Interior Design Mistakes

5 Interior Design Mistakes to Avoid

Healthy HomesInterior Design

You don’t always need an interior designer to tell you that something is wrong with the design of a room. Sometimes it can just feel off, even if you are not sure why. It’s a good idea to stop and take a look at everything to pinpoint the problem. Here are some tips to ensure your own decorating doesn’t make your rooms feel just not quite right.

  • Ensure the furniture is positioned properly. When you first move into an apartment, the furniture is pushed hurriedly into place before the room is set up with all the other elements. You may have simply worked those other things in around the first positioning of the sofa, when really, it should be somewhere else. Ask yourself where to focal point of the room is. Maybe there is a fireplace that is crying out to be the focal point, while all the furniture is pointed at the television set, on another wall.
  • The room could be bottom heavy if there are too many element low down. This will make it feel unpleasant. To fix this feel, the design elements should be lifted up higher than they are at present. Wall art should be hung higher; if lights dangle down low, have them replaced with shorter ones; remove some things from the floor if it is overcrowded. You may even need to repaint the walls a lighter colour.
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Glass Showerscreens

12 Advantages of Glass Showerscreens

Healthy HomesRenovating

Just because a home is affordable doesn’t mean it has to be cheap and nasty. Glass shower screens add a touch of elegance to any bathroom, no matter if the home is in the billion dollar range or much less. In fact, there is more to them than their good looks.

Here are some advantages of installing a shower screen made of glass.

  • It is less likely to develop mould on the surface, so is easy to clean.
  • Glass in the bathroom makes it look larger as it is transparent so the draws the eye beyond it to the far walls.
  • It makes the bathroom look lighter as glass does not throw shadows, but lets the light through.
  • It allows you to have a decorative wall or wall feature beyond it that can still be seen from the doorway even if the showerscreen is there.
  • They are light to use as any light from outside, such as natural light from a window will shine through the glass instead of casting the area into shadow.
  • Glass is very durable. Shower screens are made from toughened glass that can withstand hard knocks and bumps.
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Property Maintenance

10 Property Maintenance Tips To Save Money

Healthy HomesProperty Maintenance

When you own property there will always be maintenance to do on it, whether it is cleaning up the grounds outside or painting the building. Most people want their property to look neat and tidy without it costing them a bomb, so here are some property maintenance tips that will actually save money over the long run.Property Maintenance

  • Fix it while it’s small. No matter what it is; a leak, paint chipped off or some mould somewhere, if you tackle it immediately it won’t cost lot to fix. But if you leave it, the end result could cost thousands.
  • Check for water leaks frequently. Get them fixed as soon as possible.
  • Check that roof tiles are not loose. If they are they’ll likely blow off in the next storm and allow a deluge into your ceiling.
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Cleaning Your Swimming Pool

Tips to Make Cleaning Your Swimming Pool Easier

Healthy HomesGardens

Many people have chosen to install swimming pools in their backyards to add enjoyment and fun to those long, hot summer days. Nearly every child enjoys a dip in the pool and some become water babies, spending every spare moment possible playing and swimming in their pool. It’s a great way to ensure your children get plenty of exercise and forget their electronic devices for a little while.

The downside is that it takes quite a lot of work to keep the pool clean and ensure the water is hygienic enough to swim in.  Here are some tips to make the job easier.

  • Since leaves and debris should be removed daily, this job can be delegated to the children, or an older child who is responsible enough to do it properly. It teaches them that work must be done by everyone if fun is to be had.  Encourage all children to remove a floating leaf while they are swimming or playing in the pool.  If some debris sinks, have diving competitions to see who can get the most debris from the bottom. A prize or two will make it more fun.
  • Save up for an automatic pool cleaner. There are many that are reasonably priced and some clean the sides as well as the bottom of the pool. Use it regularly and sure you take care of your pool cleaner.
  • If yours doesn’t clean the sides, keep a good lookout for algae and attack it immediately. Watch for shady areas where it is most likely to start. Scrubbing the sides every second week should prevent it.
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Security Fencing

4 Tips For Choosing The Best Security Fencing

Healthy HomesProperty Maintenance, Renovating

According to Eline Fencing, most homeowners have some kind of fencing around the perimeter of their homes, but it is not always security fencing. But increasingly these days, you need to know that your family and home are safe from burglary or home invasion.

There are obviously a few ways that you can deal with property security. Some of these are Security Cameras, Alarm Systems, Gate Intercom Systems and Security Fencing. For fencing you will need to install the kind of fence that will keep intruders out.

