The reason why the indoor air quality of homes has deteriorated over the last 30 to 40 years is because of the new construction practices changing. The new standard is to have energy efficient “tight homes” that are tightly sealed, heavily insulated, and very energy efficient. With these changes, it results in locking in allergenic particles, infectious agents and toxic compounds which are bad for your health and well being of your family.
Download Fact Sheet about Indoor Air Quality
The top 3 items trapped in your home:
1. Mold - can contaminate indoor air and cause “Sick Homes” which can lead to allergies, asthma, or other health problems.
2. Fungi Spores - suspended airborne spores can cause numerous allergic reactions and ailments.
3. Dust Mites - are the most common cause of allergic and asthma reactions.
Children are the most vulnerable to air pollutants because of their body weight. A slight irritant for an adult can result in being significant for a child causing swelling in the lining of their airways.
More adults and children suffer from allergies and asthma today than there were 30-40 years ago making the “tight home” practice more relevant.
With these tight homes, the bad news is these conditions exist no matter how clean your home is. The good news is there are ways to control the allergenic particles, infectious agents and toxic compounds. Let us educate you on your home’s indoor air quality. Give us a call if you would like One Hour to come out and do an air quality check on your home.
During the busy holiday season, a lot of items get neglected. We are just too busy to think about everything!! Here's a short list to remember for your safety of your home.
- Blow out all candles before going to bed and never leave lit candles unattended.
- Make sure you keep your tree watered well to avoid drying out making it a fire hazard.
- Be sure to get your furnace maintained and change your filter before your guests arrive. Not only will this reassure a warm cozy home for the holidays, it will help with dust control too.
- If it's slick on your walkways, be sure to put down sand or salt to prevent falling injuries.
- Make sure your chimney is cleaned so you don't have a devastating fire.
- Remember space heaters get very hot and can harm children and pets if left unattended.
- Lint traps are a fire hazard and can easily be forgotten when in a hurry.
- If you forgot to change the battery in your smoke detector when you changed the clocks, it's not too late, do it now.
- Cookies right out of the oven are nice and yummy, but the cookie sheets are hot.
A lot of homes are left unattended and are very vulnerable to burglaries during the holidays. In addition to locking doors and windows, you can:
- Use a timer to turn lights on and off.
- Leave on a TV or radio.
- Let neighbors know when you'll be gone and ask them to take in newspapers and mail, and to remove snow (if needed).
- Look through your windows and make sure your treasures aren't visible.
- Don't mention leaving your home on social media websites.
Have a safe and happy holiday. Merry Christmas!!