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What’s Behind the Buzz About ‘Indoor Air Quality’ & ‘Sick Building Syndrome’?

I remember decades ago, back in New York City, first hearing the term “sick building syndrome.” It had something to do with the chemicals from materials such as new carpet outgassing negatively affecting the health of office workers and home occupants.

More recently, we began hearing about “indoor air quality,” an issue that was addressed by HVAC and other vendors.

Next we started hearing about “volatile organic compounds” which was the name given to those chemicals that were out-gassing not just from carpeting but even from the paint applied to your walls. Merchants started advertising “low-VOC” products, not just paint and carpeting, that had less or none of the chemicals which could be harmful to human health.

In recent years, Americans and others became aware that plastic is not being recycled nearly enough, and in the past year we discovered that microplastics are even in bottled water. Fish in the ocean, it appears, have now consumed so much plastic that micro plastic is even in our sushi. Add that to reports of mercury contamination.

ever a gas burner is on, not just when your food is smoking. And let’s not forget the ever-present risk of home explosion in a home plumbed with natural gas. Now, that would be unhealthy!

But I digress. This is a real estate column, not a political column, and not a nutrition column, so let’s talk about the “healthy home movement” and how it’s expressed by different home builders and renovators.

That’s quite a list of health-impacting hazards added to the out-gassing from carpeting and wall paints of volatile organic compounds.

Since some of these hazards, unlike lead pipes and lead-based paint, are still legal, there’s a space in the housing market for builders who go to great lengths to reduce any and every possible hazard that could contribute to an unhealthy home. I’ll mention a couple below.

home cleaner.”

ERVs and HRVs are easy to install in new construction, but difficult to install as a retrofit, because they require the installation of extensive new ductwork of their own. Indeed, introducing such an appliance might be impossible in many homes. In such cases, an air scrubber would be an ideal solution, because it is simply installed within existing ductwork.

It has all culminated in what we know as the “healthy home movement.” Some home builders now promote the homes they build as healthy, not just efficient.

I appreciate this focus on making our homes healthier, especially for those with compromised immune systems.

Flint Michigan’s 2014 crisis involving lead in the water drawn from the Flint River and leaching from that city’s lead pipe service lines brought that issue to our consciousness and saw cities all around the country, including Denver, invest in replacing lead service lines in their older housing stock. Nothing epitomizes an unhealthy home quite as much as when the water from its faucets poisons those who live there, especially the children.

It was back in 1935 — before even my oldest sibling’s time — that DuPont introduced the advertising slogan “Better Living Through Chemistry,” and we all remember that one-word advice to Benjamin Braddock in the 1967 movie, “The Graduate” — “Plastics.”

Founded in 1992, the National Center for Lead-Safe Housing reflected the awareness of more wide-ranging in-home hazards when it changed its name to the National Center for Healthy Housing in 2001. (Its website is www.nchh.org )

One very serious home health hazard that was not recognized until 1986 was toxic black mold. Its scientific name is stachybotrys chartarum. Mold spores are all around us, including in our homes, but black mold can kill. The public became more aware of it following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. As the waters receded from homes, black mold soon covered the walls that had been underwater or experienced water intrusion.

In the real estate business, we are used to inspecting for lead and mold, but also for radon gas (which can cause lung cancer) and asbestos, which can be in drywall from China and in popcorn ceilings. It’s even in some of the glues that have been used to lay vinyl flooring.

Just within the last year, there has been new attention to the hazard of methane and carbon monoxide emissions from gas cooking ranges. You are advised to always run the exhaust fan (assuming it’s ducted to the outdoors, not just recirculating through a filter) when-

Price Reduced on 2-Bedroom, 2-Bath Arvada Condo

$335,000

Increasingly, home builders in America (and elsewhere) are taking to heart the need to look more deeply at the components and materials they put into the homes they are selling.

In the profiles of homes featured in the Metro Denver Green Homes Tour last October, there was frequent mention of Heat (or Energy) Recovery Ventilators (HRV or ERV). The best of these devices not only condition fresh air for temperature as it is brought into the home to replace air being exhausted, they also test for high levels of carbon dioxide (which is considered a pollutant at high levels), and also for VOCs in the home’s air.

From studying high performance homes including those in the green homes tours (both Denver and Boulder), I personally view an HRV, ERV or even a CERV (which contains a heat pump), an essential appliance in any modern home intended to be both energy efficient and healthy.

