Method for reducing immunogenic and/or toxic substances in indoor air

Claim 1

A method of constructing a building in order to minimize levels of immunogenic substances in the atmosphere contained in the building, wherein a portion of an overall construction process for the building employs a subprocess of construction comprising: excavating an area of the earth upon which the building will be placed; laying a gravel bed in the excavated area of the earth and thereby defining a gas permeable path over which gases emanating from underlying areas of the earth can be directed; surrounding the gravel bed with a pipe having perforations in fluid connection with the gas permeable path defined by the gravel bed; venting the pipe to the atmosphere; covering the gravel bed with a gas impermeable material in such a manner that said material establishes a substantially monolithic, gas impermeable barrier to any gases emanating from underlying areas of the earth; pouring a substantially monolithic layer of concrete over the gas impermeable barrier in order to establish a ground floor of the building; erecting an array of vertical joist elements, (wherein a major fraction of the individual joist elements comprising the array are made of a metallic material) in order to provide vertical support for an outside wall of said building; placing a wall forming material on the inside of the vertical joists, and placing a layer of a metallic, gas impermeable material on the inside of the exterior wall; electrically grounding the metal studs and metallic, gas impermeable material; and covering the layer of gas impermeable material with sheets of dry wall in order to form an inside wall surface.

Claim 2

A method of constructing a building in order to minimize levels of immunogenic substances in the atmosphere contained in the building, wherein a portion of an overall construction process for the building employs a subprocess of construction comprising: excavating an area of the earth upon which the building will be placed; laying a gravel bed in the excavated area of the earth and thereby defining a gas permeable path over which gases emanating from underlying areas of the earth can be directed; surrounding the gravel bed with a pipe having perforations in fluid connection with the gas permeable path defined by the gravel bed; venting the pipe to the atmosphere; covering the gravel bed with a gas impermeable material in such a manner that said material establishes a substantially monolithic, gas impermeable barrier to any gases emanating from underlying areas of the earth; pouring a substantially monolithic layer of concrete over the gas impermeable barrier in order to establish a ground floor of the building; erecting an array of vertical joist elements, (wherein a major fraction of the individual joist elements comprising the array are made of a metallic material) in order to provide vertical support for an outside wall of said building; placing a wall forming material on the inside of the vertical joists, and placing a layer of a metallic, gas impermeable material on the inside of the exterior wall; electrically grounding the metal studs and metallic, gas impermeable material; and covering the layer of gas impermeable material with sheets of dry wall in order to form an inside wall surface.