Turn Your Home Into A Healthier Haven Tuesday, March 1, 2005 How To Turn Your Home Into A Healthier Haven (NAPSA)—If your house looks, smells and feels like nothing has changed in more than three decades, now may be the time to create a healthier and more comfortable living space. Lennox, a leading provider of integrated home comfort systems ral is giving homeowners across North America a chance to turn their headache of a home into a healthier haven by entering the second annual “Lennox Home Comfort Makeover Contest.” Aspart of the contest, the company is teaming up with environ- mental interior design expert Victoria Schomer to search for the most uncomfortable home in North America. Once the grand-prize win- ner is selected, Schomer and a team of home comfort specialists will implement an eco-friendly home comfort and interior design makeover valued at up to $60,000. Homeowners can enter the contest by visiting www.lennox.com before Aug. 31, 2005. According to Schomer, going from drab to fab isn’t as easy as swapping out the old recliner. She says home comfort is just as much about what you can’t see as what you can see. “While peeling wallpaper and outdated furniture can contribute to domestic discomfort, there are many other invisible conditions, such as musty odors and poorair quality, which can have significant impact on one’s overall sense of well-being,” said Schomer. “It’s important for homeownersto look at home comfort from the inside out by making sure the types of furniture, paint and carpet they Before and After: This home’s uncomfortable living space wastransformed into a healthier haven as part of a national home comfort makeovercontest. use in their homes are environmentally friendly and won’t contribute to poor indoorair quality.” Schomeralso offers the following tips for creating a healthier, more comfortable home: Add Some Color. Changing wall color is one of the easiest ways to make an impact on a room. Schomer recommendsusing paints with few or no volatile organic compounds to help reduce potentially harmful gases, especially in rooms frequented by children or the elderly. If you decide to use wall coverings, look for wallpaper material that is permeable. Avoid vinyl wall coverings. Watch Where You Walk. Since carpet collects dust, people with allergies may want to install tile or wood floors. If you do purchase new wall-to-wall carpeting, be sure the installer airs out the carpet rolls for at least 24 hours before installation to decrease the amount of potentially toxic vapors that some new carpets can emit. You may also want to leave your windows open for a day or two after the carpetingis installed. Keep It Simple. Keep window treatments simple and appropriate for the room. In addition, consider installing window coverings to help prevent hot and cold spots inside the home and provide better insulation in the winter and summer months. Certain manufacturers even offer coverings with film that can reduce UV ray exposure. Tackle The Toxins. Pollutants inside the home, such as pet dander, smoke, mold and dust, can affect your health, comfort and safety. To identify potential issues, Schomer recommends having the air inside your hometested. For example, the Lennox Healthy Advantage Program is a simple, cost-effective air-quality monitoring service that measures the most common indoor air-quality factors—temperature, humidity, carbon monoxide, odors, chemical vapors and airborne particles— and helps homeowners identify solutions for clearing theair. For more information about how to improve home comfort and to enter the contest, visit www.lennox.com. --- PHOTOS --- File: 20190801-053916-20190801-053912-64848.pdf.jpg --- FILES --- File: 20190801-053912-64848.pdf