3 IAQ Issues That Could Be Inside Your Home

Did you know that your indoor air quality – IAQ – could be impacting your health?

We’ve made our homes more efficient than ever. We’ve sealed up the cracks and leaks. We have windows and doors that stop the airflow all around. We even have efficient HVAC systems that move from heating to air conditioning and back again depending on the weather. But if your inside air is anything but clean, it could be impacting your health.

Inside your home, there could be three IAQ issues you’re facing right now.

Pollution

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are difficult to detect but can lurk throughout your home in different ways. VOCs can enter through the paint you put on your walls, the flooring you lay in your rooms, the chemicals you use in your cleaning tools. When VOC levels are high, you can experience a variety of symptoms, including dizziness, nausea, or headaches. The easiest way to cut back on VOCs inside your home is to be conscious of everything you bring inside. Purchase low or no VOC products, and when you do use cleaners and disinfectants, be sure to keep the room well ventilated in the process.

Humidity

The ideal humidity level for every home is right around 45 percent. If you have too much humidity, condensation can start to form on windows, walls, ceilings, and baseboards, which can quickly turn into mold. If you have too little humidity, it can lead to static charges, electric shocks, dry noses and throats, even nosebleeds. Humidifiers and dehumidifiers can help control the conditions in every room in your home.

Ventilation

Your home is an ever-changing environment. You install new windows, bring in new appliances, change out the furnace when it’s reached its useful life. Even homes that were built with efficiency in mind will slowly change and experience airflow and ventilation issues. Open your windows and doors as often as you can to let the fresh air in. Be sure to have exhaust fans in our kitchen and bathrooms. Have a professional HVAC technician evaluate your airflow if you feel you might have a problem.

Simply opening up a window or flipping the switch to an exhaust fan can sometimes make the world of difference inside your home. But it’s not always a viable solution. If we can help evaluate your IAQ and make suggestions for how it can be cleaner, safer for your family, give us a call.