Indoor environments - Indoor Environmental Quality - page 5

such as extensive water damage and mold infestation. On the other hand,
home ownership can, in many cases (because of human attitudes and foi-
bles), increase the probability that home contamination problems will occur
(e.g., indiscriminate pesticide application or storage of toxic/hazardous
materials; or engaging in commercial activities or hobbies, e.g., hair dressing
salons, silk screening, or wood refinishing, that could cause significant air
or building surface contamination).
Home ownership is a significant decision-determining factor when
IAQ/IE issues arise. If a dwelling is discovered to have excessively high
radon levels, significant mold infestation, or a high potential for lead dust
exposure to young children, homeowners have the opportunity to mitigate
such problems at their own expense. If the dwelling is owned by a second
party, occupants must convince an often reluctant lessor to mitigate the
problem, seek alternative housing, or “live with it.”

C. Building types

There are two basic types of residential structures: single-family and multi-
ple-family dwellings. Typically, single-family dwellings ( Figure 1.1 ) are
detached from other residential structures (although some row houses and
condominiums blur the line); multifamily dwellings are constructed as sin-
gle large structures that provide 2 to >1000 leased individual apartments.
Single-family dwellings are characteristic of American rural and suburban
areas and older parts of cities. Multiple-family dwellings are characteristic
of urban areas and are becoming increasingly common in other areas as
well. Because of the limited availability of building sites, multifamily dwell-
ings are the primary form of housing used by families in cities and densely
populated countries.
Single-family residences may be site-built or manufactured and placed
on site. In the U.S., manufactured houses ( Figure 1.2 ) comprise approxi-

Figure 1.1 Single-family owner-occupied home.