Wood Floors Deliver Better Air Quality

Posted by Dave the How To guy | do it yourself | Posted on August 28th, 2010

Every spring and fall a large number of people suffer from Allergy season. It is estimated 35 million Americans suffer from health problems as a result of allergens. Not only that, but statistics show that allergens account for 10 million missed workdays each year.

Also word from the Environmental Protection Agency says indoor air quality is one of North America’s top environmental issues. Pollutants such as chemicals, mold, dust, dander and pollen are responsible for many ailments people suffer on an ongoing basis. Further, carpet can hide the harmful bacteria, mold spores and pet dander that researchers say is responsible for the increase in asthma cases in the U.S.

To help cut down on problems, many experts suggest adding wood flooring to your new or existing homes. Wood floors result in better air quality because they don’t collect the dust and dirt that carpeting often gets embedded in it. And did you know that a new wood floor can last three to six times longer than carpeting?

Dr. Neil Schachter, professor of pulmonary medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine says that “Over the years, we’ve seen a number of allergy and asthma cases attributed to poor air quality in people’s homes”.

Wood floors are not only beautiful they’re also renewable and extremely durable. By installing wood floors in your homes, you can send a signal to the industry to plant more trees, which could result in more forestland, a very positive thing.

A very recent study also found that hardwood floors greatly reduce the accumulation of toxins. This is a result of less carpet in your home. Several chemical toxins are used and created in the manufacture of carpeting.

To help you improve your indoor air quality, here are some simple tips.

- Check your air conditioner. The ducts of your heating and central air-conditioning system are a big collector of dust and grime. Have them cleaned regularly.

- Inspect your walls. Did you know wallpaper is a potent food for dust mites and mold, both of which can grow behind the surface of the wallpaper? Use flat, washable paint instead.

- Avoid carpet in the bedroom. It is estimated that the average bed contains 10,000 dust mites, which usually burrow deep into carpets. Install wood floors instead. Believe me it makes a big difference.

- Grow houseplants to improve the indoor air quality of closed spaces. A groundbreaking study done by NASA reported that indoor plants were capable of removing pollutants such as formaldehyde and benzene from indoor air. Some plants do a better job as indoor air purifiers than others, and the list includes peace lilies, Boston ferns, and the ubiquitous rubber plant.

Indoor air quality has more of an impact on our health and wellbeing than it is given credit for. Allergens and pollutants have traditionally been associated with the outdoors. However modern buildings with increased energy efficiency and advanced building materials have created the problem of indoor air pollution.

Help your home be a safe and healthy home by avoiding carpet and installing wood floors instead. You won’t be disappointed.

Say Goodbye to Clutter

Posted by Dave the How To guy | do it yourself | Posted on August 18th, 2010

In most of our houses it is very easy to find a room in a cluttered mess. Our workshops or spaces are no different. We all know it takes very little to make a mess but some hard work to de-clutter and organize. That is why most of us have that cluttered room because we don’t have the time or we have other priorities.

But clutter diminishes a smile, dampens the spirit, and so should not be tolerated. It also makes us very unproductive when trying to get a project done.

A lot of people find that one of their favorite things to do when stressed out is to clean! You find that hard to imagine, right? Well, it is true. Cleaning gives order and purpose to your life, even if only in smaller chunks at a time.

Some people when they go to de-clutter their work space all they do is move the clutter around from one shelf to another. That’s not what we are talking about here. We are talking about de-cluttering the complete room. Saying good-bye to the dust, saying good-bye to the junk and saying hello to a room that we can breathe and move around in! Now, doesn’t that sound delightful?

At this point you may be thinking about the TV show hoarders and saying my shop isn’t like that. Well be thankfully that isn’t so but that doesn’t mean you don’t have some work to do. I know in my small shop it doesn’t take long for things to get out of place and cluttered especially if I haven’t used it for a while.

So where do you start?

You should start out by writing a list of what you absolutely want done. Move slowly through your shop and write down all the things that are out of place. Materials that were scrap but never got rid of. Piles of projects that you planned to do but haven’t got around to. Write them all down!

By now, if you are thinking this through, you can probably see a list of very workable sized chores that can be accomplished, one-at-a-time over a day or two. The idea is to get started and work your way around your shop. And over a day or so, you will again have a beautiful, uncluttered shop as your reward!

Do not become discouraged if your attempt to enlist some help from your family runs a-muck. One can hope but if you are really honest about it, you probably don’t want some of your stuff touched by anyone else anyway. Some chores are best left to just your pair of hands. That way you can be sure that the chores will be done right the first time.

The big thing is don’t get overwhelmed by the whole job. Try to accomplish one task or project at a time and fairly quickly you will see you are making a difference.

Now that you know what tasks you want to accomplish and how to approach it, the next big step is to get started and get rid of that clutter.