A fellow cruiser just told me about the air scrubber which he installed in his house. He reported that he and his wife felt the difference in just one day. I googled the phrase “air scrubber” since I hadn’t heard of this appliance, and they do exist as either an inline unit for your forced air ductwork or free-standing if you don’t have ductwork (such as in a home with hot water heat).

I have not seen a lot of progress among Denver area home builders when it comes to sustainability, so I’m not real hopeful for progress in addressing indoor air quality. When I represented a buyer in Jefferson County last year, I attended the meeting at which upgrades were discussed. All the homes were being outfitted with high-efficiency gas furnaces and A/C units. An upgrade to a heat pump system was simply not available.

Builders are also fighting laws which would require all-electric homes — that is, no natural gas lines serving new subdivisions. Such laws are being passed in other states or cities.

The US EPA has a program called “Indoor airPLUS” which sets a standard for achieving a healthy home by addressing all the contaminants mentioned above. Colorado-based Thrive Home Builders builds only Indoor airPluscertified homes and has won the EPA’s Leader Award eight years in a row. They are currently building homes starting at $449,900 in Broomfield, Lone Tree and Denver’s Loretto Heights. Call me or one of my broker associates below if you’d like us to show you those homes and represent you in a purchase.

Meritage is another Colorado builder of Indoor airPLUS-certified homes, but I was unable to get more information.

This week’s topic was inspired by an article I read on Probuilder.com titled “Breathe Easier — Healthy Homes Go Mainstream.” You’ll find a link to it at http://RealEstateToday.substack.com.

This 2-bedroom, 2-bath condo at 7700 Depew Street #1501 is in the well-maintained Wood Creek community that includes a pool and ample parking for you and your guests. Step inside to an open living room with a wood-burning fireplace and built-in shelves, dining area with patio doors and an all-white kitchen with tile floors. There is a bar-height counter between the living room and kitchen (see picture). The living and dining rooms are carpeted and freshly painted. The two bedrooms are at opposite ends of the condo, separated by the living area (see floor plan below). Both bedrooms have extensive closet space. Your private covered patio off the dining room has a secure storage closet with plenty of room and built-in shelves. The washer and dryer are included. Little Dry Creek trail is right outside your door. Walk to parks, shops, restaurants and transit. View a narrated video tour, drone video and magazine-quality still photos at www.GRElistings.com, then call listing agent Kathy Jonke at 303-990-7428 to request a showing. If you prefer, you can come to the open house she will be holding this Saturday, Mar. 23rd, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

To quote RhoadsEnergy.com’s blog post on air scrubbers, “It removes air pollution, VOCs, surface contaminants, pet dander, odors and dust. It provides a cleaner, healthier and more efficient home. This low maintenance device uses proprietary light waves along with a specialized catalytic process to keep your

Archive of Past Columns Is Online

Over the past two decades this column has appear in the Denver Post, and during that time I’ve written about every conceivable topic related to real estate, You can search that archive, listed by headline, and downloadable with a single click at www.JimSmithColumns.com

Jim Smith

Broker/Owner, 303-525-1851

Jim@GoldenRealEstate.com

1214 Washington Ave., Golden 80401

Broker Associates:

JIM SWANSON, 303-929-2727

CHUCK BROWN, 303-885-7855

DAVID DLUGASCH, 303-908-4835

GREG KRAFT, 720-353-1922

AUSTIN POTTORFF, 970-281-9071

KATHY JONKE, 303-990-7428

“Concentrate on giving and the getting will take care of itself.” —Anonymous

A LETTER TO OUR READERS AND ADVERTISERS

To our loyal supporters,

We’re excited to tell you about a major expansion of our Colorado operation. We are launching a printing press to serve our publications, along with many other newspapers across the Front Range.

is unique project is a crucial step toward stabilizing our costs and ensuring you can continue to receive our news in all the ways that you want.

When the nonpro t National Trust for Local News purchased our 23 news brands in metro Denver in 2021, no one imagined we’d establish a new printing press. Our focus was squarely on digital transformation e orts that have included relaunching our websites and adding a series of new news products in the communities we serve.

However, rapidly rising costs associated with printing and distribution le us and many other publishers across the Front Range in a perilous position. While we know digital is our future, we also know many of our subscribers and advertisers still greatly value the printed newspaper, especially in areas where digital access may be limited.

Funds from the Colorado Media Project, Gates Family Foundation, Colorado Trust, and Bohemian Foundation enabled us to purchase a community printing press and secure a facility in Denver to begin operating it. We’re excited to kick o soon, with our newspapers set to be printed starting in May. We’ll bring on other publishers by the summer.

e new press should allow us to lower manufacturing costs – for ourselves and for other small local publishers – that will stabilize the bottom line and ultimately lead to reinvestments in our reporting resources and digital expansion. We’re strengthening our own business while supporting our fellow publishers.

