Influences of interior fitting processes on the indoor air quality of two model rooms

Abstract

Interior fitting was performed stepwise in two model rooms built from Oriented Strand Board (OSB) and Cross Laminated Timber (X-lam), respectively. The walls and ceiling of the OSB model room were covered with gypsum plasterboard, parquet flooring was laid and the room was finally equipped with office furniture and textiles. In the X-lam model room an acoustical ceiling and parquet were installed. The walls were painted with wood stain and the room was adapted as bed room and equipped with textiles. After each fitting step volatile organic compounds (VOC) samples were taken and analyzed. In the OSB model room, the total volatile organic compound (TVOC) concentration decreased throughout the whole fitting process from 119 µg m−3 prior to the interior fitting to a final value of 26 µg m−3. In the X-lam model room, a change of the VOC profile and/or concentration could be observed after each fitting step. The highest TVOC concentration (225 µg m−3) was reached seven days after the installation of the acoustical ceiling. Terpenes, aldehydes and acetic acid were the most abundant substances identified. It was shown for both model rooms that some of the applied building materials acted as diffusion barriers or as emission sinks.