| July 2019 President’s MessageA sincere thank you to all of our members and supporters of the MIAQC last year. We are looking forward to the new year that started in the beginning of July. We had great support and attendance at our various events and training programs offered throughout last year, and have a great mix of opportunities for members and nonmembers alike in 2019-2020. |
| We truly could not have accomplished all that we did without the support of our members, volunteers and sponsors. I am looking forward to serving as president this new year and to your continued support of our great organization.Dick Rollins, PE, President Maine Indoor Air Quality CouncilNote: Dick Rollins, a mechanical engineer recently retired from WBRC in Bangor, was elected by the MIAQC Board of Directors to serve as Board President for 2019-2020. |
| Thank you to MIAQC Board Member Desi-Rae Severson, who served as writer, editor, and contributor to this issue of The Informer. |
| Feature: Original Board Member Jim Reny Retires |
| by Desi-Rae Severson, Past President and Member – MIAQC Board of Directors |
| Jim Reny is just one of two Maine Indoor Air Quality Council Board members who has served continuously since the Council was formed in 1998. I recently interviewed Jim Reny, who is a retired Facilities Manager for Waterville Public School. Jim shared many interesting details of his long history of being on the Board and working in the IAQ field. He talked about the challenges and rewards he experienced during his tenure on the Board, and how the MIAQC Mission aligns with his own core values.Click here for a transcript of our conversation! |
| Feature: Maine Legislative Changes: What You NEED to Know (especially if you’re in the building industry) |
| Article contributed by MIAQC Executive Director Christine G. Crocker |
| As the regular session of the 129th Maine Legislature wraps up, the Public Policy Committee of the Maine Indoor Air Quality Council is taking the opportunity to sit back, relax, and consider the outcomes from our efforts to promote healthy indoor environments through advocacy. Overall, we are very pleased with the results. So what’s new?Building Code Changes!There are significant building code changes that impact everyone designing, constructing, and renovating buildings in Maine. A summary of what you need to know:Read more... |
| MIAQC to Receive $25,000 Grant from U.S. EPAThe Maine Indoor Air Quality Council will be receiving a $25,000 grant award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as part of its Healthy Communities Grant Program. The grant will fund education and communications activities to broaden knowledge and use of our recently published guidance on Managing Mold & Moisture Problems in Maine Rental Properties. The grant team includes project partners representing the Maine Apartment Owners & Managers Association, Healthy Androscoggin, the Maine Building Officials and Inspectors Association, the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention, and Pine Tree Legal Assistance. The grant period runs from October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2020. We will keep members apprised of our progress on the grant and of the opportunities for education and engagement. |
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| Would you like to advertise in this quarterly newsletter? Our distribution goes to more than 19,000 professionals in Maine, and around the country, with a solid open rate. Contact the MIAQC office at 207-626-8115 to secure your ad placement in our next issue. |
| IAQ Stuff to Do |
| Common Ground FairSeptember 20-22, 2019Visit our booth! Once again the Maine Indoor Air Quality Council will set up our display in the Energy and Shelter Area. Here you will find all our resources on radon, mold, test kits, lead, and so much more! Be sure to visit us and if you’re interested in volunteering to staff the booth please contact Christy Crocker!E-mail Christy CSI Festivus: Airing of Grievances (a.k.a. Contractor Complaint Night) September 12, 2019 Location TBA A panel discussion on contractor issues featuring three General Contractors–all of whom have extensive experience in competitive bidding and vertical construction in Maine. Bring your biggest questions and concerns for a lively conversation.Learn More Air Tightness, Spray Foam & Building CodesSeptember 18, 2019; Mechanics Hall, PortlandIncludes: Codes overview, Test methods used for code compliance, Construction types, Gray areas in the code, Fire protection requirements, Mechanical systems, Documentation requirements, Special circumstances, and Ventilation requirements: fresh air for tight buildings Learn More |
| passivhausMAINE Fall Forum October 9-10, 2019 Mechanics Hall – Portland, MEPassivehaus renovations large & small.Learn More Green & Health Maine Homes: Home + Energy Show Saturday, October 19 – East End Community School, PortlandA one-day event to bring together leaders in Maine’s sustainable home and energy industries. From solar power to heat pumps, air quality to air sealing, and electric vehicles to edible landscapes, you’ll find endless inspiration for creating your high-performing, green & healthy Maine home – whether you are looking to build, buy or enhance an existing property. Learn More 2020 Residential Construction Training Series – Registration is open! 4 dates January-February 2020 St. Joseph’s College, Standish, MEOur popular residential training series is back with new content for 2020: now includes updates on application of the new Maine Building Codes, more how-to strategies for proper ventilation, and how to calculate dew point. Attend all four sessions and seek our new professional certification.Learn More |
