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By Elisabeth Dunham Oregonian Homes & Gardens of the Northwest Updated Jan. 10, 2019 The word "pollution" might conjure up images of factories and freeways, but the air inside your home is often far worse for your health than the air outside. "It's funny how most folks are so concerned about outdoor pollution but pollution levels in our home can be much higher," says Brett Sherry, program manager for the Oregon Health Authority's Healthy Homes and Schools Program. "And most of us spend about 90 percent of our time in our home. So the exposure (to pollution) is happening there." The problem stems partly from the fact that many homes are so well insulated and sealed nowadays that we've lost the natural ventilation of those old drafty windows, doors and floorboards. "Newer homes are well wrapped and keep heat in, but you are sealing out drafts," Sherry says. "Drafts have a negative connotation, but they are actually bringing in the fresh air we need." Winters in the Northwest don't help the situation because we spend even more time inside our homes during those rainy months, says Louise Tolzmann, a naturopath who specializes in environmental medicine and indoor air quality. "The house is sealed up and you've got the heaters on, blowing around dust and particulates." By Elisabeth Dunham | Photography by Shannon Butler On December 15, 2012, Bob and Carla Patterson were happily co-hosting a holiday party at their Prineville vacation home when they received some bad news. “Just as we were finishing dinner, we got a call from a neighbor in Hillsboro that our house there was on fire,” Carla recalls. “Her daughter had seen flames from a window.” Not wanting to ruin the festive mood for their friends, the badly shaken couple finished the night without telling anyone what was going on. Carla still chokes back tears as she remembers returning to Hillsboro with her husband the next day to find their 1978 ranch home in ruins. Despite firefighter’s efforts, the couple lost not only their home of more than 30 years, where they had raised their two sons, but all their possessions, from photos to furniture. Fortunately, no one was injured. |
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