A breath of fresh air

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Feb 25, 2006 | by Elizabeth Jardina, STAFF WRITER

Of course, houseplants are not a magic bullet.

"If you have a serious problem, adding a few plants is not going to solve it," he says.

But for 100-square-foot room, two large houseplants can make a substantial difference in air quality.

Start with nontoxics

Or, you could avoid the products that emit these questionable chemicals in the first place.

Eco Design Resources, a store in San Carlos, sells paints, flooring and other interior-design supplies that emit low or zero VOCs.

"What we try to do is give you alternatives to some commonly used items that may cause indoor air problems," says showroom manager Jon Heffner.

The bamboo flooring made by South San Francisco's Smith & Fong, for example, releases remarkably little of the formaldehyde used as a binder that the EPA and other organizations have identified as a by-product of many new flooring products.

They also sell paints, stains and even paint strippers made by companies American Pride and AFE Safecoat that contain safer ingredients than conventional paints. They also claim to release low or no VOCs, so they don't have that distinctive new-paint smell.

Heffner says that many of the products they sell are more expensive, but that's because the companies have chosen to make the more expensive, but safer, choice.

"In all paints, there's some kind of glycol," he explains. "Some choose ethylene glycol, which is in antifreeze. Or they could choose propylene glycol, which is safer; it's used in pharmaceuticals."

The market for Eco Design Resources, which opened in 2003, and stores like it, such as EcoHome Improvement in Berkeley, is strong, Heffner says.

"There are more solely green designers, contractors and architects, and they're doing good business."

Anderson, from RecycleWorks, says that even small first steps can make a difference.

"Try to do what's easiest first," she says. "Start with education and research into what you're purchasing. Always go to the less toxic choice if you're cleaning, and lower pesticide use. If you've got a choice between two products, choose the one that's not vinyl. If you're using anything that creates a pollution or an emission, you don't want to trap the chemicals in the house, you want to make sure windows are open. An air-out period helps.

"It's making the small steps and that will be incorporated into your lifestyle," she says. "But it's difficult because you can't just rush out and do everything at once."

- For more information on indoor air quality, visit www.epa.gov/ iad or www.recycleworks.org.

- Eco Design Resources is at 633 Quarry Road, San Carlos. Call (650) 591-1123 or visit http://www.ecodesignresources.com.

- EcoHome Improvement is at 2619 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. Call (510) 644-3500 or visit http://www.ecohomeimprovement.com.

Elizabeth Jardina is a Bay Area Living staff writer. E-mail her at ejardina@sanmateocountytimes.com or call (650) 348-4327.