Do You Have an Indoor Air Quality Concern?

According to the EPA, there are three basic methods in finding out...

1) Unexplained Health Problems
Are you feeling ill? Do you have unexplained health problems after moving, remodeling, refurnishing ...or using pesticides? It could be more than just coincidence. Discuss it with your doctor and see if it related to indoor air quality. He may recommend you to an allergist or specialist, in order to find answers to your health concerns.

2) Who are the Culprits?

Find out the causes of your poor indoor air quality. Spend some time and go through your home and look for sources of potential indoor air pollution. Although the presence of such sources does not necessarily mean that you have an indoor air quality concern, being aware of the type and number of potential sources is an important step toward assessing the air quality in your home.

Some of those sources may include:

1. Pressed wood products, like particle board
2. Dirty air and furnace filters
3. Paints, lacquers and varnishes
4. Mold and areas of water damage
5. Dust
6. Cleaning products

3) Poor Ventilation

Homes that have been built in the last 40 years have been "sealed"...extra-insulated...for energy efficiency. Obviously you should keep your home maintained... fixing leaks and cracks, but at the same time, finding ways to adequately exchange stale, polluted air with fresh air. In other words...adequately ventilate the air.

Signs of a poorly ventilated home include:

1) Smelly, stuffy air
2) Moisture condensation on windows and walls
3) Mold growth on books, shoes, or other items
4) A dirty central cooling/heating system

Hopefully, your home has very few indoor air quality opportunities. An ounce of prevention is all it takes to keep it that way.

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