#Plaster weld zero voc series#
#Plaster weld zero voc windows#

Use reusable filters instead of plastic k-cups, and try organic alternatives to dryer sheets (like vinegar on a clean washcloth or baking soda added to the wash cycle). Use stainless, ceramic or glass cookware instead of non-stick pans. Switch out plastic shower curtain for a cloth one. Toss some of the smaller items in your home that contribute VOC levels, since no change is too small to make a difference. Using a dehumidifier to keep humidity below 45% can also help limit emissions, as off-gassing occurs at a higher rate when humidity is high.

#Plaster weld zero voc windows#

Whenever possible, open windows and circulate fresh air and use exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathrooms to help pull pollutants out of the air. Start by turning off computers, printers, cell phones, and other electronics when not in use, as they can off-gas. There are several ways to keep VOC levels low in your home or office without greatly affecting your lifestyle or budget. As mentioned in part 1 of this series, off-gassing also affects the environment outside the home by adding to a ground-level ozone. Depending on the levels, VOCs can cause everything from eye, nose and throat irritation, to nausea and even more serious illnesses and cancer. This is especially true for those with asthma, migraines, or breathing issues, as well as the elderly, the infirmed, and children.

VOCs can significantly affect air quality, which in turn affects health. However, when fabricated into the chemical compound used in synthetic materials such as glues, sealants, paint, coatings, and plastics, it can become one of the most toxic VOCs in the home. One of the most common VOCs is formaldehyde, an organic compound that occurs naturally in everything around us, including our own bodies. When all of these items coexist in the same space, the level of off-gassing increases exponentially. Even smaller items like household cleaners play a part. Anything comprised of synthetics or treated with coatings, glue, adhesives, sealants, and finishes (such as countertops, furniture, electronic devices, paint, mattresses, carpeting, etc.) can be big contributors to off-gassing. This allows them to emit chemical particles into the air through vapors or gases, in what is also referred to as “off-gassing.” While we might expect garage-stored items like turpentine and varnishes to create off-gassing, the real surprise comes from the items inside the home that also release significant levels VOCs into the air. VOCs are Volatile Organic Compounds that exhibit high vapor pressure at ordinary room temperature. In part 2, we delve deeper into VOCs, the main contributor to poor indoor air quality, and what you can do to lower VOC levels in your home.

In part 1 of our FLOORING AND THE ENVIRONMENT series, we covered the overall importance of indoor air quality and how it affects the environment both inside and outside of the home.

#Plaster weld zero voc series#

October is National Indoor Air Quality Awareness Month, and LIFECORE is presenting a three-part series on FLOORING AND THE ENVIRONMENT and how this affects air quality.