Home Improvement Tips for Better Indoor Air Quality

Indoor air quality is defined in terms of the air occupied within a building and it affects the overall health of people living in the home.

Poor indoor air quality is due to accumulation of pollutants – smoke from combustion, paints, carbon monoxide, mold and dust. If there is not enough ventilation, pollutants cannot go out and this makes people uncomfortable. In the long run, this may cause respiratory or skin diseases. This article discusses about how to keep the air in your home clean and healthy.

Choosing right flooring material

As part of home improvement, many of us look for a variety of flooring material without realizing their threat to indoor air quality. Flooring materials like vinyl flooring release toxic chemicals in the building which are not good for health. Therefore, you need consider flooring material that offers allergens-free certification like hardwood and cork flooring, that are durable and resist the growth of contaminants.

Manage mold growth

Mold growth in the interiors of the house is one of the aspects that affect indoor air quality. Usually excess moisture and water leaks from plumbing encourage growth of molds and other biological contaminants. If you ignore mold growth, it can create serious health issues such as respiratory problems, increase in allergic symptoms and other health problems. Therefore, fix water leaks in roofs, ceilings, pipes and provide enough ventilation throughout the home.

Indoor air pollutants

Since indoor air quality is affected by pollutants such as mold, dust mites, animal fur, smoke from combustion, formaldehyde from appliances, radon and asbestos from wall materials, you should control these pollutants. Regular maintenance of mattresses, carpets and clear blockage of air vents of furnace, ensures that combustion fumes go out.

Periodic maintenance of HVAC

People spend maximum time in their home. The probability of health issues is more if the HVAC system is not maintained well. The air duct of the HVAC system is a major component and it gets contaminated by dust, mold and other biological contaminants. Thus, air ducts become a major problem in degradation of indoor air quality when they are not maintained properly.

Design garage system

Indoor air gets contaminated if the design of garage system allows automobiles’ fumes to enter the home. As automobiles are sources of harmful gases like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, they create suffocation. Therefore, renovate the garage system so that combustion fumes do not enter the home.