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September, Healthy Aging Month

    Every year, thousands of senior citizens suffer falls at home. Many are seriously injured and some are disabled. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in recent years, approximately 27,000 people over 65 died due to falls; 2.8 million were treated in emergency rooms for injuries related to the fall, such as fractures, and head injuries, and approximately 800,000 of these patients were subsequently hospitalized. Frequently, these falls are caused by risks that can easily be corrected.

    Certain modifications in the home will allow them to be more accessible, safe and healthy for all ages and especially for the elderly.

    This list will help you identify and correct some of the risks that may be present in your home & help prevent critical elements that can cause falls at home:

    • Make sure floors are level and do not have detached transition moldings.
    • Remove area rugs or use a tape with adhesive on both sides or with Non-slip reverse to prevent slipping.
    • Roll up or glue the cords and cables to the base of the wall so you don’t trip over them.
    • Move furniture from the circulation (walking) area.
    • Remove everything that is lying on the floor leaving it clear.
    • Repair loose or uneven steps.
    • Install a light on the stairs to have enough lighting.
    • Make sure the carpet is firmly attached to each step or remove the carpet and stick non-slip rubber strips on the steps.
    • Secure loose handrails or install new handrails on both sides of the stairs and make sure  they extend all along them.
    • Place a non-slip rubber mat or self-adhesive strips in the bathtub or shower floor.
    • Install enough clear lighting throughout the house, especially at the entrance.
    • Change all round door handles to the style of lever handles.
    • Install sensor light in the room and bathroom areas.
    • Consider a universal design. Universal design has been defined as building environments that are accessible by anyone regardless of their physical limitations or disabilities. 
    • Replace the bathtub with a walk-in shower, which provides much easier (and safer) entry and exit than a bathtub.
    • Install bars to stand in the shower and near the toilet.
    • Replace standard toilet for a raised toilet seat to make it easier for aging adults to go to the bathroom independently.
    • Incorporate shower chairs. Using a shower chair or bath chair helps to increase safety by decreasing the chance of you falling by providing a secure area in a slippery shower or bath.

    During this month of September, dedicated to healthy aging, we must raise awareness of the importance of creating healthy and safe environments not only for our elderly family, but also for all occupants.

    For more information or adaptation of your property with a Universal design, please send an email to info@HHDCgreen.com.

    By: Maria M Hernandez

    Specialist in Eco-friendly, universal, efficient and healthy buildings

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    LOVE IS IN THE AIR, SHARE THE LOVE!

    During the month of LOVE we are also celebrating American Heart Month, a very special time to create awareness and get the word out about the importance of a healthy home and a healthy heart.  Let me give you some facts about the connection between the air pollution that is inside buildings and the occupants health.

    HEART AND HEALTH FACTS:

    • Air pollution can affect heart health and can trigger heart attacks and strokes that cause disability and death.
    • One in three Americans has heart or blood vessel disease and is at higher risk from air pollution.
    • Smoking during pregnancy results in more than 1,000 infant deaths annually.
    • Secondhand smoke causes numerous health problems in infants and children, including more frequent and severe asthma attacks, respiratory infections, ear infections, and sudden infant death syndrome.
    • Secondhand smoke causes nearly 34,000 premature deaths from heart disease each year in the United States among nonsmokers.
    • Secondhand smoke exposure causes more than 8,000 deaths from stroke annually.
    • Pollution is also believed to have inflammatory effects on the heart, causing chronic cardiovascular problems.
    • Potential health effects and symptoms associated with mold exposures include allergic reactions, asthma and other respiratory complaints.
    • Radon is probably the most serious hazard for indoor air in the United States, responsible for tens of thousands of deaths from lung cancer each year
    • The World Health Organization states that 40% of all buildings pose a serious health hazard due to poor indoor air quality.

    Indoor Air Quality:

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) studies show that levels of air pollution inside the home are often two to five times higher than outdoor levels and poor indoor air quality is associated with a host of health problems.

