1.1This guide contains suggested performance statements for single family residential buildings (attached and detached) that address indoor air quality performance including indoor air pollution and thermal comfort. These performance statements are not presented as proposed requirements, but are written in permissive language as suggestions that can be used in developing specifications to satisfy user needs.

1.2This guide does not address other aspects of the indoor environment such as lighting and acoustics.

1.3Performance statements addressing building ventilation and ventilation rates are also included in the standard, since it is premature to base performance only on indoor air pollution, that is, airborne contaminant concentrations. When health authorities have established contaminant concentration limits for residential environments, it may be possible to define indoor air quality performance in terms of contaminant concentrations rather than ventilation.

1.4This guide is one in a series of guides containing performance statements for residential buildings that are intended for use in the procurement, specification and evaluation of one- and two-family dwellings. These companion standard guides include those noted in the Introduction above.

1.5This guide also addresses a number of residential indoor air quality issues that can not be expressed as performance statements at this time. However, they are important enough to include in this guide to at least raise the awareness of those involved in the process of procurement, specification and evaluation. These issues are addressed in 8.3.

1.6This guide does not include site planning objectives. However, certain issues addressing the relationship of building to site have been covered, and it is important that these few objectives not be construed as a comprehensive site specification.

1.7This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory requirements prior to use.