When most people build new houses, they think about closet space and dream kitchens and resale value.

        While Mark Stenger was building his new house, he thought about indoor air quality.

Mark Stenger, a principal in Stenger-Coffman Homes in West Chester Township, poses in the basement of his new home (Jeff Swinger photo) | ZOOM |

        By the end of the month, Mr. Stenger, his wife, Lori, and their three children plan to move into their new home in Cleves. It will be the Cincinnati area's first Health House built under the guidance of the American Lung Association. Mr. Stenger, a principal in Stenger-Coffman Homes in West Chester Township, is the builder.

        The Stengers hope the new house will help their son Nick, 8, breathe easier. Nick has asthma and allergies, and indoor allergens and contaminants aggravate both conditions.

        “The purpose of the house isn't to preach how to do everything perfectly,” Mr. Stenger says. “The purpose is to create awareness of the things you can do to make the home healthier.”

        The Health House program emphasizes the use of construction techniques and materials to improve air quality by controlling dust, moisture, mold and other chemical and environmental air pollutants.

        The American Lung Association of Ohio Southwestern Branch is sponsoring an open house from 4 to 8 p.m. daily through Sept. 16 at the home.
       

"Lungs of the house'

        Mr. Stenger is quick to show off what he calls “the lungs of the house,” a mechanical air exchanger that changes stale indoor air with fresh, then filtered, outdoor air six times a day. The house's heating/ventilation/air-conditioning system is equipped with special filters to remove small particles from the air.

INFORMATION

For more information on the Cincinnati Health House in Cleves, call the American Lung Association of Ohio Southwestern Branch, 985-3990, or go to its Web site, www.alaohiosw.org.     To learn more about the Health House program and ways to improve indoor air quality in your home, check out www.healthhouse.org.

        There's also not much carpet in the house: Nick's bedroom and several other rooms in the home have hardwood or tile floors. Carpet can trap dust and dust mites, both asthma triggers, as well as moisture, which can lead to mold infestation.

        The house is also built to help prevent moisture intrusion through the walls, roof and foundation, and to allow good air exchange. Builders know water will get into a house, Mr. Stenger says, but if air can move through, that water will dry out.

        Nick's asthma is well-controlled, and he's active in sports, Mr. Stenger says, “but there's always that fear that he might have an asthma attack.”
       

Contractor training

        Contractors have to undergo a training program in Health House techniques. Utilizing the techniques can add 3 to 5 percent to the final cost of the house.

        Dr. Nathan Yost, a pulmonary specialist and consultant to the American Lung Association of Ohio, says the program focuses on “trying to work builders to change the way that they build houses.”

        Controlling moisture is especially important, he says. “We know the association that people living in damp houses have a higher incidence of asthma, allergies and respiratory diseases,” Dr. Yost says.

        Experts can pinpoint the cause of that, but they also know that dust mites, mold and many insects who contribute to allergens aren't present in dry houses.

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