Going Green: Local Efforts to Make Breathing Air Better

Constructing green buildings or other projects may lean towards the expensive side, but there are many things COPDers can do to their current homes to help clear the air and make their living situation more comfortable. Senofer Mendoza, a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified designer of Mendoza Designs, says buildings with LEED certification have less particulates floating in the air—and are thus better for COPDers.

“What people don’t know about LEED is that for Indoor Air Quality, they have the strictest requirements,” Mendoza says. “They test the air, making sure we’re creating clean air. It’s not about moving more air through the space; it’s about moving air that’s cleaner. This would be helpful for anyone with COPD.” Mendoza is currently involved in a green project, the construction of a domestic violence shelter with Reach Beyond Domestic Violence. “With new building material—carpet and flooring and paint—anything with that ‘new car’ smell is off-gassing,” Mendoza says. “That is bad for the body, and especially the lungs. Our job is making sure that all materials off-gas for a certain amount of time before residents move in.”

Architects and designers need to pass rigorous tests and examinations before they can become green-certified. A company called Green Advantage offers certification exams for commercial, residential and commercial/ residential builders and building-related practitioners. The certifications run for three years; after that period, they have to be certified again.

“A benefit of the certification is that we’re putting knowledgeable people on the job for things to be done properly,” Liz Boastfield, the Director of Communications at Green Advantage, says. “We’re also putting up healthier buildings and more energy efficient projects.”

Phil Bzdyk, a Green Advantage-certified residential re-modeler, says one of the “most toxic” items in a household is carpeting with glue backing.

“It’s better to steer toward ceramic floors, hardwood floors or area carpets,” Bzdyk, who works at Apple House Carpentry in Virginia, says. “If you can’t change the materials in your house because of your budget, a suggestion would be to tear up carpeting and have a plain hardwood floor.”

Mary M. Theriault, a COPDer, knows from personal experience that these changes are beneficial.

In April 2008, Bzdyk, as part of a program called “Rebuilding Together” with “Christmas in April” in Loudoun County, VA—a national organization dedicated to keeping elderly, lowincome families warm, safe and dry in their homes—remodeled Theriault’s home with the help of Winchester Home Builders. Theriault, of Sterling, VA, says that in the 24 years she’s lived in the house, there had never been any work done to it. It still had original carpeting with kitchen cabinets falling apart and a broken oven.

“Phil came over with the others and they said, ‘We can take care of it,’ she said. “I just thought they were going to do the carpeting. Normally they do this in one weekend, but they took the whole month and pulled out all the carpeting in the upstairs, remodeled the upstairs bathroom, cleaned and stripped the linoleum flooring and gutted and replaced the kitchen.”

In 2008, Theriault was hospitalized 12 times for her COPD. Since the remodeling, she’s only been in the hospital six times. Theriault says the change is most noticeable in her breathing.

“It’s just amazing what they did,” Theriault says. “Before, I couldn’t stay in my house for a long period of time because I was coughing a lot. Now, I’m not coughing much anymore. I can breathe, and the house is easier to maintain and clean. Before, I couldn’t push a vacuum, but now I can Swiffer [the new floors], which I do, every day. There’s a whole lot less dust and allergens, and it’s so much nicer.”

Theriault says she’s thankful every day for her remodeled home, and will be “forever grateful.”

Gwen Pangle, a real estate broker who met Theriault through work, has been on Rebuilding Together’s Board of Directors for 20 years. She referred Theriault to the program.

“I’m a nurse in my other life and I know about the challenges that someone faces with COPD,” Pangle says. “She was really suffering with dust mites and her kitchen was falling apart. I feel that it was a huge help to Mary. I think it helped give her more time and has made that time more comfortable for her.” Boastfield says that a common goal for both Green Advantage and COPDers is increasing the livability of indoor spaces, since the air is breathed over and over again.

“No matter where in life you are, greener buildings are better,” she says.

Mendoza says that COPDers with central air can also change their air filters to a higher grade filter with a tighter weave. The tighterweave filters catch more of the dust and other particles that move through the air. There are also several common things that can improve the quality.

“What also helps is keeping things clean,” she says. “Wash curtains, make sure you vacuum and clean blinds and all sorts of things to help the air quality at home.