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in to our home.  Standard vacuums (without HEPA filtration), actually take the fine dirt particles & chemical compounds from the floor & introduce them in to the air.  While you mean well, there’s a very good chance you are making the indoor environment less healthy. 

According to the US EPA, improving IAQ involves a combination of Source Control & Ventilation.  Source control means eliminating the source.  Sometimes, this can be as simple as stop using and getting rid of the air fresheners, sprays, candles & plug ins. 

Ventilation is a must.  And, it is key to improving your indoor air quality. Installing a whole house ventilation system to flush out all that stagnant, polluted, unhealthy air will allow for fresher, cleaner air into the home. Removing indoor pollutants, such as asthma and allergy triggers, fumes from cleaning products, gases emitted from paint/carpet/etc. (VOCs), carbon dioxide, airborne particles, pet dander, smoke and odors from cooking, moisture from bathing, cooking, foundations etc. significantly improves the indoor air we breathe. We know enough to vent our bathrooms & kitchens with required exhaust ventilation systems.

The question is not whether to ventilate or not to ventilate. The question is, how much ventilation we need?  A whole house mechanical ventilation system allows you to customize the amount of air exchanged in the home.

Our homes are not only our single biggest financial investment, but it is where we live, breathe, sleep & create memories.  It’s time to give our homes the care & attention they need, our health depends on it.

basement-ventilation-system-ez-breathe-3

Why Basement Ventilation Systems Are Important For Your Home

Why Basement Ventilation Systems Are Important For Your Home

A basement ventilation system helps to properly circulate air throughout the space, preventing moisture buildup and odors. Without adequate ventilation, excessive moisture can cause mold and mildew growth that is not only damaging to your space but also hazardous to your health. Additionally, inadequate ventilation leads to stale air which can carry unpleasant smells from awkward areas such as bathrooms or laundry rooms. Basement ventilation systems are designed with powerful fans that constantly move fresh air through a designated system of ducts — drawing in cool, dry air from outside and pushing out warm, moist air from inside — making sure your basement stays healthy and odor-free. Investing in a basement ventilation system will help ensure you have a safe and comfortable living environment for years to come.basement-ventilation-system-ez-breathe-1

When considering basement ventilation, it is important to take into account the size of your basement and the climate in which you live in order to determine the most effective ventilation system for your needs. Investing in a basement ventilation system will help conserve energy, reduce mold and mildew growth, eliminate odors, and keep air healthy and fresh. With proper basement ventilation, you can enjoy your basement space free from moisture-related problems with peace of mind. We’d love to help you find the best basement ventilation system for your basement and make sure it is properly installed. Contact us today to learn more!basement-ventilation-system-ez-breathe-2

When it comes to basement ventilation, there are a number of solutions available to meet your needs. These solutions range from basement window fans and dehumidifiers to basement exhaust systems — each option providing its own benefits in terms of energy efficiency, cost savings, and overall effectiveness. For example, basement window fans draw in fresh air from outside while pushing out moist air from inside the room; basement exhaust systems can be installed for more extensive ventilation that is both efficient and cost effective; and dehumidifiers can help keep moisture levels low. Ultimately, the right basement ventilation system will depend on your individual needs and preferences. At EZ Breathe we understand this well and would love to help you find the basement ventilation solution that is right for you. Contact us today to learn more!

Contact the Professionals at EZ Breathe Today! 866-822-7328

indoor-air-quality-ez-breathe-3

Why Basement Ventilation Systems Are Vital To Your Home

Why Basement Ventilation Systems Are Vital To Your Home

Basement ventilation systems are an essential component of a home’s overall health and safety. Proper ventilation helps protect indoor-air-quality-cleveland-oh-ez-breathe-2 against the build-up of moisture, mold, mildew, and other airborne contaminants that can cause significant damage to your home and health. Basements are particularly susceptible to high levels of humidity as they are often below grade and do not have access to natural airflow from outside.