| Registration is open!At IAQ & ENERGY 2019, we put it all together. All the components to design, construct, operate & maintain healthy, environmentally-sustainable indoor spaces. New for 2019: thanks to a partnership with passivhausMAINE, we are able to offer a complete, high-performance commercial building track! Check out full our presentation line-up at: Learn More |
| Out and About with MIAQCWe don’t sit around! What’s MIAQC been up to lately?Image: Roland Adams presenting Public Speaking 101 during the annual business meeting |
| MIAQC staff and volunteers spent a lot of hours at the legislature in April & May, advocating for uniform application of the building codes state-wide and for inclusion of basic IAQ practices for ventilation and radon. Thank you to Kurt Johnson and Bill Turner for their diligence, support, and excellent testimony!***The Maine Indoor Air Quality Council would like to extend a hearty thank you to the sponsors of our first-ever fundraising raffle. We gave away three grand prizes: a Mitsubishi Heat Pump, a Renewaire ERV, and a Santa Fe dehumidifer! Congratulations to the winners!***In June our annual Business Meeting was held in Brunswick. After the Business portion was complete, members were given the opportunity to hear MIAQC Board Member, Roland Adams, give helpful hints and tricks on Public Speaking 101.Thank you Roland for such an informative presentation!***A reminder that membership fees for 2019-2020 are now due. Dues remain $99 for individual membership, $500 for a corporate membership and available until August 15, 2019 ONLY, $299 for both membership AND an advance ticket to IAQ & Energy 2019. Click here to pay your 2019-2020 dues.Get Involved!Contact MIAQC Executive Director Christy Crocker to find out how you can participate in and support the work of the Maine Indoor Air Quality Council: 207-626-8115; christy@maineindoorair.org. |
| Interesting Reading and Viewing… From “The Synergist”: Using Plans and Specifications click here to read full textEditor’s note: This article is drawn from chapter 6 of D. Jeff Burton’s IAQ and HVAC Workbook, available for sale from AIHA.From BBC News: The Terraced House Inside a Laboratory click here to read full textFrom the Journal of Light Construction: Upgrading the Load Path click here to read fulltextFrom the Journal of Light Construction: Rainscreen Basics click here to read full text From Jeff May: Problematic Air Flows click here to read full textFrom Jeff May: Is It Time to Throw Away Your Dust-Mite Mattress Cover? click here to read full textFrom The New York Times: Is Conference Room Air Making You Dumber? click here to read full textFrom a report by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy: Solar PV and Energy Efficiency in Residential Building Codes click here to read full text Have some interesting reading to share? Send it to MIAQC Executive Director Christy Crocker and we’ll post in the next Informer Newsletter in April 2019. |
| Registration is open for the Maine Indoor Air Quality Council’s popular residential construction training series. These programs teach construction practices that optimize energy efficiency measures as well as minimize the risk of moisture and indoor air quality problems in new and existing homes. The training further emphasizes this critical concept: high performance homes are not hard to construct, and the extra efficiency measures have a very reasonable payback – both for the builder and the homeowner.New for 2020! We have expanded the agenda to a four, full-day sessions. New content includes calculation of dew points on component surfaces and within wall/roof systems, more detailed “hands-on” strategies for proper ventilation, plus application of Maine’s newly updated building codes.Schedule:Friday, January 24, 2020 – Foundations Friday, January 31, 2020 – Building Shell Friday, February 7, 2020 – HVAC Friday, February 14, 2020 – Renovations February 28, 2020 and March 6, 2020 – Back up Snow DatesAll sessions held at: Xavier Lounge in Xavier Hall St. Joseph’s College 278 Whites Bridge Road Standish, ME |
| Register |
| A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words… |
| Is mold growing on your attic hatch? What does this mean?Image submitted by Kurt Johnson |
| We love this car…Image submitted by Steve Caulfield |
| MIAQC Members and others at the social hour and raffle drawing on May 21st at Liquid Riot Bottling Co in Portland!Image submitted by Desi-Rae Severson |
| Do you have an interesting photo to share? Send it to christy@maineindoorair.org for inclusion in our next issue! |
| Our Council Partners: |
| Support MIAQC!Support the Maine Indoor Air Quality Council each time you shop on Amazon. Start at https://smile.amazon.com.Contact MIAQC Executive Director Christy Crocker to find out how you can participate in and support the work of the Maine Indoor Air Quality Council: 207-626-8115; christy@maineindoorair.org. |