Not all so-called safety fencing is going to do what it is supposed to. Here are 4 tips to choosing the right kind of fence.

  • Make sure the fence doesn’t provide a hiding place. Fences you can’t see through will provide a place for any burglar to hide so they cannot be seen from the house. This is the kind of fence that burglars like best, since if you don’t know they are there they can work out how to get over the fence and you won’t know anything about it. They may even be able to spy on your house through a crack – or the gate – and find out if anyone is home or not.
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Garden Design

Ways Pots can Enhance Your Garden Design

Healthy HomesGardens

Many people have pot plants they love, but often they don’t make as much of them as they could. For instance, you often see garden pots made of black plastic holding a beautiful shrub or flower and the effect is actually quite ruined by that awful looking pot.  Or even if the pot is nice, it is not placed in a way that gives it the best advantage visually.Garden Pots

Here are some of the many ways in which pots can enhance your garden design.

  • A large pot can be used as a feature in the middle of a small garden or garden section. It can have a very dramatic effect on the landscape by using a pot with a bright colour that forms a contrast to everything else surrounding it.
  • You can have a row of decorative pots –and plants – on a hard surface such as gravel or concrete. This can be seen in some low maintenance gardens as the pots form the major point of visual attractiveness.
  • Pots with small fruit trees also add appeal to the garden or a small courtyard area and they can also bear fruit to enjoy fresh or make jam from. The fruit adds colour in its season, while the pot looks attractive all year round.
  • In combination with another feature. Pots make a great addition to another feature such as a water feature or a gazebo in the garden.
  • They can be used along the swimming pool to add interest to an area that might otherwise look bare. Make sure they all match and are not too close to the edge. Most plants don’t like pool water.
  • Use a garden pot for something different, such as a fish pond. Half barrels or even a deep pot would be suitable for this.
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Selling Your Property

Real Estate Advice for Selling Your Property

Healthy HomesMoving Home

If you are trying to sell your home, the most common property renovation advice would be to create street appeal.  If your home looks attractive from the street, people who want to buy a home will always be interested in looking further. If it looks unattractive on the outside, it won’t matter how pristine the inside is, people won’t want to look at it.

Here are some more tips for selling your home.

  • Most real estate agents would tell you to get all the yard cleaned up, with new flowers and shrubs in the garden.
  • Keep the lawn mowed neatly.
  • Scrub the outside of the walls if they look a bit mouldy or dingy and you can’t afford to paint it. This will give it a fresh look.
  • Paint the outside window frames, the front door and the gate to enhance the look.
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Bare Feet

Healthy Living – with Bare Feet

Healthy HomesHealthy Living

In all the advice about healthy living, you won’t find many people talking about tossing the shoes and going barefoot, yet spending time without having your feet enclosed in shoes and socks is very beneficial in several ways. In fact, running without shoes is very healthy, even more so than walking without them.  Here are 10 reasons to run or walk with bare feet.

  • It’s cooler on a hot day to go without shoes, and it makes you more aware of the environment you are in because you can feel it through your feet.
  • It makes your feet lighter, especially if you go jogging. Shoes add weight to your stride which puts a lot of weight on your muscles and joints, damaging them.
  • When you run in bare feet you naturally land on the front half of your foot. When you run in joggers or even expensive running shoes, your heel comes down first and the action is similar to having your heel hit with a hammer. It causes a lot of damage that even the most expensive shoes can’t stop.
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Limestone Walls

The Many Advantages of Limestone Walls

Healthy HomesRenovating

One thing that most beautiful homes have is some kind of fencing, whether it is a boundary fence, swimming pool fence or retaining walls in the garden, so essential on a sloping or steep block. Rather than having something ordinary, you could have a fence made from limestone blocks that would totally enhance your property and add value to it.

Higher limestone walls would be ideal for both shade and privacy, offering a material that is long lasting, durable and beautiful as well. Lower walls made from the same material would be a great way to put an attractive edging around a garden or along the drive.

There are two types of limestone blocks or bricks.

  1. Natural limestone that is cut from the quarry into the size and shape required.
  2. Reconstituted limestone that is made from crushed limestone with the addition of other materials such as concrete aggregate.

Both have aesthetic properties and are strong and stable for all kinds of use around the home. However, the latter choice is even more eco friendly in that it uses all the waste from broken limestone that would otherwise be unusable. So if a piece of the corner chips off the former block so it can’t be sold, both the chip and the block are crushed to form another kind of limestone block that is made even stronger with the addition of concrete.

