A residential building’s indoor air can theoretically contain various types of contaminants to which the occupants could be exposed. Many studies have established links between the presence of indoor air contaminants and some health problems. A reduction in indoor air contamination must ideally be the subject of a strategy encompassing a certain number of measures, with control at source definitely being the first option to be considered. However, this approach alone is not sufficient to reduce all of the contaminants present, so other complementary measures need to be considered, such as the ventilation of indoor spaces.
At the present time, the application of regulations on the ventilation of small residential buildings varies greatly in Québec, with municipalities having the power to adopt their own construction regulation. The Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) wants to adopt a uniform basic standard for all new buildings, particularly concerning the installation of…