By installing a basement ventilation system, you can improve indoor air quality by supplying fresh outdoor air into the space while removing stale, contaminated air out. These systems also help reduce energy costs by regulating temperature throughout the house more effectively. Additionally, these systems help prevent structural damage caused by condensation on basement walls and floors, which occurs when warm humid air comes in contact with cooler basement surfaces.

Ultimately, basement ventilation systems are essential for the health and safety of your basement, home, and family. Investing in a basement ventilation system is an important step towards protecting your home from costly damages and creating a healthier living environment. By understanding the many benefits basement ventilation systems offer, you can make an informed decision when choosing the best system for your basement. Ventilation systems are not only an investment in the safety and health of your basement, but they are also one of the most cost-effective ways to maintain a healthy basement environment.

 

indoor-air-ez-breathe-3

Keeping Your Indoor Air Vents Clean

Keeping Your Indoor Air Vents Clean


It is important to keep indoor air vents clean, as dirty air vents can cause a variety of issues. Build-up of dirt and debris in the ducts can result in reduced efficiency and increased energy costs, as well as health related problems such as increased allergies, asthma, respiratory illnesses and other air quality issues. Regular maintenance should include checking your vents for visible signs of dirt and dust accumulation, inspecting them for blockages or damage, and cleaning them regularly with approved products. In order to ensure that your indoor air quality remains healthy and efficient, it’s essential to consider regular maintenance for your air ducts.  indoor-air-quality-ez-breathe-1

Professional air duct cleaning services are available to help maintain the safety of your home ventilation system while ensuring that you receive optimal indoor air quality. Clean indoor air vents are essential in order to reduce the risk of indoor air pollution and health-related issues, so it is recommended that regular cleaning and maintenance be performed as part of a comprehensive home ventilation system routine. 

By taking measures to keep indoor air vents clean, you can help ensure the safety of your indoor environment for yourself and your family. It’s important to remember that there may still be some dust particles throughout the house even after thorough cleaning, but regularly maintaining them can help minimize the amount significantly. If you have any questions or concerns about indoor air quality, please contact a certified professional today. They will be able to answer any questions you have and provide guidance on how to properly maintain your indoor air vents and ensure indoor air quality. dehumidifier-ez-breathe-2

The benefits of regularly cleaning indoor air vents are worth the effort, as a healthy indoor environment is essential for your health and well-being. With regular maintenance, you can have peace of mind knowing that your indoor space is clean and safe for everyone who spends time in it. Taking steps to keep indoor air vents clean will help ensure that your indoor environment remains comfortable and healthy for years to come. 

 

indoor-air-pollution-ez-breathe-ventilation-system-3

Household Products That Impact Indoor Air

Household Products That Impact Indoor Air

While most news articles on indoor air pollution tend to focus on candles, the air pollution effects of the products that we use in homes are far wider. The fossil-fuel-derived chemicals that evaporate from printing inks, adhesives, coatings, cleaning agents, and personal care products are now dominating the pollutants that form ozone in summer smogs and some types of particle pollution; exceeding the effects of emissions from traffic.indoor-air-pollution-ez-breathe-ventilation-system-1

Ph.D. student Amber Yeoman has been studying the air pollution produced when we take a shower. Building a shower in the laboratory was not practical, so instead Yeoman and her team relocated their equipment next to a shower room at the University of York.

Sample pipes were installed in the bathroom. Volunteers were each given the same supermarket products and asked to shower; starting with face washing and shower gel, followed by a shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer, and then aerosol deodorant.

