It's the things you can't see that matter

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http://www.sptimes.com/News/51599/Floridian/You_can_t_sneeze_at_t.shtml

You can't sneeze at this house

A feast for the eyes but an even greater treat for the nose and respiratory

system, the 1999 Florida Health House, sponsored by the American Lung

Association, keeps pollutants and dampness out and purifies the air within.

By JUDY STARK Times Homes Editor

© St. sburg Times, published May 15, 1999

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SARASOTA -- A model home full of glamorous features -- gourmet kitchen,

granite countertops, an gas fireplace on the veranda, a state-of-the-art

media room with fiberoptic stars in the ceiling -- offers buyers something

good for them as well:

Clean indoor air and energy efficiency.

The house, the 3,912-square-foot Biltmore model by Pruett Builders, holds a

grand opening this weekend. The builder and suppliers will be there to point

out the house's healthful features and to show the materials and building

components that made it possible.

This is the " 1999 Florida Health House. " It is one of three nationwide this

year sponsored by the American Lung Association. (The others are in New

Hampshire and in Arizona.) About 18 Health Houses have been built in 11

states since the program started in 1993.

Health Houses must meet performance criteria in the areas of whole-house

tightness, air handler and ductwork tightness, filtration and mechanical

ventilation, humidity control and insulation, among others, and builders

must participate in a technical training program.

The idea is to build a home that eliminates allergens, pollutants and the

causes of lung disease.

In recent years, the medical and scientific communities have recognized that

the indoors, where we spend 90 percent of our time -- and specifically our

homes, where we spend 65 percent of our time -- may be the source of allergy

and illness. To increase energy efficiency, builders in the past 25 years

have made homes tighter and snugger, but often that has meant sealing in

stale and polluted air, mold and mildew, dust mites and animal dander that

generate headaches, allergies or breathing problems.

Today's miracle fibers and fabrics make our homes look nice, but many are

made of, or processed with, chemicals that release unwanted gases into the

home. Paints and coatings emit compounds that irritate our respiratory

systems. We track in pesticides from the lawn and cold germs from school or

office.

" The expectation of the American Lung Association is in creating an

awareness in the community of good indoor air quality and how it affects our

lungs and our health, " said Gulfcoast spokeswoman Kim Painter. The hope is

that after the lung association educates consumers, " consumers will educate

the builders they choose to build their homes. "

Builder Pruett enumerated some of the features and materials he used

in the house:

Icynene foam insulation, which seals the home tightly both to keep it warm

or cool and to control the air leakage that can admit unfiltered outdoor

air. The Icynene-insulated attic is only four or five degrees warmer than

the air-conditioned parts of the house, Pruett said.

" All the mechanical and ductwork is in conditioned space. You're not running

ducts through a 138-degree attic, " he said. (There's a glass panel in the

ceiling of the laundry room so visitors can see the insulation.)

A central air filtration unit.

A central dehumidification and ventilation unit that continuously filters

indoor air.

A solar water heater. Originally the homeowners' association objected,

expecting that this would involve huge solar panels on the roof. They had no

objections once they learned that this unit uses a panel that looks like a

skylight and is hidden by the pool cage.

Tile floors throughout, a way of controlling dust. The only carpet, in the

master suite, is made from recycled soda bottles. This eliminates the

emission of chemicals typically used in carpets, often a source of

discomfort for those with asthma or allergies.

Solid wood cabinets, again to eliminate the off-gassing of chemicals from

cabinets built of particleboard.

High-efficiency, low-E, insulated, tinted vinyl windows.

Air and vapor barrier between the garage and house to prevent combustion

contaminants from entering the house.

Water softener and reverse-osmosis water filter.

The house is already drawing the attention of utilities and industry groups.

Florida Power and Light evaluated the house on its Energy Performance Index.

A home that scores no higher than 70 earns a gold rating; up to 80, silver,

and up to 90, bronze. This house scored 43.4, Pruett said.

The Florida Solar Energy Center will monitor the house over the next year

and use it as a research center, Pruett said, and the National Association

of Home Builders' research center has expressed interest in visiting the

house. The house will be open " at least a year while research is going on.

Basically, it's a lab, " Pruett said.

One of the lessons the house teaches, Pruett said, is that homeowners can

retrofit existing homes to promote air quality and energy efficiency " by

putting in certain equipment and sealing up the house. You can get rid of 90

percent of the problem. " Items such as an air-filtration system and a

dehumidifier can eliminate many of the sources of allergies and respiratory

distress -- " the mold, mildew, moisture and dust mites that are everywhere, "

Pruett said.

It would be easy to overlook the fact that this fully furnished and

decorated house offers an infrastructure of good indoor air quality,

low-toxicity materials, improved ventilation, and energy- and

resource-efficiency. The floor plan, finishes, features and furnishings are

eye-catching on their own. A family room-kitchen-breakfast room complex

opens out onto the pool and veranda. There's that state-of-the-art media

room. A pair of coral columns separate the foyer from the formal living

room. A butler's pantry with a wet bar separates the dining room and

kitchen, and there is a huge storage pantry adjacent to the kitchen and

garage. The house, furnished, is for sale for $981,000.

Pruett Builders has won five Aurora Awards from the Southeast Building

Conference for its custom homes.

Pruett said he aleady has sold three houses embodying the " Health House "

technology. " The house is super energy efficient, which pays for it, " he

said. " You're borrowing at 71/2 percent, and I'm going to give you a 20

percent return " because it is expected that the house's energy-efficiency

features will mean an average savings of 20 percent.

The American Lung Association estimates that construction of a Health House

costs 3 to 5 percent more than standard building techniques. The houses may

qualify for energy-efficient mortgages, which typically have relaxed

qualifying criteria that can increase the buyers' purchasing power.

" I feel all houses should be built this way, " the builder said. " When you

build a healthy house, you can make it super energy-efficient with a few

tricks, and that pays for the upgraded cabinets and the fireplace outside

and the granite countertops. People want to spend money on things they can

see, but it's the things you can't see that matter. "