    Indoor pollution sources that release gases or particles into the air are a primary cause of indoor air quality problems in homes. Inadequate ventilation can increase indoor pollutant levels by not bringing in enough fresh outdoor air to dilute emissions from indoor sources and by not carrying indoor air pollutants out of the home. High temperature and humidity levels can also increase concentrations of some pollutants.

    IMPROVING INDOOR AIR QUALITY IN YOUR HOME

    Therefore, during this month of LOVE the best gift you can offer to your love ones is a healthier home and a healthier heart. Whether you live in an apartment or single family home, an old home or a new home there are many ways to protect and improve your indoor air quality. I will share with you some recommendations:

    • Stop smoking and discourage smoking inside your home.
    • Take steps to minimize biological pollutants: bacteria, molds, mildew, viruses, animal dander and cat saliva, house dust mites, cockroaches, and pollen.
    • Reduce or eliminate Exposure to Radon in your Home
    • Ventilate the attic and crawl spaces to prevent moisture build-up.
    • If mold is a problem in your home, clean up the mold and get rid of the excess water or moisture.
    • Fix the source of the water problem or leak to prevent mold growth.
    • Reduce indoor humidity (to 30-60%) to decrease mold growth
    • Install vents in bathrooms
    • Using exhaust fans whenever cooking, dishwashing and cleaning
    • Install Carbon Monoxide Detectors
    • Reduce Exposure to Household Chemicals
    • Avoid exposure to LEAD
    • Implement AirPLUS program in your home

    Love is in the air, share your love to your family by improving the indoor air quality inside your home. You can implement the best construction practices and the new technologies to decrease the risk of poor indoor air quality in order to improve your health and those around you.

    Remember, you can’t buy a Healthy Heart!

    If you need more information on how to create a better IAQ on your home, school or business or if you want to have a home assessment to identify potential hazards, please, send an email to info@HHDCgreen.com

    By: Maria M. Hernandez

    LEED AP / Building Analyst/ General Contractor

    H & H Design and Construction

     

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    IRMA: LESSONS LEARNED; RESOLVE FOR A SAFER FUTURE

    As we reflect on all the natural challenges we face as a Nation in 2017, especially the impact of Hurricane Irma in Florida, there are many questions we should ask ourselves at the beginning of this New Year:

    1) Is my property fortify enough to face extreme weather events and ready to protect my loved ones?

    2) What economic consequences will Irma bring to our 2018 budget?

    3) What is the value of my property after Irma?

    To answer these questions, it is important to highlight that 2017, will be remembered as the costliest and most destructive season in the history of the United States, leaving $ 368.66 billion (USD) in losses and 25.8 million people impacted and still recovering due to hurricanes Harvey, Maria and Irma. As a result of the damages caused by Irma in South Florida, homeowners will see a 10% increase in property insurance.

    Fortifying your homes this year, will be your best resolution. After having inspected hundreds of houses impacted by Hurricane Irma in different counties of Florida, I was able to observed their deficiencies that compromised its integrity when facing extreme weather conditions. That is why I would like to share with you my experiences and lessons learned, with the purpose that you can identify the vulnerable areas in your properties and carry out the necessary transformations to make them stronger and safer to face future Natural disasters. These are the most important observations:

    ROOF: All the roofs observed were old with missing shingles or cracked tiles, without roof straps or second water barriers. This caused structural damage, water intrusion, indoor damage, mold and mildew buildup poor indoor air quality compromising habitability conditions.

    One of the best resolutions you can make in 2018 is to install a new roof. A new roof will bring you peace of mind knowing that your family will be safer and healthier. Also, you will save a lot of money in costly repairs, insurance payment and electrical bill adding value to the property,

    WINDOWS: All the properties I inspected had single pane windows without any kind of protection. As consequence, some windows blew up during the hurricane exposing the property to a bigger damage. Also, I was able to see water infiltration through the windows and doors by the wind-driven rain causing a lot of water damage in the interior.