One by one, volatile organic compounds were measured by Yeoman’s equipment. Highly reactive limonene came mainly from the citrus-smelling shampoo, benzyl alcohol from the conditioner, and ethanol from the moisturizer. This was different for each person and those people that rinsed for longer produced fewer emissions. Other chemicals were seen too, possibly linked to laundry products used to wash each volunteer’s towel (they brought their own) or their clothes. In other experiments, Yeoman’s equipment found that products worn by other researchers affected the air in her laboratory.indoor-air-pollution-ez-breathe-ventilation-system-2

New attention is being paid to these products because of the cumulative impact of the emissions from our homes and the way they react together to form harmful air pollution. Control of air pollution that forms from personal care products will not be easy. The first step will be to make manufacturers responsible for the pollution from the products they sell. Switching to non-aerosol products would be another simple change. It is clear from Yeoman’s work that any product labeling would have to reflect real-world use and also the fate of these chemicals in our drains and river systems.

Yeoman said: “Air quality labels would help communicate the possible negative impacts to consumers and it could well encourage manufacturers to change their products to attract health-conscious buyers. Cleanliness has also been equated with the presence of perfume, rather than the absence of malodor. Changing this mindset has altered my personal buying habits toward fragrance-free products.”

Contact the Professionals at EZ Breathe Ventilation System Today! 866-822-7328

indoor-air-quality-ez-breathe-3

Indoor Air Quality: 4 Benefits of a Good Ventilation System

Indoor Air Quality: 4 Benefits of a Good Ventilation System

Ventilation is the process of intentionally introducing outdoor air into spaces such as houses or rooms while removing stale air. The aim of ventilation is to regulate indoor air quality by displacing and diluting indoor pollutants. A good ventilation system should therefore be able to remove or dilute any indoor pollutants and distribute fresh air in your house.

Ventilation systems also play numerous roles that improve the quality of indoor air. Below are four benefits of a good ventilation system.indoor-air-quality-ez-breathe-1

  1. Controls air impurities

It is important for every home or building to have good circulation of indoor air in order to constantly get a supply of fresh air. A constant supply of fresh air into a building reduces the risk of indoor air pollution. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 4.3 million people across the world die annually as a result of poor indoor air quality.

A good ventilation system helps improve indoor air quality by expelling different types of pollutants including bacteria, moisture, musty odors and dust.

  1. Stops condensation

Another benefit of a good ventilation system is that it stops condensation in any indoor space. Condensation occurs as a result of a buildup of moisture. The moisture condenses on various sources to form water droplets.

Condensation can lead to the growth of mold on various surfaces including drywall, walls, and floors. Another problem that stems from condensation is wood decay, which occurs when wooden items have a moisture content that exceeds 20%. 

By removing moisture, a ventilation system helps stop problems such as condensation and the growth of mold, thus improving indoor air quality.indoor-air-quality-ez-breathe-2

  1. Regulates air

Unless you have installed a good ventilation system, you are not able to control the movement of air in your home. Too much cold air coming in may mean high energy costs due to heating. A good ventilation system controls the amount of air that enters a building and ensures that your indoor air is of the right quality and has the right temperature.

  1. Controls air temperature

The ability to control air temperature is a notable benefit of a good ventilation system. Room temperatures change due to factors such as weather, the location of the room, the number and size of windows, and the number of people in a room.

A good ventilation system adjusts the temperature accordingly so that your indoor space does not become hot and stuffy when there are many people or when the incoming air becomes hotter.

Contact the Professionals at EZ Breathe Today! 866-822-7328

Would You Live In Your Basement?

Ask yourself this question: “Would you live in your basement?” Your answer is probably a hard “NO!” Basements are notorious for being “icky”–damp, musty, and full of spiders.

Did you know that the air from your basement may be exactly what you’re breathing all day, every day? This is due to stack effect, the process of warm air rising upward in a building. (This is because warm air is lighter than cold air.) Stack effect will cause the air to flow from a basement into living spaces upstairs, bringing airborne pollutants–mold, moisture, radon, chemicals–right along with it.

So if you’re lining up the home improvement projects for the coming summer months, think about starting where it matters most: in the basement!

