Off to the cottage for some exercise and fresh air—maybe!

When Laura-Jane Koers and her partner bought their Prince Edward Island cottage, nestled on 60 acres and within walking distance of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, they were thrilled. It was a kingdom compared to the tiny condo they’d been able to afford in Victoria, B.C.

But since they planned to live in the cottage year-round, they had to roll up their sleeves and renovate. “There was zero insulation,” says Koers. “We thought we could turn on the old wood stove and it would be warm. It didn’t work that way.”

So began an overhaul that involved fixing a leaky roof, gutting the interior—including stripping away mouldy wood, ripping up carpet, and installing a newer, high-efficiency wood stove.

What didn’t even cross Koers’ mind at the time was the difference these upgrades might make to the quality of the air they were breathing. Yet fortuitously, in a matter of months this couple has addressed and rectified some of the most notorious culprits that typically contaminate indoor air at the cottage.

Unfortunately, many cottage owners will never get around to cleaning up indoor pollutants. The truth is, we associate our waterfront getaways with clean, fresh air, surrounded as they are by nature, and far from city smog. Even if we notice a whiff or two of mildew, we often shrug it off—because, of course, no one stays indoors for long at the cottage.

That’s a mistake. When you consider sleeping and mealtimes, we’re indoors for at least a third of the time. “And I think we carry our city lifestyles to the cottage a little bit,” adds Barbara MacKinnon, Director of Environmental Research at the New Brunswick Lung Association. “We sit inside reading our book.”

MacKinnon points to wood smoke as a prime source of bad cottage air. Many cottagers rely on fireplaces and wood-burning stoves for heat or ambience, but unless they’re using a high-efficiency wood stove, they’re getting a lungful of pollutants.

At the height of summer, Ralph MacDonald doesn’t use the fireplace much at his cottage, which borders the Prince Edward Island National Park—but come fall, he starts it up to keep the place warm. “Any time I’m there for more than two hours, I’ve probably got the fireplace going,” he says. Afterwards, a smoky smell lingers indoors for hours, which experts say is a sure sign he’s exposing himself to a hazard. “This is a fireplace that was put it in when the place was constructed, and it’s obviously not up to any kind of environmental standards,” MacDonald concedes.

Moisture, another problem, can lead to mould growth, which is not often easy to detect. It has no odour, comes in a range of colours, and can build up in hidden places. Moisture can come from a leaking roof or windows, or poor air ventilation. And since most cottages are near water, the air is naturally high in humidity. MacDonald can’t even keep mints out in a candy dish at his cottage because they’ll liquefy.

Real estate agent Kristopher Snarby in Liverpool, Nova Scotia, says many of the cottages he shows to clients are built on flat land so close to the water they tend to flood. Plus, they were constructed without much regard to modern building standards. “I haven’t been in many cottages that have fans in the bathroom,” he says. “Same with stoves. They often don’t have hoods and vents.”

Another cottage-specific feature is that they’re usually closed up for the winter months, leading to condensation as they’re battered by extremes of cold and sunshine.

Indoor air can be further degraded by biological pollutants like dust mites and animal dander, or even agents from the outdoors, such as pollen (70 per cent of indoor air is really outdoor air, MacKinnon says). Admittedly, many cottages don’t enjoy the sort of thorough weekly cleaning that happens at home. And if they’re carpeted, these pollutants build up.

So the air at the cottage isn’t exactly pristine. Should we care?

All evidence points to yes. Most especially, certain vulnerable family members—children, seniors, people with lung or heart conditions, or compromised immune systems—can be seriously sickened by unhealthy air. High levels of air pollution have actually been known to bring on heart attacks in people with cardiovascular disease. They can also trigger symptoms in people with asthma and allergies.

But healthy people are affected too, says Patrick Smale of E.K. Gillin & Associates Inc., professionals in environmental health and safety in Stratford, Ontario. Surprisingly, low levels of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, both produced by burning wood, can cause symptoms like headaches, fatigue, difficulty focusing or a feeling of eye strain.

Mould can set off headaches too, or even joint pain. With all these contaminants, “they wouldn’t smell it, in a lot of cases,” Smale says, which means cottagers may not put their finger on what’s making them feel lousy.

Normally in an industrial setting, Smale points out, people go home at the end of the work day, giving their bodies a chance to recover from any chemicals or contaminants they’ve been exposed to. “But when you’re at a cottage, you’re building up a body burden, where you can’t escape from that condition.”

And in a modest-sized dwelling with no garage and limited storage space, it can be even harder to escape exposure to noxious substances like cleaning products or paint cans. “I’ve seen a lot of horror shows in cottages,” Smale says. “I’ve actually seen people store their extra gas cans for the boat in the cottage. Any chemical you bring into the building is going to give off some byproduct, to some degree.”

Do you suspect you might have an air quality problem at the cottage? If you feel crummy at the cottage but your symptoms gradually disappear when you leave, it’s worth giving your getaway a going-over.

The Lung Association of Canada has published a Healthy Home Audit (available free at http://www.lung.ca/_resources/healthy_home_audit.pdf) that will guide you through every room, identify potential indoor air problems and provide solutions. For example, are you finding a lot of dust in the living room or common areas? Reduce clutter by keeping magazines and books in a cabinet.

Do you store hazardous cleaning products in the kitchen? Make a point of shopping for non-toxic products, or mix your own. The Healthy Home Audit also lists tips for dealing with wood smoke and mould.

Laura-Jane Koers says she and her partner do make an effort to be health-conscious, and she’s now more aware of indoor air pollution than she used to be. “I think it’s good to bring it into your thought process,” she says.

Once you improve your indoor air quality, you may find yourself feeling finer. “If you take safety measures when you’re inside the cottage, you’re going to enjoy the cottage life so much better,” says Smale. “That’s why we have them.”

Two New Concerns: Hantavirus and Radon

Mouse droppings are practically a cottage fixture. But they can also spread the rodent-borne hantavirus as droppings are broken into particles and breathed in. Hantavirus causes flu-like symptoms in humans, which can then develop into a rare but serious pulmonary disease. Wear rubber gloves and a protective mask when cleaning up after mice. Better yet, prevent rodent infestation by using traps and sealing up mouse highways, like gaps under walls.

Experts are also warning property owners about radon, an odourless radioactive gas that can leach out of rocks or soil. Prolonged exposure to high levels of radon can lead to lung cancer. Some devices on the market will test for radon in your cottage, or you can hire a trained technician. Lower your risk by making sure any cracks in your cottage foundation are sealed, and keep that fresh air circulating by opening windows or using fans.