Your new house is gassing you

A few years ago, Basecamp's David Heinemeier Hansson shared a terrifying story about an incredibly boring but scary thing nobody thinks about. He built his dream house, and a few days after moving in, his wife started feeling violently ill then collapsed. They soon learned that she was suffering from severe formaldehyde poisoning. After investigating, it turned out that their super energy efficient passive house, which used as little energy and electric ventilation as possible, didn't have enough airflow. Formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds from new furniture, paint, construction materials, and carpeting were filling their home with toxic fumes, which due to the energy efficient HVAC system wasn't being cycled frequently enough.

When I heard David's story, I was about to move into a new home. I immediately installed a bunch of air quality sensors and it turned out that my then-infant son's new room was filled with crazy high levels of volatile organic compounds. This was especially concerning given that small children are particularly vulnerable to VOCs.

This is one of those profoundly boring, pernicious things that nobody thinks about. We obsess over plane crashes and falls, but we ignore the boring stuff like slow but steady exposure to toxic chemicals over the course of decades which could result in cancer, allergies, or learning disabilities. Air quality really matters.

Here's what I do:

• Install Awair sensors in the rooms my family spends the most time in (especially children's bedrooms and playrooms).

• Keep windows open or ventilation fans running at all times, especially if you're seeing high levels of VOCs.

• Place HEPA filters in each room you spend a lot of time in. I am a huge fan of the Dyson Big + Quiet BP04, which tracks Co2 and filters formaldehyde, while looking like a beautiful robot from the future. An excellent cheaper option is the CoWay Airmega.

Originally published in the My hairline is receding and I'm going gray. issue of Never Enough.