Indoor Air Expert: “A High Chemical Count is a Risk for new Premises”

New building equals healthy building? Unfortunately, not always.

Everyone has probably visited or worked at least once in newly built or completely renovated offices of business premises. All the materials are new and spotless. Walls have been painted with fresh trendy colours. Pristine furniture awaits users and the space even smells new. But where exactly does that new smell come from - and is it a good thing?

Under the best circumstances, building new premises or renovating old ones creates pleasant and healthy working conditions. Building and rebuilding, however, gives rise to indoor air challenges that have become increasingly topical of late. That’s why we interviewed building health expert Veli-Matti Hokkanen about the subject. Hokkanen works as project manager at Wise Group Finland Ltd, providing consultation, design, and building development services for building and renovation projects.

Even though the goal is to build premises that are as healthy as possible, in practise it is not possible to build without using some chemicals.

Construction technologies create indoor air challenges

Just because premises are new does not mean that their indoor air is optimal for health. Microbes or mold are rarely a problem in new properties. However, indoor air chemical concentration is inevitably very high at least during the first year. According to Hokkanen, the biggest problems are related to the latest materials technologies, especially floor coatings. “Even if we use low emitting M1 classified materials and in accordance with good practise, are the first six to twelwe months critical in terms of chemical emissions.”

Plastic flooring is often used in public places because of its durability and acoustic properties. Plastic flooring consists of several components such as screed, glues, concrete, and the flooring itself. The combination of these components causes always chemical reactions and sometimes these compounds are harmful for health.

“The biggest problem of plastic flooring is the combination of materials and their properties. It seems that we know too little of humidity of concrete floors and of the PUR coated floorings. PUR coating might be in some cases even too compact to function properly. Humidity condenses under the flooring and causes a chemical reaction together with the flooring and glues. In consequence chemical compounds are released into air.”

In reference to chemical compounds, Hokkanen refers to VOC chemicals that rise from the floor due to decomposition of materials and can be harmful for health. “VOC compounds are gaseous and floorings are not usually compact enough to keep them inside the structures. In that case Chemicals are emitted through the flooring into rooms.” Undefloor heating acts as chatalyst of this reaction and the amount of VOC chemicals rises as heat accelerates evaporation.

Tight schedules spoil results

Even though it is not possible to completely avoid loads of VOC chemicals in new premises, symptoms caused by compoudns can be reduced by ventilating the property efficiently before moving in. The purpose of this is to get most of the compounds from new materials to evaporate by heating the building and boosting ventilation.

Hokkanen emphasises the importance of airing buildings but worries about the effects of tight schedules: “Normally buildings can air for a month but it would be better if that was two months. Ideally the premises should be aired for six months but owners quite naturally don’t want to keep their property empty for so long.”

”At one kindergarten, we didn’t get any complaints about indoor air quality after they started to use the premises. They were also using Naturvention’s smart green walls.”

Also, it would be beneficial to instal furniture as early as possible before airing the premises so that the VOC compounds emitted by furniture materials could be minimised before people start to work in the building. Hokkanen witnessed a case when furniture was brought into the new premises just before the staff moved into the building. “People started to have symptoms right after the transfer. Symptoms caused by VOC chemicals are individual but common symptoms include irritation of the respiratory tract, burning of the eyes, and headaches,” Hokkanen says.

According to Hokkanen, after many building and renovation projects users of the premises suffer from symptoms caused by chemicals. There are many complaints, especially in situations when persons who have become sensitised in previous workplaces move to new premises. “These people clearly suffer more easily from bad indoor air symptoms, and therefore in these cases we should pay special attention to airing the building and sharing information.”

Naturally sometimes projects work out as they were planned and users have no criticism of indoor air, “At one kindergarten we didn’t get any complaints about indoor air quality after they started to use the premises,” Hokkanen recalls. “They were also using Naturvention’s smart greenwalls.”

As news about spaces with indoor air problems gets more coverage, many start to wonder whether companies are bungling construction by rushing the job. According Hokkanen in Finland buildings are mainly constructed according to good building practise.

However, it is true that the support the State gives to municipalities to fix indoor air problems goes is partly wasted. “Money was given to renovate buildings but at the same time the schedules were too tight. It is not possible to be very meticulous when you’re in a rush. Even though we choose low emitting flooring material, there will be problems if it is put on top of a surface that is too moist.”

Minimal chemicals + functioning ventilation = healthy premises

Hokkanen and his colleagues advise others to carry out their building and renovation projects according to the Finnish Healthy House criteria. These criteria, published in 2003, emphasise a good building practise that pays attention to details, creating a successful whole. “Indoor air quality is a combination of surprisingly small details. It might sound crazy, but the surroundings of windows need to be completely airtight since even a small leak of air through the structure exposes us to indoor air problems. Air is meant to enter a structure through ventilation, not through structures and carrying different kinds of impurities.”

After almost all building and renovation projects users of the premises suffer from symptoms caused by chemicals.

Functional ventilation plays a key role in contemporary buildings. According to Hokkanen, turning ventilation down at night and weekends is the wrong way to look for savings. “Ventilation in buildings is already regulated so that there is a vacuum inside them. When ventilation is reduced at night and extractor fans are on, the strength of this phenomenon grows. Because of this, air flows into the building through all possible holes and cracks and it can carry impurities with it.”

Even though the goal is to build premises that are as healthy as possible, in practise it is not possible to build without using some chemicals. Hokkanen says that even meticulous building and the use of classified materials does not prevent symptoms caused by VOC chemicals, especially if a person is sensitive.

“It is difficult to research indoor air problems because individuals suffer from different symptoms and we have inadequate information about why VOC compounds cause them. In many cases values measured from indoor air are within reference range but users still have symptoms."

Contact us if you want to learn more about indoor air VOC compounds and how you can reduce symptoms caused by them with our smart Naava greenwalls.