Healthy Air Starts at the Bottom

How to make your basement, and your home, healthier:

  1. Manage the moisture. Improve exterior drainage to prevent water from leaking into your basement. Manage indoor humidity levels below 60% to prevent condensation.
  2. Test your home for radon. Install systems to reduce the radon if the test result is above EPA-recommended acceptable levels.
  3. Clean. Accumulated dust and dirt can trap moisture and grow mold. Throw away unwanted items–especially old paints, chemicals, and pesticides.
  4. Evict Pests. Trap unwanted visitors: ants, mice, rats, squirrels.
  5. Weatherize. insulating and air sealing your basement can reduce the impact of stack effect and save you energy dollars too!
  6. Ventilate. Below grade spaces require ventilation to exhaust harmful chemicals, toxins, allergens and to create air exchanges for a safe and healthy air quality.

 

Learn More About Moisture Control

Learn More About Basement Ventilation

Learn More About Crawlspace Ventilation

Why Measure Your Indoor Humidity?

High humidity levels in your indoor environment are a common cause for moisture, mold and mildew problems inside your home.

When warm humid air lands on a cool surface, the moisture in the air condenses into liquid water on the surface material. If that cool surface is your summertime ice tea glass, your glass gets wet, we are accustomed to this harmless display of high humidity. However, when that cool surface is in your basement, attic or on your windows, and those surfaces get wet it’s a red flag that you have high humidity inside your home. Moist, damp conditions lead to mold and bacteria growth, as well as increase the risk of insects and other health related problems like asthma and allergies.

Keeping your relative humidity (RH) at or below 50% will go a long way towards preventing moisture from condensing on cold surfaces in your home. Measure your RH frequently, particularly in the summer months. Treat spaces that consistently have an RH higher than 50% with a means to lower airborne moisture.

For more information on preventing mold and moisture problems in your home from high levels of indoor humidity, visit our website: www.ezbreathe.com

ez breathe home ventilation - mold growth ez breathe home ventilation - window condensation 2

basement ventilation - ez breathe ventilation

“Making Your Basement a Livable Space”

We have seen a growing trend in the number of homeowners remodeling, renovating and generally improving their basements to make them usable, livable spaces. Home Gyms, Rec Rooms, Home Offices, Man Caves and additional bedrooms seem to be the most popular inspiration for this wave of basement improvement. The current tight housing market has also contributed to the growth in renovating our own spaces, rather than look for something new/different. It’s also one of the best home improvement projects for ROI.

HGTV shared, “The last annual ‘Cost vs. Value’ Report from Remodeling magazine put the average basement remodel at a 70.3 percent payback, which made it among the smartest redos, along with an attic bedroom, minor kitchen redo, deck, and new entry door.”

Basement Ventilation is something that is necessary whether you are considering remodeling or not – Basements are considered one of the biggest contributors to indoor air pollution for any house whether a new house, an older home and especially those that are being remodeled.

Why? 60% of the air in your home was once basement air – Basement air is arguably the worst air inside the home/building envelope.

