OMAHA, NE -- (August 2003) – Considering building
a new home? “Plan Now to Breathe Easier Later,” says Her
Home magazine. The September issue carries an article on the importance
of including controls for safe and healthy air when constructing a
new home. Since many homes are now being built “tighter”
to reduce air leakage, molds, pollutants and other allergens from
entering the home, while reducing energy consumption, consumers need
to consider options for fresh air exchange.
Recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) studies indicate that
indoor levels of pollutants are sometimes 2-5 times higher than outdoor
levels. In fact, the EPA says that many older furnace filters were
designed to aid the health of the furnace rather than the homeowner.
Considering the time spent in the home (Americans spend, on average,
90% of their time indoors) the topic is both timely and important.
Her Home magazine offers a variety of steps consumers can take to
ensure healthier air before they move into their new home. Some suggestions
include:
- Minimize combustion gases by installing an electric range/clothes
dryer or choose appliances with a pilotless ignition
- request that garage walls and ceiling be air sealed
- insist that the contractor install radon resistant measures
- never put carpeting directly over cement
- use mildew resistant paint
- have crawl spaces dehumidified
- vent dryer vents and bathroom fans outside instead of to the attic
space
- choose window coverings that can be washed frequently
- a high-performance air filter which traps the microscopic particles
easily absorbed directly into the bloodstream
Her Home offers a number of other suggestions including several resources
and websites where consumers can learn how to improve their home’s
indoor air quality during construction and after they’ve moved
in.
“At Her Home magazine, we recognize the importance of
a safe and healthy home,” said Linda Reimer, editor and publisher
of the magazine. “Readers of ‘Plan Now to Breathe Easier
Later’ will learn more about the EPA study as well as specific
choices that should be made when planning a healthier home.”
Reimer said “Plan Now to Breathe Easier Later” is just
one of many helpful articles planned in Her Home magazine. “We
have been designing and selling home plans for more than 20 years,"
Reimer said. “Our research shows that women make most of the
buying choices when a new home is being constructed. These need to
be intelligent choices, based on the reader’s knowledge of a
variety of topics."
“We want to make the home construction process as painless
as possible," Reimer said. “Since we’ve been designing
home plans for more than 20 years, it seemed logical for us to begin
publishing a magazine that would provide key learnings for women consumers
while providing opportunities for additional resources.”
“Plan Now to Breathe Easier Later” is typical of the
articles in the new Her Home publication. Each issue will provide
specific information for women making important choices when building
a new home as well as websites and resources where consumers can learn
more.
The quarterly Her Home is one of the first publications whose editorial
will be based solely on critical decisions female consumers need when
planning to build their own homes. Her Home magazine is edited and
published by Design Basics, Inc., the nation’s largest home
plan design service to the building industry and one of the top firms
serving the home buyer. The company is mailing 55,000 copies of the
publication to people who have purchased Design Basics’ home
plans in the past, to homebuilders and in locations where home improvement
and construction materials are sold. The publication also will be
available via subscription.
Persons interested in learning more about Her Home magazine can contact
Linda Reimer, Her Home editor and publisher at Design Basics, 11112
John Galt Boulevard, Omaha, NE 68137 or on the Her Home magazine website,
www.HerHome.com.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Joyce Brown, 402-331-9223
