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If
you are high school age through adult, you are invited to come and
compete against your fellow "boardmeisters" in games of
Monopoly, Risk, Scrabble, chess, checkers, Chinese checkers,
backgammon, Trivial Pursuit and Yatzee. Remember to bring your
gameboard so everyone can participate.
Tri-County
AmeriCorps volunteers serve as referees.
Light
snacks are served.
For
more information about this program, visit the library at 725 Pekin
St. or call (217) 732-8878 or 732-5732.
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What
exactly is a "healthy house"? According to author John
Bower, a healthy house combines health-conscious, alternative
building materials with construction techniques that minimize the
threat of indoor air pollution and common household pollutants.
Bower
believes that a house "is not simply a benign structure in
which you relax. It’s an active, enclosed system. And, when you
are inside it, you become an integral part of that system."
Typically
the construction process introduces many substances and materials
that are harmful to humans — carpets and floors can be chemically
treated to resist stains; construction products (such as wood) can
be treated to ensure longevity. Other harmful agents can be
introduced through the ventilation systems. Threats such as lead,
asbestos, mold or radon can also be the primary source for an unseen
danger in houses — outgas. Outgas occurs when treatments or
substances release chemicals into the air contained in the living
space.
Because
of a new awareness of these dangers, the field of healthy house
construction has enjoyed a growing popularity during the 1990s. Part
of that increased awareness centers around an explosion of research
on the healthy house environment.
In
his book Bower has called on the expertise of 50 of North America’s
leading professionals on healthy houses. Their sidebars lend an
additional authenticity and effectively complement Bower’s text.
Among
the recurring themes from Bower and his colleagues is using benign
building materials and ensuring airtight construction. Bower writes
that many people "continue to believe that houses are unhealthy
because they are being built too tightly. … the fact is airtight
construction is very important in healthy house construction."
"The
Healthy House" is divided into five parts:
• Fundamentals
• The System Approach
• Materials and Components
• Detailed Examples
• Resource Material
In
"Fundamentals" Bower discusses indoor air quality, health
effects, how to find a healthy house and selecting a site. Selecting
an existing healthy house or site is an important part of reducing
the risks to the occupants’ health. This is especially true
concerning the major indoor pollutants — gases, particulates,
fumes and vapors, smoke, and radiation.
[to top of second column in this
review]
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"The
System Approach" expands on the selection of a site or house
through the planning process. This process takes into account issues
such as ventilation, heating and cooling systems, air filtration,
and airtight construction. The critical strategies here involve
balancing your ventilation system with effective heating and
cooling, while at the same time treating the air generated from
these systems.
In
"Materials and Components" Bower continues the theme of
using benign building materials to stabilize the physical
environment. He examines building materials such as concrete,
masonry, wood, insulation and alternative materials (foam-core,
steel, manufactured wood, etc.). Bower also integrates these
components into his discussion on the construction of different
parts of a healthy house. These areas include the foundation, roof,
siding, window, doors, floors, walls, ceilings, plumbing and
electrical systems.
One
of the most important sections of the book is "Detailed
Examples." Here Bower describes the six most common pollutants:
lead, asbestos, radon, mold, combustion by-products (such as
chimneys) and VOCs (volatile organic compounds, the source for
outgassing). He explains how to locate them, test for them and the
options for treatment.
"Three
Healthy Houses" is an account of the author’s personal
experiences in building his first healthy house; that experience is
shared with readers in the chapter on the new healthy house they
later built.
The
book concludes with a useful compilation of information in
"Resource Material."
The
appendices contain contact information on organizations and
suppliers; a selected bibliography of books, magazines and videos is
also included.
"The
Healthy House" has now been printed in its fourth edition and
should be considered a logical starting point for anyone seeking
information on this subject. Bower is an acknowledged expert in the
field of healthy houses. A builder since 1984, he has written books
and magazine articles on the subject and has been the recipient of
numerous awards from industry associations.
In
the introduction he writes that the purpose of this book is not to
be a "step by step instruction book on how to build one
particular healthy house. Instead, it is a reference book that can
help you buy, build, or remodel any house so that it won’t make
you sick."
"The
Healthy House" is recommended to anyone interested in learning
more about the healthy house concept.
For
more information, visit the library at 725 Pekin St. or call (217)
732-8878.
[Richard
Sumrall, Lincoln Public Library District]
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