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Backyard Project

The Backyard Project

Healthy HomesGardens

A Gazebo

It was a DIY project in the back yard. He wanted to build a gazebo in an area of the yard that had been sectioned off and already contained a fishpond built on three levels to create a two – waterfall effect. There was no lawn in that area, but lovely green turf was something that was in his sights.

The Material

After putting together a plan, well, a concept really, he went out and purchased all the timber required and then the roofing material which would be green Colorbond sheeting. Tape measure, power saw, level, hammer, nails, fasteners, cordless driver and a whole host of other material and tools were on the list. To complete the job, flywire sliders on the openings to keep out pesky mosquitoes as the sun went down, and flies, while the sun was up.

Show Off

This was not the biggest DIY project attempted. He had built an additional room onto an old house up in the Hills area and it included a toilet and a shower. So, in comparison, this was a minor engineering job but somehow more important. Why? Well, this one was on show to all the neighbours and friends and visitors that would be coming to parties and there’s nothing more than compliments on a job well done by friends to make a bloke’s chest puff out that little bit more!

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Transport Company

How to Choose a Sustainable Transport Company

Healthy HomesSustainability

Sustainability practices form a basis for choice in many people’s lives these days. We choose to deal with companies that follow at least some sustainable practices in their business, so how can we choose a transport company in the same way? What does sustainability look like for such a company?

You can use a platform to choose a freight company where freight must be sent from A to B in our modern world and there are many different kinds of vehicles used in its transportation, from plane to ship and from van through to huge semi-trailer or BWs. Goods can even travel by car, motor bike or pushbike – think in terms of mail or newspapers for the last few.

The thing is, how can we know which freight companies use sustainable practices in their business? it’s not that easy to tell, but here are a few hints.

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carpet beetle

Signs of Carpet Moth or Beetle Infestation

Healthy HomesFlooring

Any carpet cleaners like professional teams will tell you that as bad as fleas in the carpet area, carpet moths are worse because they damage the fibres. Or rather, it is their larvae that do all the damage, munching their way through those tasty, natural fibres until they finally encase themselves in a cocoon and turn into a moth. Then of course, the cycle starts all over again. One carpet moth can lay up to 150 eggs and these will hatch into tiny and very hungry caterpillars within 5 days.

So how can you tell if that moth fluttering around inside is a carpet moth? The adult carpet moth is beige or brown in colour and has a small wingspan of 14-18ml. It is wise to get rid of any moth that is inside – or at least catch it and let it go outside if you are that way inclined. At least it won’t lay eggs that will hatch into little grubs that can ruin your carpet.

Here are some signs of carpet moth infestation: –

  • Carpet fibres that have come loose for no apparent reason. This happens because the larvae ate the knots.
  • You might see little caterpillars crawling around under your carpet.
  • You may notice tiny cocoons that blend in with the wool in your carpet. Often they are a flat, oval shape with pointed ends.
  • Moths flying around the room.
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Recycle When Moving

What To Recycle When You are Moving

Healthy HomesMoving Home

Moving can be a stressful time, but if you start to get organised before a company turn up you will find it is not nearly as traumatic.

One thing that can be done early is sort out what you want to take with you and what you should recycle. This can reduce your possessions so you have less to pack. And having less to load will surely please the removalist.

So how do you decide what to toss? Here are some tips.

  • Clothing – if you haven’t worn it for two years it is unlikely that you want or need it. Sell it online or have a garage sale. Or you can simply donate it to a charity.
  • Toys – kids grow out of toys and don’t want to play with them anymore. Give them to friends, family, neighbours or the op-shop. Sell them online or at a garage sale.
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Carpet Stains

How to Deal With the Four Worst Carpet Stains

Healthy HomesFlooring

If you have carpet in your home like most people, there is sure to come a day when something gets spilled on it.

When this happens, quick cleaning must be undertaken immediately so that the spill doesn’t soak right through the base of the carpet into the floor underneath and so the stain doesn’t set.

If you simply leave it to dry it will be twice as difficult to get out and the stain may never be fully removed.

However, professional carpet cleaners can usually do a good job of cleaning most carpets.

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Importance of Scaffolding

The Importance of Scaffolding for DIY House Renovations

Healthy HomesRenovating

When you are doing your own home renovations there will be many jobs that require you to reach up to high places. Painting the walls and ceilings is just one of them. It is very important to have safe scaffolding for these jobs so that you remain safe while doing them, and so the jobs are much easier to accomplish.

