It's Radon Action Month. This is significant because much of Tennessee resides in a Class 1 radon zone, meaning the potential for elevated indoor radon levels is high.
In 2008, The McDonnell’s were in the beginning stages of planning their forever home in historic Franklin, just south of Nashville TN. They were looking to incorporate green high-performance elements into the construction to make an energy efficient, healthy, and sustainable structure. The couple and their builder reached out to E3 INNOVATE to learn about the benefits of spray-foam insulation, sealed crawlspace systems, geothermal heating and cooling, whole-house ventilation using energy recovery ventilators (ERVs), and active radon mitigation systems.
January is Radon Awareness Month. Although radon is probably the most popular indoor air contaminant, there are others we should be aware of. Particulates from mold, dust, dander, and pollen as well as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and combustion gasses are often found inside our homes. Exposure to indoor air contaminants is inevitable, but proper ventilation can help reduce our exposure and help homeowners in Nashville, TN create healthier homes.
E3 was recently featured in Home Energy Magazine! The latest article was a follow up to one published in the winter of 2018. Both articles describe a complicated radon issue in a large home in Nashville, TN.
The first article, "Solving the Unintended Consequences of a Home Performance Renovation," describes the initial concerns the homeowners were facing with radon and odors. At the end of this cliff hanger, we were able to reduce radon levels from 15 to 4.1 pCi/L.
You may already know that January is radon awareness month. You may already know that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in America.
E3 is currently conducting a neighborhood radon study in different areas across Nashville to get a sense of the variation within neighborhoods. The age of the homes varied, as did their foundation types. Some of those who have participated so far are E3 clients, while others are not. Our initial findings are, well, interesting to say the least. Although we like to nerd out on data and techie stuff, we thought you might actually find the results interesting too.
As we move into the winter season, you may notice that the summer humidity is gone and the lack-their-of is now causing other types of problems. Dry indoor conditions can be just as miserable as high humidity levels, but for different reasons. When indoor humidity is low, we experience not only dry, itchy skin but also static electricity, dry respiratory pathways, and we create more desirable breading conditions for bacteria and viruses. Low humidity levels can also affect wood furniture, musical instruments, and hardwood floors.