Interior Finishes
This section discusses
Why you should be concerned about the various building materials and finishing options within your living space
Building materials are not
easily replaced after the structure is built. Every interior finish and material
we choose to use within a new house now becomes part of your family's immediate
living environment and has an impact on the indoor air quality. There are many
choices in interior finishes and materials. Some contribute high rates of pollutants
to the indoor environment and others have little or no emissions at all. Some
emissions are toxic while others are not.
It is important to select
materials which contribute to a better indoor environment before construction
even begins.
How
materials used on the interior of your building envelope effect indoor air quality
Many of the materials we
use to build, operate, furnish, and maintain our homes are sources of chemical
contaminants. Two of the more typical sources of chemical contaminants are formaldehyde
gas released by many glues and volatile organic compounds (VOC's) emitted by a
wide variety of materials and finishes.
 VOC's
are chemicals that are off-gassed from paints, glues, or carpet and become breatheable
vapors at room temperatures. These chemicals are generally, but not always, perceived
by the sense of smell.
Some materials are used
in much greater quantities than others. Walls, floors, and ceilings make up the
largest proportion of surfaces in a house. Even low emission materials if used
over large surface areas can result in high total amounts of chemicals in the
air. When materials with significant emissions are used, their effects on IAQ
can be substantial.
Several materials may emit
substances that, when combined, are greater than the sum of their individual effects.
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