Without scaffolding to support you, it is possible and even likely that you could have an accident or a fall, through overextending your reach on the ladder. In fact, the ladder is not all that safe whether it is inside or out. Inside, it can slip on the floor and outside, the ground can sink under one leg and cause the ladder to tip, throwing you off balance.

If you are a handyman, you may be able to make your own scaffolding, especially if you can weld. You can prepare it carefully and ensure it is attached to the outer walls in a way that will prevent you from falling. It gives you a wide and stable surface you can stand on to operate power tools or wield a paintbrush from.

In addition, you can create a long piece of scaffold that enables you to paint a whole wall without getting down, so the job will be done much more quickly and you won’t get as tired. Every building job requires support of some kind, even if it is minimal; for instance, a one-storey home on flat ground. You still need to reach up to those walls and ceilings to paint or do the renovation you had planned.

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Eco Friendly Moving

How to Make Your Home Removal Eco Friendly

Healthy HomesMoving Home

Taking care to make your home removal eco-friendly is quite easy and has the added advantage of saving on costs.

According to professional removalists that we spoke to, not all removalists are into saving the earth’s resources, but that doesn’t matter; you can do your part and feel satisfied that every small bit helps.

Here’s how: –

  • Save on packaging materials of both paper and plastics by using your soft towels, hand towels, tea towels, jumpers and other smaller clothing items to wrap breakables in and to wedge between items in the boxes.
  • Use blankets, doonas and larger towels on the bottom of the boxes and to wrap around mirrors and wall art, or that glass tabletop.
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Timber Flooring

Tiber Flooring – Making the Change

Healthy HomesInterior Design

At what stage of living in a house do you make a conscious decision about changing the look of the floors? Is it when you have ordered yet another carpet clean? Is it when you have had pets inside the house and the carpets just can’t handle it anymore, not the poo, animal vomit nor the ingrained pet hair? When do you decide that the house really needs freshening up, a complete change over, and that timber flooring is the best way to go?

Cool Living

If you live in the hottest and driest state in Australia, the West, then doing all you can to keep cool without using too much energy, read air conditioning, becomes of paramount importance. Wooden flooring does not retain the heat as much as a carpet. Clean lines and that feeling of ‘open’ is a result of installing wooden flooring and doing away with carpets.

Cold Feet

If you’re still a bit of a softie when it comes to getting out of the bed on a winter’s morning, and think even wooden flooring is too cold for your tootsies, then for heaven’s sake, buy a rug or small mat on which to put your feet when you swing them out from under the covers. Have your slippers handy. If you look at some photos in Better Homes and Gardens you will see that some beautifully designed rugs look positively great on wooden flooring.

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Home Removals Affordable

Tips to Make Your Removals More Affordable

Healthy HomesMoving Home

Moving house costs money, but it doesn’t have to break the bank. There are many ways in which you can save and one is to book some good removalists early so you get the right size truck and have time to compare prices.

That’s not to say you should choose the cheapest offer. Sometimes being cheap means they don’t have insurance or their trucks are not well-maintained.Rail Removalist

Here are some more tips to make your moving day more affordable.

  • Pack your own food for the trip. Buy food enroute can be very expensive. If you have your own sandwiches and snacks, you can stop at any park and let the kids run around; you won’t be limited to finding a fast food place.
  • Source free boxes from stores rather than purchasing them.
  • Use clothing and linen for packaging instead of bubble wrap.
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Rodents

Healthy HomesHealth and Housing

Exposure to rodents can trigger asthma attacks. Studies have shown a linkage between rodent allergy and asthma symptoms.Integrated pest management (IPM) approaches offer effective means of eliminating rodents from a home. IPM methods focus on preventing infestations, trapping rodents, and limited use of lower-toxicity pesticides. However, even after a rodent population is controlled, rodent hair, urine, and fecal matter may remain, which can trigger allergic reactions in some people.

Designing, maintaining, and renovating buildings to minimize rodents is an effective prevention-based approach.

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Radon

Healthy HomesHealthy Living

Radon is one of several carcinogenic health hazards that can be found in the home environment. Testing is the only way to know if a home has a high concentration of radon. The EPA and the Surgeon General recommend that the all residences below the third floor of a building be tested for radon. In apartment buildings, it is most important to test units on the basement level where radon from the ground is likely to be highest, but the first and second floors should also be tested.Anyone can conduct a radon test. There are both short-term and long-term radon tests. EPA recommends initial measurements for radon be taken with short-term tests placed in the lowest lived-in level of the residence. Radon testing kits are available at a discounted price from the National Safety Council’s Radon Hotline (1-800-767-7236) and at various retail locations such as hardware stores. Almost all states recommend that the homeowner or tenant conduct the test himself or herself or hire a contractor who is certified by the National Environmental Health Association or the National Radon Safety Board. A list of certified testers can be obtained by contacting the radon office in the relevant state, the National Environmental Health Association’s Radon Proficiency Program, or the National Radon Safety Board.

