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Cover image of My House Is Killing Me!
Cover image of My House Is Killing Me!
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My House Is Killing Me!

A Complete Guide to a Healthier Indoor Environment

Jeffrey C. May and Connie L. May
foreword by Jonathan M. Samet, MD, and Elizabeth Matsui, MD, MHS

second edition
Publication Date
Binding Type

Whether you have allergies or asthma, or you just want to avoid exposures to indoor contaminants and allergens, this book will teach you how to have a healthier home.

In this thoroughly revised edition of My House Is Killing Me! Jeffrey C. and Connie L. May draw on the dramatic personal stories of their clients to help readers understand the links between indoor environmental conditions and human health. Explaining how air conditioning, finished basements, and other home features affect indoor air quality, the authors offer a step-by-step approach to identifying, controlling, and even...

Whether you have allergies or asthma, or you just want to avoid exposures to indoor contaminants and allergens, this book will teach you how to have a healthier home.

In this thoroughly revised edition of My House Is Killing Me! Jeffrey C. and Connie L. May draw on the dramatic personal stories of their clients to help readers understand the links between indoor environmental conditions and human health. Explaining how air conditioning, finished basements, and other home features affect indoor air quality, the authors offer a step-by-step approach to identifying, controlling, and even eliminating the sources of indoor pollutants and allergens. This new edition includes

• more than 60 color photographs
• expanded coverage on the dangers posed by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by such common items as paint, carpet, and household cleaning products
• up-to-date information on the potential risks of installing spray polyurethane foam (SPF) insulation
• completely new case studies of people who improved their indoor air quality by following the authors' advice
• brand-new chapters, including " 'Trojan Horse' Allergens," "The Three Ps—Pets, Pests, and People," "Indoor Air Quality in Multi-Unit Buildings," and "Testing and Remediation."

Reading My House Is Killing Me! lets you see your house the way an expert would. Along with offering a wealth of practical advice and proven solutions for various problems, the Mays include a glossary of terms and a list of valuable resources. This book is a must for all home occupants as well as perfect for those contemplating moving to or purchasing a property.

Reviews

Reviews

The May's continue to be masterful storytellers, using their work with clients to help solve problems and increase education of their indoor spaces.

Asthma and allergy sufferers, this book is essential reading. It will answer all your questions about why you suffer in your home and what you can do to prevent it. May takes you on a tour of your home, both interior and exterior, with a detailed description of the organic and inorganic substances that are making you ill... Will serve for years to come as the definitive guide to establishing disease-free living environments.

A first-rate reference that is enjoyable to read.

Jeffrey May is a skillful writer, and uses an informal style that is well suited to communication with a broad audience... This is the best book I've read in years. I couldn't put it down... It painlessly educates the reader about problem houses.

May has made a timely, helpful—and even entertaining—contribution to a field that demands attention.

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About

Book Details

Publication Date
Status
Available
Trim Size
7
x
10
Pages
408
ISBN
9781421438955
Illustration Description
67 color photos, 1 color illus, 5 b&w photos
Table of Contents

Foreword, by Jonathan M. Samet, MD, and Elizabeth Matsui, MD, MHS
Appreciation
Introduction

Part I. The Stage of Our Lives
Chapter 1. Seeing the Invisible
Chapter 2. Cast of Small Characters—Read This

Foreword, by Jonathan M. Samet, MD, and Elizabeth Matsui, MD, MHS
Appreciation
Introduction

Part I. The Stage of Our Lives
Chapter 1. Seeing the Invisible
Chapter 2. Cast of Small Characters—Read This Chapter If You Dare!
Chapter 3. "Trojan Horse" Allergens
Chapter 4. Creepy Crawlers (Apologies for the Title!)
Chapter 5. The Three Ps—Pets, Pests, and People
Chapter 6. The Set

Part II. Daily Life
Chapter 7. Living Rooms, Family Rooms, and Dining Areas
Chapter 8. Rooms with Water—The Bathroom
Chapter 9. Rooms with Water—The Kitchen
Chapter 10. Rooms with Water—The Laundry
Chapter 11. Bedrooms
Chapter 12. Attached Garages, Bulkheads, Porches, and Decks
Chapter 13. The Exterior
Chapter 14. Indoor Air Quality in Multi-Unit Buildings

Part III. Below and Above
Chapter 15. Unfinished Basements and Crawl Spaces
Chapter 16. Finished Basements
Chapter 17. Attics

Part IV. Heating and Cooling
Chapter 18. Heating and Cooling with Ducts
Chapter 19. Heating and Cooling without Ducts
Chapter 20. More on Heating, Cooling, and Fuel

Part V. Clean It Up—Inside and Out
Chapter 21. Renovation and New Construction
Chapter 22. More Environmental Hazards
Chapter 23. Testing and Remediation
Chapter 24. Cleaning

Closing Remarks: Take Charge
Notes
Glossary
Resource Guide
Index

Author Bios
Jeffrey C. May
Featured Contributor

Jeffrey C. May

Jeffrey C. May is a building consultant, indoor air-quality (IAQ) professional, and the principal scientist of May Indoor Air Investigations LLC in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts. He has conducted thousands of indoor environmental investigations including in homes, offices, and schools, and has personally analyzed over 40,000 air and dust samples. Widely published, May lectures nationally on IAQ...
Connie L. May
Featured Contributor

Connie L. May

Connie L. May is a certified indoor air quality technician at May Indoor Air Investigations LLC. Together, they are the coauthors of Jeff May's Healthy Home Tips: A Workbook for Detecting, Diagnosing, and Eliminating Pesky Pests, Stinky Stenches, Musty Mold, and Other Aggravating Home Problems and The Mold Survival Guide: For Your Home and for Your Health.