Indoor air quality is a critical factor in home construction, often overlooked despite its significant impact on health. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that indoor air can be up to five times more polluted than outdoor air. This pollution contributes to severe health issues, with the World Health Organization reporting 3.8 million premature deaths annually due to household air pollution.
Poor indoor air quality also leads to increased absenteeism from work and school. Childhood asthma, for example, remains the leading cause of chronic disease-related school absenteeism, resulting in over 10 million missed school days each year.
With Americans spending an estimated 90% of their time indoors, it is essential for builders and homeowners to prioritize long-term health by carefully selecting building materials. Products with low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as certain paints, solvents, insulation, and varnishes, can significantly reduce asthma and allergy triggers.
Using materials certified as "asthma & allergy friendly®" by Allergy Standards Ltd. (ASL) and the Allergy Foundation of America can further enhance indoor air quality. These products undergo rigorous testing to ensure they meet specific standards regarding physical and chemical properties and their impact on allergens.
Knauf’s Performance+™ portfolio offers insulation products that are certified asthma & allergy friendly®, formaldehyde-free, and have very low VOC emissions. The certification process includes measuring dust and fiber release into the air, monitoring VOC emissions over 14 days with a focus on the first 24 hours, testing mold resistance under high temperature and humidity conditions for four weeks, and assessing all materials used in the insulation.
"By choosing certified Knauf products for their insulation needs," says Dr. John McKeon, CEO of ASL, "contractors and architects are playing an important role in contributing to a healthier indoor environment and contributing to the goal of healthy people living on a healthy planet."
Building homes involves more than just creating structures; it is about crafting spaces where people live healthily. Decisions made today will impact countless families' well-being for years to come.
More information can be found at knaufnorthamerica.com.