5 Ways to Improve Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality during Remodeling
While this may sound like a bit of an enigma, most people like to spend time outdoors during summers. However, when hit by the season's scorching heat and elevated temperatures, people often have to stay indoors. Similarly, during the winter months, it feels good to snuggle against the cold at home. Whatever the reason might be, staying indoors without proper ventilation is difficult as it increases indoor pollutant levels. People with respiratory disorders face breathing problems due to a low rate of air exchange. No one can deny that the indoor air gets even worse during the home remodeling process.
While home improvement projects such as energy-efficient solutions can cut down the utility expenses and build an eco-friendly environment, a few changes can also hamper indoor air quality. For instance, workers often consider applying a fresh coat of paint without conducting a lead-based inspection. This ultimately exposes the family to lead and asbestos, which is banned in various regions and considered as harmful for the lungs. Therefore, a proper home assessment is imperative before renovation to ensure that your home remodeling process does not affect indoor air quality.
It's next to impossible to completely wipe off the toxic elements and antigens from the atmosphere, but we can limit our exposure to such vulnerabilities. Below are some of the tips to improve the indoor air quality of your home:
- Look Out for Major Problems
First and foremost, figure out the basic issues during the home renovation process. Is the mold apparent on walls, roofs, and windows? If the answer is yes, you must take measures to clear away and dispense the mold. It is dangerous for everyone, especially people with asthma. Blocked nose, sinusitis, and sore throats are some issues caused due to an individual's frequent exposure to black mold.
Hence, it is best to consult professionals to get rid of this microfungus. You can search for some reliable professionals via Google. For instance, if you live in Orlando, Florida, just type ‘best mold removal in Orlando, FL‘ to choose the best and reputable company to do the job.
- Check Ventilation
Insufficient ventilation can cause a surge in contamination levels inside homes due to the lack of fresh air from outdoors to decrease the level of pollutants emitting from in-house sources. Besides, intense temperatures and high levels of humidity can soar the contaminants in the air. In addition, the moisture content inside homes encourage the growth of mold and other microorganisms. Therefore, adequate ventilation is crucial to improve indoor air quality.
Some good practices for ventilation include installing an exhaust system in areas with high levels of moisture or pollutants, such as the kitchen and the bathroom. Also, try to keep the windows of your rooms open to allow fresh air to move in.
- Use Safe and Low Volatile Organic Compounds Paints
People often want to give a new look to their homes and think of slight changes now and then. They wish to live in a comfortable atmosphere to improve the standard of living. Unfortunately, while you might want to add a fresh coat of paint to revive the look and feel of your home, some paints can be a threat to your health. Such as latex-based paints, which contain poisonous substances resulting in causing breathing problems and skin allergies. In addition, choosing such products can negatively affect indoor air ventilation due to its toxic fumes.
After all, giving your home a new, attractive look isn't the only priority, as you also need to ensure a healthy environment for your family. Therefore, it is recommendable to pick up low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) paint containers from the market. Also, don't forget to place the paint baskets outside the home with their lids closed.
- Ensure Cleanliness
Home renovation projects generally involve a lot of dust and dirt. As a result, the floors, along with the carpets, accumulate germs and allergens that can be a safety risk for your health. You may realize it or not; the walls of your home also contain high pollutant levels that can negatively affect the air quality. That's why you should wipe and scrub the floors and walls thoroughly.
Moreover, furniture and fabric in your home absorb dust particles and grime during the home renovation process. These dust mites and pollens are one of the reasons for poor air quality inside the home. The particles can cause itching in your nose and irritation in the base of the throat. Thus, don't forget to clean out the furniture regularly.
And if you wish to purchase a new set of furniture, be cautious of the toxins. Some furniture contains toxicants even after being dispatched from the factory. Therefore, it is best to remain cautious to avoid any severe consequences on your health.
- Monitor the HVAC Systems
Undoubtedly, the summer season brings in high humidity levels and high temperatures both outdoors and indoors. Due to this, the degree of moisture content also increases. To regulate the humidity inside the home, you can invest in a new heating and cooling system.
If you aren't ready to let go of your old HVAC system during the renovation process, you must follow the two basic steps. Firstly, spring clean all the dust and filth from the duct and then update the filters. We recommend you to use filters whose minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) is close to 13. The HVAC systems will give optimum performance only when the furnace filters are clean.
During home remodeling, there is a high possibility that the HVAC system might bring in dust and other contaminants inside the house. Consequently, this can also lead to the short lifespan of the equipment. Therefore, regular maintenance of this system is essential.
Final Words
The increasing ratio of global warming, utilization of synthetic compounds, and burgeoning population are aggravating the air pollution crisis. Perhaps, there's no right time other than the present to take requisite actions and make home upgrades to reduce the toxic air quality to zero. Therefore, it is indispensable to keep an eye out on all the renovation projects, small or large, for improving indoor air quality.
After all, your home is a comfy haven where you relax and spend most of your time. Therefore, you must do all in your capacity to make it a happy and healthy place for your family.
