Health Hazards of Building Materials

IN TROPICAL CLIMATES the indoor humidity and outdoor humidity are often the same, and this paper looks at the implications of this for furniture produced in temperate regions (e.g. Europe) but exported to the tropics. Poor durability of such fittings, particularly in institutional buildings such as schools and clinics, is common in warm and humid climates. Attendant risks are pollution, decay and unhygienic conditions. This paper gives advice on the design and manufacture of cabinets and furniture in warm and humid environments. It does not cover preservation in any depth, being concerned with the design of furniture built to last. Despite their many lucrative contracts to furnish buildings in tropical regions, furniture producers in Europe do not seem to produce furniture for use in warm and humid climates. There is no general consensus on how to design furniture for such climates and, using European furniture as a starting point, this study proposes improvements in materials and design. The paper describes the properties of relevant materials and suggests general considerations and recommendations concerning their use. Some basic design skills and other tips are described with illustrations.