| Vol.
I, No. 7 | May
Day / Mother's Day | Apr.
20th, 2001 |
House
& Home
Links to House & Home On-Line . Links
to House & Home On-Line The
amount of info on the web is enormous, as anyone who's ever tried to run a
search can attest to. And, to put it all in context, best estimates say
that only a fraction, maybe 20 - 40 % of what's out there is actually making its
way to the search engines.
Well ...
Here at DownStreet, we'd like to try to help. So each issue, we
post a few links in House & Home to sites that might interest you.
Sometimes the links will be related to one another ... sometimes
we'll just offer up a somewhat random sampling. In either case, we think
we might be able to help you find the kind of site you've been looking for.
Of course, while we can't vouch for the fact that every link we provide will be
of interest to everyone, we do our best to filter out the noise and the
bustle. ... Allergy-Busting
Resources In conjunction with this month's features on
Allergies {see the Health
/ Focus On: The Host of Allergies, Weekend
Warrior: Dust-Busting Your Home, Inner
Space: A Breath of Fresh Air, and Links
to Health & Medicine On-Line}, this month's Links to House & Home
On-Line takes you to some solid how-to sites that can help you in the battle
against allergies at home. ... Ok? Ok ...
Let's go. FAQ on Indoor Air Quality: Page
1, Page
2, Page
3
This
is a no-nonsense, practical guide to just about every molecule of air indoor
a building and what pollutants or allergens can be invading it.
Unfortunately, it's so no-nonsense that the first page of the FAQ doesn't
link to the next, so we had to provide separate links to each page.
But it does tell you what to do about poor indoor air quality [IAQ],
including when to hire a professional, and even what to look for when
choosing a professional.
.
This comprehensive FAQ covers "sick
building syndrome," legionnaire's disease, ventilation systems, air
filters, asbestos, carpet particles, fiberglass particles, and much
more. All the subjects are listed in the Table of Contents, but the
listing is not linked to the subjects, so you'll have to scroll to the
section you want.
.
The guide was written by the Director of Indoor
Air Quality Investigations of Machado Environmental Corporation out of
California and looks like it was simply scanned from a hard-copy
report. If you have an air quality problem, though, this guide is
likely to lead you to the solution. No nonsense, not pretty, not
convenient, but very informative, easy to understand and
straightforward. That's all there is to say.
Rating: ***1/2
[3-1/2stars]
. EPA's
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Home Page
This site is published by the
United States Environmental Protection Agency. It opens with some
sobering (read scary) facts: "EPA studies of human exposure to
air pollutants indicate that indoor air levels of many pollutants may be 2-5
times, and occasionally, more than 100 times higher than outdoor
levels. These levels of indoor air pollutants are of particular
concern because it is estimated that most people spend as much as 90% of
their time indoors."
.
The site's scope extends beyond your home,
but the sections on indoor air quality in the home have very helpful
instructions. The major sections on dust mites, mold, pet dander,
household pests, and secondhand smoke all follow the same format. They
include an explanation, actions to take, and related links and
resources. The other important section in the site is The Inside Story
-- A Guide to Indoor Air Quality. This is actually from an EPA
brochure. It is extremely well-organized and complete. Find
practical answers to question like: How does outdoor air enter your
home? What are the effects of weatherizing your house? or How do
you identify air quality problems? ... There's also a list of
each pollutant source, its health effects and ways to reduce exposure.
.
If
you haven't decided to sell your house and live in a tent by the time you've
digested this website, you'll have a valuable resource for taking steps to a
healthier indoor environment. This site is filled with practical,
comprehensive information and facts that hit home.
Rating: **** [4
stars]
.. Allergy
Control Products
These
people sell you the plastic mattress covers, the special vacuum bags, the
air cleaners, etc. The Education section gives you a good overview of
ways to reduce indoor allergens -- not all of them by purchasing
products. Their printed catalog is much more comprehensive and you may
want to send for one.
.
The product line is complete, with a wide
range of prices that are pretty competitive with other online and retail
companies. They do turn your order around quickly. Whether you
buy from this company or not, it is helpful to see what kind of products are
available and how much they cost.
.
And because an image can sell a
thousand pillow case covers, everywhere you go on this site you'll see a
picture of the hideous dust mite. If it starts looking cute, you need
to take a break from the computer. ... A helpful, attractive,
soft-sell site.
Rating: ***1/2 [3-1/2 stars]
That's
it for this issue. Good luck. . *******
******* If you know of any
links that you think are worthwhile, why not send them along to ...
links@downstreetmagazine.com
... If we agree, we'll be happy to include
them in an upcoming issue to pass the word along. ...
Thanks. *******
******* .
|