  1. Research from the University of Wisconsin reports that “Basements and crawlspaces absorb 10-15 gallons of water VAPOR every day!” Consider the analogy of gallon milk jugs – 10-15 milk jugs of water vapor EVERY day coming in through the porous walls and floor. The natural transmission of the moisture in the soil surrounding the house migrating through the walls and the floor is based on the physics Law of Thermal Dynamics – Wet moves to dry. We can address bulk liquid water intrusion with drains and pumps redirecting that liquid water away from and out of the home’s foundation, however, that is not what we are talking about here. There is very little we can do to fight the water vapor – Water in its gaseous form – from absorbing through the walls and the floor. Once the humidity is trapped it becomes a food source for mold, mildew, and pests and encourages rust, dry rot all of which requires a damp environment to thrive. Ventilation reigns supreme in providing an escape, a way out, for the trapped moisture vapor and has proven quite successful in managing the humidity problems in basement/crawlspaces to ensure healthy and clean air.
  2. By Ventilating the lowest level and sourcing the draw of air (or the intake) on the lowest level of the basement, the worst, most polluted and damp air is exhausted first and does not allow for the large build-up or concentration of humidity/pollutants that we so often see in unvented basements.
  3. This air exchange becomes even more important when remodeling or renovating these below-grade spaces – one must have a plan to address the large volume of water vapor absorption, but also consider the chemicals and toxins being introduced into the underground space during the construction process. Glues, Paints, Carpets, Off-gassing of Epoxy and Resins, Varnishes and Glazes. Many of the materials used in this process are highly toxic often requiring those working with these materials to wear masks and containing warning labels that instruct “Only use in a well-ventilated area”. The subterranean or below ground nature of these spaces means that basements are the opposite of well ventilated! They are notoriously stagnant, stuffy places. The EPA & American Lung Association have identified Ventilation as a “key strategy for reducing indoor air pollution” and considering the EPA reports “the air in the average home is at least 5x more polluted than outdoor air” ventilation should not only be employed throughout the construction phase but is also critically important as a finishing touch to ensure all those chemicals and toxic materials do not build up and contribute to even higher toxic levels of air quality. See, the off-gassing of new materials can last for decades! That “new” smell is actually highly toxic for humans to breathe.

We so often hear of people that are looking to get rid of that musty basement smell by slathering on a fresh coat of paint! Not only does that not solve the root of the mustiness, but it contributes even more contaminants to the already poor air quality problem in spades.

  1. Our proven solution that we have been providing for over 20 years now is the EZ Breathe Basement Ventilation System that addresses not only the moisture vapor issue, but also reduces all the other airborne pollutants and contaminants. It’s not complicated, it is simple air exchange! By creating a path of escape from the lowest level, the EZ Breathe Ventilation System exhausts all the pollutants, toxins, allergens, mold spores as well as the heavy, humid air that gets saturated daily by water vapor. Turning the air over has proven to decrease airborne particulates by 85% – when a basement is properly ventilated, nothing can build up or concentrate to unhealthy levels.
  2. This is not just our theory – Basement Ventilation has been widely accepted and now mandated by a growing number of US State’s building codes as essential to creating a healthy indoor air quality.  We have seen a growing number of homeowners calling us frantic for a basement ventilation system in order to secure building permits for their basement remodeling project. We are thrilled to offer them a solution they can count on to provide a better air quality for their basement and beyond. The update in building codes to include basement ventilation is reminiscent of bathroom ventilation codes from many years back. Mandating ventilation fans in bathrooms is commonplace now, but we still find homes that were built before those codes were enforced that have un-vented bathrooms. We all know how damaging (and gross) that can be. Where there is a source of moisture or pollutants – ventilation is a must!
  3. We have found with our on-going scientific air sampling/testing that the air quality improvement is not limited to the basement alone. Once the air is ventilated out of the basement, we find significant improvements in the air quality in the upper levels of the home as well. In our early days this was quite surprising and unexpected. After receiving years of feedback from customers thanking us for less allergy symptoms or finding that they do not snore or cough as much or no longer require breathing treatments/allergy medication as they had before their EZ Breathe installation, we were able to quantify that improvement through testing.  We have seen first-hand the significant improvement Ventilation has provided not only in air quality that we can quantify, 85% less pollutants through our decades of air sampling and testing before/after scenarios, but also the improvement in the quality of life for so many homeowners over the past two decades.

 

*** In honor of April being Healthy Home Awareness Month we are offering 20% OFF EZ Breathe Ventilation. Get ahead of the musty, stuffy, mildew-smelling basements that those dog days of summer bring NOW with proper basement ventilation. Addressing the issue sooner than later is always best practice! This issue never gets better on its own, it only gets worse as time goes on.  Now is the perfect time to protect your home and health, even if you haven’t started that basement remodel project quite yet!