We believe every community deserves a strong local news source. Your continued support fuels our passion and drive to innovate, adapt, and thrive in an ever-evolving media landscape. Together, we are shaping the future of local journalism in Colorado and beyond.

ank you for being part of this exciting milestone with us.

Elizabeth Hansen Shapiro CEO National Trust for Local News

Linda Shapley Publisher Colorado Community Media

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Details: With summer coming, the Jefferson County Library system is already holding information sessions and planning events, such as the Cosmic Conversations: Telescope Highlights of the Midnight Sky in June.

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Details: Wheat Ridge Sun Camp is a state-licensed day camp for children ages 6 to 13; offered during Jefferson County Public Schools’ spring, summer and winter breaks.

Details: Our camps explore various media, from clay sculpting and drawing techniques, to pop art and mural painting,

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Avid 4 Adventure - Camp Blue Sky

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to the art of different cultures and the art of the masters. Several of our camps also incorporate outdoor components, including hikes, plein air painting, and opportunities for photography and eco-art projects. Let your kids explore their creative side with imaginative and inspiring camps at CAE this summer! For ages 5-17.

Website: www.avid4.com/mt-evans-camps

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Summer Camp & Activity Listings

ideal spot for younger campers to build confidence as they immerse themselves in outdoor adventure. It’s also equipped with comfortable amenities that make it a cozy home away from home.

Avid 4 Adventure - Camp Windy Peak

Location: 20973 Wellington Lake Rd, Bailey

Website: www.avid4.com/windy-peakcamps

Details: Avid4 Adventure Resident Overnight Camp for 6th-12th graders is located at the beautiful Windy Peak Outdoor Lab in the beautiful Lost Creek Wilderness in Bailey, CO. Originally built as a summer campsite, then converted into a school, Camp Windy Peak has the feel of a quintessential sleep-away camp, outfitted with all the amenities and safety standards of a modern school facility. With over 200 private acres surrounded by thousands of acres of national forest, the scope for adventure is nearly endless.

Clear Creek Metropolitan Recreation District

Location: 98 12th Ave., Idaho Springs

Website: www.clearcreekrecreation.com/ summer-camp-1.html

Details: Established in 1979, the Clear Creek Metropolitan Recreation District (CCMRD) is a special recreation district located in the historic mining center of Colorado covering roughly 45 square miles and includes the mountain communities of Idaho Springs, Georgetown, Empire, Dumont, Downieville, Lawson, Silver Plume and Floyd Hill as well as surrounding rural areas. The District strives to work cooperatively with other government and nonprofit organizations to enhance the quality of life for residents of Clear Creek County through innovative recreation programs, service, events, and facilities, funded by a small mill levy.

Ignite The Mind

Location: 11485 Hwy 285 Frontage Road, Conifer

Website: www.ignitethemind.net/summersteam-camps

Details: Our summer STEAM camps are a way to help kids find their passions, and STEAM is the future! They are designed to be amazingly fun, all with a take-home product at the end of the week. They are FOUR hours per day for FIVE days for half-days or you can choose the FULL DAY option. These are at a reduced cost for two half-day camps.

Shwayder Camp

Location: P.O. Box 3899, Idaho Springs

Website: www.shwayder.com

Details: At 10,200 feet, Shwayder Camp is located in Colorado on the slopes of Mt. Blue Sky. Known for its breathtaking views, our mountain paradise offers campers a unique experience filled with adventure, friendship, Jewish values, and tons of memories.

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for an adventure and see the myriad of attractions Red Rocks Parks, Garden of the Gods, Buffalo overlook, The Air Force Academy, Estes Park or of course to check out our great skiing, food and and beer. If you decide to take advantage of the STR market we will list the property on Air BNB and or VRBO for no charge and run the rental for 90 days at no charge and hand over to you turnkey.

We offer partial owner financing with a 720 FICO score, or higher, and at least $25K in savings IE Retirement Plan. The home has solar so there will limited power bills and for the young buyer we are offering a 2-1 buydown.

Any buyer who does not take the 2-1 buydown and does give a full price offer, can instead get a custom package for $20,000.00. The upgrades could include and of these: Private garden, class 4 roof, custom front porch, hottub, man cave in the garage or custom tile and paint throughout the home, RV parking or off street parking for the ADU.

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