    Installing high performance windows and doors would be a smart resolution for safety and also for savings. Windows and doors will protect your home during hurricane and will save you money by lowering your utility bill, and the insurance payment. Also that will improve the indoor air quality by eliminating condensation and humidity problems.

    ELECTRICITY: Approximately 12 million of people in Florida were left in the dark in the aftermath of hurricane Irma. All the homes I went to, had power outages from 1 to 30 days. This interruption caused a lot of food and medicine to be damaged, air conditioning failures as well as indoor water damage in flooring and drywall as result of defrosted refrigerators.

    To avoid this from happening in the future, consider buying a solar generator or even better, the installation of solar panels and a battery storage that will allow you to use power from the solar panels without being connected to the grid.

    2018 will be, without a doubt, the year to build stronger properties and to fortify existing ones by implementing high-performance strategies that goes beyond the minimum codes required in construction. After all we learned from Irma, it is my hope that more people understand the importance of transforming their properties in 2018, not only to make them safer and healthier, but also to reduce the expenses associated with maintenance, insurance and electricity consumption, increasing as consequence its market value. The time to start, is now, many implementations take months to complete.

    We are ready to help you from consultation to the complete transformation of your property including financing. For more information, please send me an email to info@HHDCgreen.com

    By Maria Mercedes Hernandez

    LEED AP ID +C / General Contractor/ Building Analyst

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    ENERGY EFFICIENT HOMES, BETTER HEALTH FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

    Did you know that, people spend 90% of their time inside a building? If we add together all the hours we spent sleeping, working in offices or at school people on average spend the vast majority of their time inside a building where they are constantly exposed to indoor air pollutants. The US Environmental Protection Agency, estimates that the average person receives 72 percent of their chemical exposure at home, which means that special place that you consider the safest has the great potential of hazards for your health. In fact, indoor air can be 2 to 5 times more polluted – and in some cases 100 times more polluted – than outdoor air.

    According to the U.S. Department of Energy, residential (21%) and commercial buildings (18%) account for almost 39% of total U.S. energy consumption and 38% of U.S. carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Nearly all of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the residential and commercial sectors can be attributed to energy use in buildings. All of these outdated buildings across the nation represents a great potential hazard for our health and the one with a bigger impact in your life is your own home.

    Did you know that the four leading causes of death in the United State: cancer, chronic respiratory disease, heart disease and stroke are caused by pollutants from fossil fuel?

    Studies had demonstrated that these pollutants damage all the major organ systems in the body. One of the serious respiratory health problems is lung cancer killing more men and women in the US than any other form of cancer; COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), the third leading cause of death in the country.

    Pollutants from fossil fuel are also responsible for coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death in the country. Pollutants released by burning coal target the nervous system, particularly the brain, leading to serious neurological consequences.

    Living in a home with moisture/dampness, mold, pests (cockroaches or mice), cold or inconsistent temperatures, environmental tobacco smoke, or indoor air pollutants can increase the risks of asthma attacks, wheezing, and other respiratory problems. Exposure inside your home to extreme heat, cold, carbon monoxide (CO) or fires can result in death. CO exposures can also create headaches, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, confusion, or “flu-like” symptoms.

    Also, burning fossil fuels release enormous quantities of carbon dioxide and methane the main cause of climate change which leads to extreme weather events that can severely affect health. Fortunately, a reduction in our dependency on fossil fuels by shifting to renewable energy and the improvement on energy efficiency in all the buildings across the nation will allow dramatic improvements to human health. Let’s be part of the solution by transforming your own homes.

    By retrofitting your home and lowering the amount of energy you waste we will reduce the need to burn coal and other fossil fuels to generate electricity which will translate in reduction of greenhouse gas emissions or air pollution and a huge gain for our health. Let me give you some examples: if just one in ten households nationwide replaces their old heating and cooling system for a high efficient equipment, it would prevent the release of more than 17 billion pounds of greenhouse gases.  Also, if every household in the United State replaced just one incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent bulb, it would prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking more than 800,000 cars off the streets.

    Making your home more energy efficient, goes beyond that just saving you money, increasing your property value or helping the local economy; It will improve the quality of indoor air in your home and as consequence will improve your health and the ones you love.

