Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

    • Environmental Topics
    • Air
    • Bed Bugs
    • Cancer
    • Chemicals, Toxics, and Pesticide
    • Emergency Response
    • Environmental Information by Location
    • Health
    • Land, Waste, and Cleanup
    • Lead
    • Mold
    • Radon
    • Research
    • Science Topics
    • Water Topics
    • A-Z Topic Index
    • Laws & Regulations
    • By Business Sector
    • By Topic
    • Compliance
    • Enforcement
    • Laws and Executive Orders
    • Regulations
    • Report a Violation
    • Environmental Violations
    • Fraud, Waste or Abuse
    • About EPA
    • Our Mission and What We Do
    • Headquarters Offices
    • Regional Offices
    • Labs and Research Centers
    • Planning, Budget, and Results
    • Organization Chart
    • EPA History

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Indoor Air Quality in Schools

Renovation and Repair, Part of Indoor Air Quality Design Tools for Schools

Renovation is one of the major causes of poor indoor air quality (IAQ) in schools, and is often conducted while the building is occupied. When planning and conducting renovations in schools, it is important to remember four potential causes of indoor air problems during renovation and repairs:

  1. Demolition that releases toxic materials (e.g., lead, asbestos, and/or mold);
  2. Construction dust and fumes;
  3. Designs that interfere with ventilation; and
  4. Off-gassing from new building materials and products.

On this page:

  • Techniques for Protecting Occupants from Renovation Pollutants
  • References and Resources

Techniques for Protecting Occupants from Renovation Pollutants

  • Testing: Before performing any demolition, check for lead-based paints and asbestos.
  • Timing: When possible, perform work at times when the occupants are not in the building, such as vacation breaks, weekends, or evenings.
  • Distance: Keep building occupants as far from renovation activities as possible. The greater the distance between pollutants and occupants, the less concentrated the pollutants will be upon reaching the occupants.
  • Barriers: Install temporary barriers (e.g., plastic sheeting) to seal the work areas from the occupied areas. Cover all supply and return air grilles if the HVAC system in the renovation area also serves occupied areas so that the air ducts will not spread pollutants to occupied area. Exhaust air from the construction area so that pollutants cannot flow from the construction area to the occupied areas.
  • Containment: When possible, keep pollutants confined to as small an area as reasonably possible, rather than allow them to spread to larger areas. Examples include wet sanding or vacuum sanding drywall to prevent the spread of dust, misting asbestos with water to prevent it from easily becoming airborne during demolition, and keeping containers of chemicals such as solvents, adhesives, paints, and other coatings closed as much as possible. Do not operate the heating/cooling equipment when work is causing dust to be visible in the air.
  • Cleanup: At least daily, construction debris, dust, and scraps should be adequately cleaned up so that there is less chance that these pollutants will enter occupied areas. See Sustainable Management of Construction and Demolition (C&D) Materials for more information.

References and Resources

  • EPA Construction and Demolition Debris Webpage
  • School Construction News: Website containing news, information, products, and resources about the design, construction, maintenance, management and operations of schools. A free on-line e-news letter subscription is available.
  • IAQ Guidelines for Occupied Buildings Under Construction, Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractor's National Association (SMACNA)
  • Follow applicable guidance in the construction section of the IAQ website.
  • The IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit contains a detailed Renovation and Repairs Checklist which can be used to establish a detailed renovation plan for the school.

Indoor Air Quality in Schools

  • Indoor Air Quality Homepage
  • Learn about IAQ in Schools
    • Information for Parents and Students
    • Take Action to Improve IAQ in Schools
    • Why IAQ is Important to Schools
  • IAQ Tools for Schools Resources
    • Framework for Effective School IAQ Management
    • IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit
    • IAQ Tools for Schools Preventive Maintenance Guidance Documents
    • IAQ Tools for Schools Video Resources
  • On-Demand Training Webinars
    • Healthy Indoor Environments in Schools Webinar Series
    • IAQ Knowledge-to-Action Professional Training Webinar Series
    • IAQ Master Class Professional Training Webinar Series
  • Understanding IAQ Benefits
    • High Performance Schools
    • Improving Academic Performance
    • Managing Asthma in Schools
    • Managing Radon in Schools
  • Healthy School Renovations
    • Energy Savings Plus Health Guidance
    • IAQ Design Tools for Schools
  • Connecting and Networking
    • EPA Programs Supporting Healthy Schools
    • School IAQ Champions
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Publications
Contact Us about Indoor Air Quality in Schools
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on August 13, 2024
  • Assistance
  • Spanish
  • Arabic
  • Chinese (simplified)
  • Chinese (traditional)
  • French
  • Haitian Creole
  • Korean
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Tagalog
  • Vietnamese
United States Environmental Protection Agency

Discover.

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Budget & Performance
  • Contracting
  • EPA www Web Snapshot
  • Grants
  • No FEAR Act Data
  • Plain Writing
  • Privacy
  • Privacy and Security Notice

Connect.

  • Data
  • Inspector General
  • Jobs
  • Newsroom
  • Regulations.gov
  • Subscribe
  • USA.gov
  • White House

Ask.

  • Contact EPA
  • EPA Disclaimers
  • Hotlines
  • FOIA Requests
  • Frequent Questions
  • Site Feedback

Follow.