Not the kind of off-gassing where that tiny baby you just brought home farts like your frat buddies on a ski weekend. No, it's the other kind of off-gassing, the one THAT WILL POISON YOUR CHILDREN IN YOUR NEW HOUSE, as no end of alarming articles will tell you.
The June issue of Dwell magazine features an article about one Seattle couple's quest for green, sustainable design for their new house. As you might guess from the name, their child is quite young (4 mos.):
One of their more sobering finds had to do with off-gassing--the release of toxic chemicals and carcinogens that follows ordinary new construction, due to materials like vinyl, latex, and fiberglass. Off-gassing is most severe in a building's first ten years, which would, as it happened, also be Zoe's. Being lucky enough to build their own house, Salant and Ronen took the opportunity to consider environmental impact and avoid bad gas [have you tried Dr. Brown's? -ed.].Read up on off-gassing and green building at places like Global Green and Healthy Home Designs. AND NEVER BUY A NEW HOUSE, I guess.
