This weeks blog  once again comes from an experience at a client’s home. My client lives in a modern home surrounded by windows. It was a beautiful sunny day. I was walking through a hallway to get to the master bedroom, and I was stopped in my tracks with a strong chemical smell. I called to my client to get her attention. I said,”can you smell that?” “It’s giving me a headache.” She said, “where do you think the smell is coming from?” I said, “I think it is coming from the rug.” What should we do? I said, “get it outside.”

Ultraviolet Radiation

The sun’s energy is made up of three distinct spectral components: ultraviolet radiation, visible radiation, and near-infrared radiation.  What distinguishes these from one another is the wavelength ranges that characterize them, commonly measured in nanometers (nm).  A nanometer is very small.  A human hair is over 100,000 nanometers thick.

Ultraviolet radiation is invisible to the human eye and has the shortest wavelengths of the three types mentioned, from 300 to about 380 nm.  Visible light covers the approximate range from 380 to 780 nm, while the near infrared radiation (sometimes called invisible solar heat) has the longest wavelengths, from 780 to 4045 nm.

What is Heat?

Let’s consider what heat is. Heat is the transfer of energy from one location to another.Energy as heat always travels in the same direction: from an object that has more energy as heat to an object that has less energy as heat.In other words, energy as heat will travel from an object with a higher temperature to an object with a lower temperature.
It is called ‘specific heat’.

Area Rug And Carpet Safety

Most materials, natural or synthetic, have some environmental impact, and those used for carpets and rugs are no exception. Whatever you bring into the home has the potential to bring in unwanted chemicals.

Most area rugs combine synthetic face fibers — nylon, polyester, and olefin (polypropylene) – produced mainly from petroleum derivates, with over 100 chemicals added for stain resistance, wear resistance, mothproofing, fungicides, soil repellents, processing aids and adhesives binding the backings and the tufts together. 

Many of these chemicals, as well as fibers themselves, are sources of toxic volatile organic compounds (VOC like formaldehyde, and many others), which are a health hazard, and can off gas for a long time. Offensive off gassing comes from glues and rubbers.

Mix these chemicals with the heat from the sun, will speed up the off gassing, causing a greater health risk. The heat from the sun, shining on a rug or carpet causes an Energy Reaction.

This makes carpets generally greater health risk than rugs, but rugs with significant amount of latex (or other) glues – such are those with double backing – are also a concern.

While you are not likely to know the specifics of the rug/carpet chemical off gassing intensity, nor your sensitivity limits, there is no need to take unnecessary chances. 

If your new carpet, or rug, is chemically treated and unprotected, it is always good to keep the space well ventilated for up to a few weeks. 

Options

 Look for untreated area rugs, or those made with low-emission substances and materials. 

Look for a carpet or  rug, made from  natural fiber such cotton, wool, jute, hemp, sisal, and more.

Several products such as window tinting, window shades or Low-E windows are moderately effective at blocking ultraviolet radiation. However, even the best of these coatings still transmits 26% of the UV radiation. 

“Think Before Bringing Anything Into Your Home”