Many forces are at work against and within a building. Some include wind, stack effect, duct leakage and even exhaust fans. These forces cause changes that create positive and negative pressures inside and outside of a building. An air boundary, or air barrier, is used to control airflow and control the loss of conditioned air. Conditioned air is air that has been heated or cooled by a heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system and is used for temperature control of a living space.

Electromagnetic field or electric and magnetic fields (EMF) are invisible waves of energy that surrounds electrical devices. Televisions, monitors, refrigerators, and practically any electronic device on this planet including cellular phones, all emit EMF. In fact, almost all of humanity is practically immersed in an invisible sea of electromagnetic field. Although it has been shown that the magnetic fields that penetrate the body do modify the biological functioning of living organisms, it is still up for debate as to the detrimental outcome of the modification.

Professional energy auditors use blower door tests to help determine building performance and airtightness. There are a variety of reasons for establishing the proper building tightness. Reducing energy consumption due to air leakage is one of the primary considerations. If your parents were anything like mine, they wouldn't want you heating or cooling the neighborhood. That's exactly what you're doing with a leaky building. However, all structures should be allowed to breathe.

Although there may be many different things to watch out for in your home, we’ve compiled a list of ten that can be found in many homes in the US, may be a significant health risk and many times go undetected. This list of ten is a good start to knowing what to watch out for to have a healthier and safer home.

The standard chlorine bleach that you normally find in any supermarket or drugstore has a 5.25% sodium hypochlorite content. This chemical is a very effective whitener. It can remove stains, disinfect and whiten clothes. While this chemical can be very good for cleaning, there are also some serious health hazards to consider.

Pesticide poisoning is especially harmful to children since their brain and nervous systems are at early critical stages of development. Because their bodies are still growing, children have fewer natural defenses and can develop serious health effects if overexposed to pesticides. There are two categories of health effects of pesticide exposure. Acute exposure refers to an intense exposure over a short period of time. One example would be a child sitting in the room during a spraying. Low-dose and long-term exposure is exposure that occurs over a period of time.