    An efficient home will reduce the energy waste and the exposure to air pollutants, asbestos, lead, radon, formaldehyde among other potential hazards for your health. By installing and efficient HVAC system or new high efficient windows will reduce the air pollutants exposure and will improve air temperature reducing the risk of respiratory health problems and coronary disease.

    Your home is the place where you spend most of the time, making it healthy is a priority. Now with the PACE program, it is easy to make it more energy efficient and improve the safety, because you can make all the necessary upgrades now with O down payment and 100% financing with the first payment in one year. For more information on how to improve your property or how to apply for the PACE program, please, send us an email to floridaleedap@gmail.com. We go beyond building codes to improve the health of people and protect the planet.

    By: Maria M. Hernandez, CGC #1515987 – LEED AP- Building Analyst- PACE certified

    Ciudad Weston Newspaper

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    HEALTHY HOME, HEALTHY LIVING!

    The message “danger radon” written on a yellow stripe – concept image

    As we welcome 2016 with New Year resolutions for a healthier living, let’s not forget that our health could be impacted by the indoor quality of our homes. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average person spends 90 percent of their time indoors, so it is very important to test for pollutants that could be releasing gases or particles into the air causing indoor air quality problems and risking your health. January is also a month of action across the country to increase awareness of Radon, promoting testing and mitigation as well as the implementation of radon-resistant new construction practices to prevent thousands of lung cancer deaths caused by Radon exposure. Let’s join the effort; I invite you to add a New Year resolution to your list by testing your home for Radon, to ensure the safety and health of your loves ones.

    WHAT IS RADON?

    Radon is a potential health hazard, cancer-causing, radioactive gas. You can’t see it, smell it or taste it; it is an invisible killer that could be present in your home. This radioactive gas comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air you breathe. It typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation and also through the water supply.

    RADON HEALTH RISK

    Radon gas decays into radioactive particles that can get trapped in your lungs when you breathe. As they break down further, these particles release small bursts of energy. This can damage lung tissue and lead to lung cancer over the course of your lifetime. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Overall, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, responsible for about 21,000 deaths every year.

    RESOLVE TO TEST

    Data collected by the EPA indicates that 1 in 5 Florida residences have elevated radon levels. The only way to know the levels in your home is by testing. This process is easy, inexpensive and should only take a few minutes and you can do it yourself. The Florida Department of Health and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommend

    all homeowners to test their homes for radon. There are two kits available: short (2 to 90 days) and long-term (more than 90 days) available through the mail and in hardware stores. EPA recommends taking the short test first, if your result is 4 pCi/L or higher, takes the long-term test or a second short-term test. You can also hire a trained contractor to do the testing for you.

    FIX AND SAVE LIFE

    If you find high concentration of Radon, you should fix the problem immediately to avoid unnecessary radiation exposure to their family. Radon mitigation requires technical knowledge and special skills to achieve the maximum indoor air quality and performance. Selecting the best approach depends on the design of your home and other factors. In South Florida, most of radon mitigation is performed by a fixed rate of mechanical ventilation. Some of this mitigation doesn’t address problems associated with high indoor humidity, mold, or health consequences. I highly recommend hiring a qualified Green Building Contractor to help you pick the right treatment method based on building science and moisture management technology.

    SELLING OR BUYING YOUR HOME?

    If you are selling a home that already has a radon reduction system installed, make sure you inform your potential buyers about the system’s operation and maintenance. If you are buying an existing house, remember to request the radon test and if you are looking to build or buy a new house, I highly recommend buying a house approved with radon- resistant features or certified under the programs: LEED, FGBC, ENERGY STAR, and Indoor airPLUS. New homes should include radon-resistant features, which are especially important in areas reporting elevated radon levels. For more information, visit: www.epa.

    gov/radon or contact the Florida Department of Health Radon Hotline at 1-800-543-8279.

    By Maria M. Hernandez

    Ciudad Weston Newspaper

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