Once a radon test has been obtained, the enclosed directions are usually easy to follow and the procedure is simple and straightforward. Typically, the process will consist of setting out a small canister or packet containing activated carbon in the lowest occupied portion of the home and then, two days later, collecting the container, placing it in a foil bag, and mailing it to a lab. The lab should be able to report the results within one week. More detailed guidelines on radon testing are available at www.cehrc.org.

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Mold

Healthy HomesHealth and Housing

Mold is a serious health hazard in the home environment, as it produces allergens, irritants, and in some cases, potentially toxic substances. Further, mold can trigger respiratory problems such as asthma in vulnerable and allergic populations. Therefore, preventing and eliminating mold problems is a crucial part of ensuing quality housing conditions.

Controlling mold problems in the home environment is largely dependent on controlling the level of moisture in the home, because mold cannot grow without moisture. Further, excessive moisture in the home is cause for concern as it can also cause or contribute to structural home damage and other housing hazards to human health such as cockroaches, dust mites, and peeling lead paint.

Fortunately, there are ways to prevent and control excessive moisture, and therefore mold growth, in the home environment—both practical measures for residents as well as precautionary measures during construction or renovation. Please visit the “How to Control Moisture” section of this website for additional information such as practical tips, telltale signs, and likely sources of moisture both inside and outside the home.

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Asthma, Allergies, and Respiratory Illness

Healthy HomesHealth and Housing

Housing factors can play a significant role in respiratory health and greatly exacerbate or increase susceptibility to asthma, allergies, and other respiratory illnesses. For example, numerous home pollutants—dust mites, pet dander, cockroach debris, mold, tobacco smoke, and paint fumes—are known to aggravate asthma. Controlling exposure to these and other triggers in the environment benefits overall respiratory health.Asthma is a chronic disease in which the airways of the lungs become inflamed or narrowed, resulting in disruptions to normal breathing patterns, often called “attacks” or “episodes.” The level of severity of asthma suffered by each individual, and further, the severity of each attack, varies greatly. Symptoms of asthma include wheezing, shortness of breath, a feeling of tightness in the chest, and coughing. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 8.7 percent of all children (6.3 million) had asthma in 2001. The American Lung Association (ALA) states that asthma accounts for an estimated 3 million lost workdays for adults and 10.1 million lost school days in children annually, making it the leading cause of chronic illness among children. Additionally, ALA ranks asthma among the top ten conditions causing limitation of activity, and the disease costs the United States $16 billion annually.

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Cockroaches

Healthy HomesHealth and Housing

Cockroaches in the home environment are a health hazard not only because of the risks posed by cockroach antigens to asthma sufferers, but also because they can carry disease-causing germs and because some of the methods traditionally used to eliminate them cause additional health hazards.Any home can have cockroaches. However, there are steps you can take to prevent cockroaches from becoming a problem in your home; identify the extent of and solutions to any potential cockroach problem; and reduce or eliminate cockroach problems.

Prevention

General maintenance and cleaning are important because they remove the food, water, and shelter on which cockroaches depend. There are many steps tenants, landlords, and homeowners can take individually and jointly to prevent cockroach infestation of the home environment.

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A Healthy Home Environment

Healthy HomesA Healthy Home Environment

A healthy home is well ventilated; free of pests, toxics, and dangerous gases; dry; clean; comfortable; and affordable. Good construction and maintenance practices can achieve these conditions, even in an older home.

7 Attributes of a Healthy Home

Dry homes minimize moisture and molds. Moisture and molds can trigger asthma attacks and other allergic reactions. Water and moisture also attract cockroaches, rodents, and help dust mites to thrive, all of which can also increase the risk of asthma attacks.

Clean homes have minimal dust and clutter. Researchers and medical experts have proven that dust sensitizes individuals and can trigger asthma attacks. Dust generally comes from two sources:

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How to Control Moisture

Healthy HomesHealthy Living

The level of moisture in the home is crucial to achieving a healthy home environment. Too little moisture in the home can cause dryness of the nose and respiratory systems, while too much moisture in the home contributes to numerous health impacts, health hazards, and structural home damage. Asthma, allergies, and other respiratory illness are the main health impacts to children and other residents of homes with excessive moisture. Excessive moisture also causes or contributes to other hazards to human health such as mold, cockroaches, dust mites, and peeling lead paint.

