Ventilation Standards

Resolved that the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB):

1. Urge the federal government, and private sector codes and standards developers, to work cooperatively together, and with NAHB, to conduct research on ventilation for acceptable indoor air quality that:
   (a) More precisely identifies and quantifies the indoor air quality conditions that exist in homes, and
   (b) Determines the impact of proposed changes to ventilation requirements on construction costs, energy consumption, moisture control, maintenance costs, and occupant comfort.
2. Support federal legislation to provide research funding to evaluate indoor air quality in homes.
3. Support research programs on indoor air quality in residential buildings.

Further resolved that NAHB support the ability of state and local jurisdictions to amend the national model codes based on regional differences in climates and occupant preferences.

Further resolved that NAHB oppose legislation or construction codes or standards that increase indoor ventilation rates and related costs in residential buildings unless it is demonstrated through health-based field studies, including pollutant levels and outdoor air exchange rates, that a significant indoor air quality problem exists, is solved by additional ventilation air exchange, and that the problem cannot be addressed by source control and/or better design of ventilation systems.

Further resolved that NAHB support a range of strategies for kitchen ventilation including point exhaust, general kitchen exhaust, filtration, operable windows, and combinations thereof.

Further resolved that NAHB support the evaluation of strategies for air filtration within the overall framework of ventilation system design.

Further resolved that NAHB support a range of humidity control strategies for humid climates including the use of improved controls and advanced operational protocols that maximize the dehumidification performance of cooling systems.

Resolution originally adopted: 2023.6 No. 4 Ventilation Standards

Committee of jurisdiction: Construction, Codes & Standards