When you build a new house, you start with a blank slate, limited only by stuff like the site, zoning, and budget. But remodeling is a whole different story. You have to work with what's already there, and that may include special problems found in older homes. This section looks at some of those issues—what they are and what to do about them—so you can make your remodeled home greener and safer for your family.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral whose crystals form long, thin fibers. Its pliability and heat-resistance made it a popular insulation and fireproofing material. But the same fibers that make it a good insulator also make it deadly: Inhaling these fibers, especially over a long period of time, damages the lungs and causes lung cancer.
Here are some places where you might find asbestos, especially if your home was built before the late 1980s:
Boilers, pipes, and furnace ducts. These parts of your heating system may have an asbestos blanket or asbestos paper tape for insulation. If the material is deteriorating or damaged (cut or scraped, for example), asbestos fibers can get into the air.
Furnaces and wood stoves. The gasket that seals the furnace or stove door may contain asbestos and release fibers if it wears out.
Insulation. If your house was built between 1930 and 1950, it may have asbestos insulation.
Textured paints, spray-on decorative materials, and soundproofing. Sanding, scraping, or drilling into these materials will send fibers into the air. Old, crumbling material also releases asbestos.
Patching and joint compounds. These things also release asbestos if you sand, scrape, or drill them.
Flooring. Certain kinds of floor tiles (such as vinyl asbestos, asphalt, and rubber), the backing on vinyl sheet flooring, and adhesives used to install floor tiles can all contain asbestos. Removing, sanding, or scraping these materials may send fibers into the air.
Shingles, siding, and some roofing materials. These probably won't release fibers unless you cut or drill into them.
If you have any of these materials in your home and they're in good condition—that is, they're not cut, scraped, crumbling, or damaged in any way—the asbestos they contain will probably stay where it is. But when you're renovating, disturbing or tearing out asbestos-containing materials is dangerous business. Even if you're a do-it-yourselfer, call a professional to remove the asbestos safely before you work with or around any of these materials. To find a company qualified for the job, check your local Yellow Pages under "Asbestos Abatement and Removal Service."
If you suspect that an asbestos-containing product is releasing fibers into your home (if basement pipe insulation is torn, cut, scraped, or water-damaged, say), keep people and pets out of the area, and call a professional who can remove or repair the asbestos safely. Here's what each option involves:
It's important to get the lead out—of your home, that is. Lead is super toxic to people (especially children) and pets, causing a slew of serious health problems including brain damage; nervous-system disorders; headaches; and behavior, learning, growth, and hearing problems in children. Lead can be ingested (as when kids or pets eat paint chips or get lead-laden dust in their mouths) or inhaled, a particular danger during renovations. Also, lead from flaking exterior paint can get into the soil around a home so that kids playing outside may be breathing lead dust and tracking it into the house.
Note
The older your home, the more likely it is to contain lead-based paint. The U.S. banned lead paint in 1978, so if your home was built before then, have it tested for lead. To find someone in your area who's EPA-certified to test for and get rid of lead, visit www.epa.gov/lead and, in the left-hand menu, click Lead Professionals.
If you suspect anyone in your household has been exposed to lead, especially kids younger than 6, ask your doctor for a blood test. And hire a lead abatement professional, who can get rid of lead and clean up afterwards.
Mold is made up of microscopic fungi that thrive in moist areas and reproduce through spores. It's ugly, it smells musty, and it's bad for you. It can cause respiratory problems like allergic reactions and episodes of asthma. It may also contribute to sick building syndrome (see Sick Building Syndrome).
The key to preventing mold is controlling moisture. First and foremost, make sure water doesn't penetrate your home from outside, getting into walls and other unventilated areas. The home's exterior, from foundation to roof (what builders call the "envelope"), needs to keep water out and let interior moisture escape. To keep water from seeping in, you need vapor barriers on the warm sides of the walls and roof, flashing around chimneys, and 6 mm polyethylene sheeting over dirt floors or crawlspaces. Also, the ground around your home should slope slightly away from the foundation to drain rainwater away.
During renovations, find and seal any leaks and make sure there's good ventilation throughout the house. Add insulation to prevent condensation on cold surfaces, like pipes, exterior walls, and floors. If certain windows always have condensation on them, replace them with Energy Star models. Dehumidifiers and air conditioners can also help. Finally, don't install carpet in damp areas where mold is a problem—or likely to become one.
You could have radon in your home and not even know it—you can't see, smell, or taste it, but it can have serious consequences. After cigarettes, this naturally occurring, radioactive gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths in the U.S. and U.K. (If you smoke and are exposed to radon, your chance of developing lung cancer increases astronomically.)
Radon exists naturally in air, water, and soil, and enters buildings through cracks and gaps—in flooring, walls, joints, and where pipes enter the house. You can buy a do-it-yourself radon testing kit or hire a professional to do the test for you (find one in your state at www.epa.gov/iaq/whereyoulive.html).
According to the EPA, 1 in 15 U.S. homes may have elevated radon levels. Radon is very localized: One house may have a problem while the next-door neighbors don't. If a test finds radon in your home, take steps to get rid of it ASAP. There are several ways to reduce radon:
Sealing cracks and gaps. Renovating is a good time to close up any openings in your home's foundations, walls, and so on.
Soil suction. This method involves installing a vent pipe system and fan, which pulls radon from the soil beneath the house and vents it outside, where it dissipates in the air rather than getting into your home.
Sump-hole suction. If your basement has a sump pump to keep water out, have the sump capped so it can also serve as the spot for a radon-suction pipe.
Pressurization. With this approach, a fan blows air into the affected area from upstairs or outside the house. That raises the air pressure in the area it's blowing into, keeping radon from sneaking in. For this method to be effective, the windows in the affected area (for example, the basement) have to stay closed.
If you've got health problems, it may not be you that's sick—it may be the building you live or work in. Sick building syndrome (SBS) causes a host of symptoms, including watery eyes, coughing, headaches, throat irritation, dizziness, nausea, and fatigue. If you have these symptoms when you're inside and they go away soon after you exit, SBS may be the cause.
One of the most common factors in SBS is indoor air pollution, which comes largely from tobacco smoke and VOCs (VOCs and You). Mold, bacteria, and dust mites also contribute. If you suspect your home is sick, consider these measures when you renovate:
Increase ventilation.
Install air purifiers.
Clean your heating and cooling system and replace filters.
Install fabric air-duct diffusers.
Control moisture (see Radon).
Replace water-stained carpet and repair water-stained ceilings.
Use low-VOC paints and finishes.
Give construction materials adequate time to off-gas (check with your contractor to find out how long) before you re-inhabit a room.
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