Several common signs that conditions of excessive moisture exist in the home environment include:

  • Rusting metal
  • Condensation on piping and/or windows
  • Rotting wood
  • Mold growth
  • Peeling paint, wallpaper, or other blistering materials
  • Deterioration of other structural items
  • Visible water leaks and/or stains
  • Discoloration of various surfaces
  • Musty odors
  • Standing water
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Carbon Monoxide

Healthy HomesHealthy Living

Carbon monoxide is a potentially serious hazard that must be addressed to ensure healthy housing. Carbon monoxide poisoning can be fatal, and low levels of carbon monoxide can cause flu-like symptoms, headaches, dizziness, and make it difficult to think clearly.Thankfully, there are ways tenants, landlords, and homeowners can reduce the likelihood of hazardous carbon monoxide exposures.

  • Properly maintain, ventilate, and check regularly all fuel-fired heating systems, water heaters, appliances, fireplaces, wood and coal stoves, and space heaters.
  • Always ensure proper ventilation in any room where a fuel-burning appliance of any sort is in use.
  • Do not use any gas appliances (i.e. range, stove) for home heating purposes.
  • Do not burn any type of fuel in the home except firewood in an appropriately maintained and ventilated fireplace.
  • Leave garage doors open while the car is running and limit the amount of time a running car is in the garage. (It is also important to note that carbon monoxide can build up inside the car itself while operating if there are leaks in the exhaust system.)
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Why Children are at Higher Risk

Healthy HomesA Healthy Home Environment

When it comes to harmful environmental exposures, children cannot be considered “little adults.” Their bodies take in proportionately greater amounts of environmental toxins than adults, their rapid development makes them more vulnerable to environmental interference, and their normal behavior patterns place them at greater risk to some toxins.

Children can be exposed to environmental toxins even before birth if the mother is exposed during pregnancy to toxins that can cross the placenta, such as carbon monoxide or lead. Children’s organs, including the brain, lungs, and reproductive systems, begin developing during the fetal stage and continue to develop through adolescence. Organ growth occurs in spurts, and it is during key growth periods that organ systems are most vulnerable to permanent damage. The Environmental Protection Agency recently acknowledged the enhanced risk to children from environmental exposures when it released draft supplemental guidelines for assessing cancer risk from early-life exposure to carcinogens.

Children are exposed to greater amounts of environmental toxins

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Alliance Alert

Healthy HomesA Healthy Home Environment

IN THIS ISSUE:

Cleveland Ordinance Establishes New Lead Safety Rules and Incentives for Property Owners

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Understanding New National Data on Lead Poisoning

Healthy HomesA Healthy Home Environment

In the May 27, 2005, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published new national data on lead poisoning (MMWR 54(20); 513-16) (available online at www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm4950a3.htm). This report reports various blood lead statistics for 1999 through 2002, the first significant update since the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) data report from 1991 through 1994. These new data document that further gains have been achieved in protecting children from lead poisoning—and that disparities still exist in lead poisoning rates across races and income levels.

New National Data

The report examines new NHANES data collected in 1999-2002. NHANES, conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (NCHS/CDC), is designed to assess the health and nutritional status of adults and children in the United States through interviews and direct physical examinations.

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Arsenic-Treated Wood

Healthy HomesHealth and Housing

Arsenic-treated wood is the result of a chemical process in which wood is treated with a pesticide/preservative called chromated copper arsenate (CCA) to prevent rotting in lumber designed for outdoor use. CCA contains arsenic, chromium, and copper and was widely used for residential purposes in the United States from the 1970s until EPA phased it out in 2003.

CCA-treated wood can be hazardous to human health because arsenic is classified as a known carcinogen. Exposure to arsenic can cause cancer of the lung, bladder, skin, kidney, prostate, and nasal passage. Data released in November 2003 by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) show that 90 percent of children repeatedly exposed to arsenic-treated wood face a greater than one-in-one million risk of cancer. (One-in-one million is the EPA’s historic threshold of concern about the carcinogenic effects of toxic chemicals.) Arsenic exposure can also lead to nerve damage, dizziness, and numbness. Arsenic has been linked to immune diseases, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and changes in hormone function. Lung and bladder cancer are the two health effects most often related to exposure to CCA-treated wood. For information on other cancer risks in the home environment, please see Cancer Risks.

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