Eco-Smart Technology: Indoor Air Quality


Indoor Air Quality

Many home owners and builders overlook or ignore the importance of healthy indoor air quality. It has been proven that outdoor air is much healthier and less polluted than indoor air. At our Eco-Smart home air quality was one of our most important goals. We envisioned a home that would provide a healthy place for a family to spend their time and be assured that their home was not causing health risks.

Eco-Smart Features

No-Voc Paints and Stains from Sherwin Williams and Eco-Paints

  • All paints and stains used in the eco-smart home contain absolutely no harmful chemicals. The paints and stains have been carefully selected in order to promote the absolute best indoor air quality in the home.

OSI Green Series No Voc Window & Door Foam

  • VOC's can be harmful to your health and have been known to cause cancer. Unfortunately many products have VOC's in them. One of our key goals was to find and use products that did not have these harmful chemicals. In order to insulate around all of our windows we used OSI Green Series no-voc foam sealant.

Eco Seal No VOC air sealing 

  • Eco-seal, a no-voc, water-based sealant was used to seal up any penetrations or caps with the building envelope in order to maximize energy efficiency. 

Pre-Finished Hardwood Flooring

  • All of the hardwood flooring in this home came to the home site pre-finished. By pre-finishing the hardwood floors we eliminated the introduction of harmful fumes and chemicals and allowed the finish to cure before bringing it into the home.

Energy Recovery Ventilation Unit (ERV)

  • Our energy recovery ventilation unit is perhaps the most important system in the home in regards to indoor air quality. Our ERV from Carrier constantly exchanges stale air while bringing in fresh air from the outdoors. When building a home very tight it is important to have the proper air exchange equipment in place.

MERV 13 Air Filtration System

  • The MERV 13 filtration system in the eco-smart home effectively reduces pollen, dust, pet dander, mold spores, and dust mites, as well as other things such as bacteria, smoke, smog, and other allergens. The reduction of these items greatly benefits health and respiration, including alleviating problems with allergies and sinus irritation.

Central Vac System Vented to Exterior

  • A typical vacuum system may blow dust into the air while it cleans as it vents directly into the room being cleaned.  We installed a central vacuum system in this home that is vented directly to the outside. This eliminates dust and allergens from being blown back into the indoor environment that is being cleaned.

Solid ducting protected during construction

  • In order to make sure that we reduced the construction dust that was left behind after the home was complete we made sure that all duct work and vents were sealed off throughout the construction process. We will also ventilate the house for 48 hours before occupancy.

Bath Fans Connected Through ERV System

  • A unique feature that is present in our eco-smart home is the lack of traditional bath fans. All bath fans are connected through the ERV system and set to turn on when a bathroom is occupied. The bath fans will then expel air from the bathroom while simultaneously bringing in fresh air.

Shoe Removal & Storage At Main Entry

  • In order to prevent contaminants from being tracked through the home we designed a custom shoe removal and storage station near the main entrance of the home. This allows occupants and guests to leave their shoes by the door and prevent tracking contaminants throughout the home.

Hard Surface Flooring at All Entry Areas

  • Hard surface flooring was used at all entrance areas to prevent carpeting from getting wet and causing potential mold problems. This also allows for easy clean ups.