Removing air pollutants from your home should always be a top priority, but since you spend more time indoors and rarely open the windows for fresh air during the winter, the coldest months of the year are when you’re likely to notice the negative health effects of poor indoor air quality the most.
This winter has been particularly bad, as many homeowners have been cooped up inside, but one silver lining is that many of them are starting to realize the outsize role their homes play in their health and comfort.
How Does Indoor Air Quality Affect Our Health?
It might surprise you to learn that there are a number of ways that the air in your home can make you sick over the winter. Common indoor air pollutants include VOCs (volatile organic compounds), mold, pet dander, dust, carbon monoxide, and secondhand smoke. In the winter, low humidity levels can create an uncomfortable indoor environment as well. If you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms, it’s possible that you have unhealthy air in your house:
Stuffy nose
Coughing & sneezing
Fatigue
Headaches & dizziness
Dry air that irritates your eyes, nose, and throat
Because the health effects of poor indoor air quality are so similar to those of the common cold or the seasonal flu, it’s important to pay close attention to when and where you experience symptoms. If you find that you’re feeling unwell while you’re in your house, air pollutants may very well be to blame.
How to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality
Addressing poor indoor air quality is about keeping outdoor pollutants from getting into your home, while ensuring that indoor contaminants aren’t allowed to build up inside. The causes of poor indoor air quality can range from air leaks letting in outside contaminants to household cleaning products or a leak from your combustion furnace, but luckily, Home Energy Medics can help you get to the bottom of your unhealthy air and find the right solution for your house.
Home Energy Audits, Air Sealing, Replacement Windows and Doors, and More
We’ll start with a home energy audit, or similar evaluation, which helps us understand the energy efficiency problems within your house as well as any comfort and air quality issues. From there, we might recommend replacing your insulation and add air sealing to avoid moisture leaks that lead to mold growth and keep outdoor pollutants and dry air from infiltrating your house. We’ll also alert you to potential ventilation issues like improperly working bathroom fans, and we’ll conduct combustion safety testing on your furnace or boiler to make sure they aren’t leaking dangerous carbon monoxide into your home.
Replacing your windows and doors can also dramatically reduce the amount of unhealthy air entering your living spaces, and duct sealing can help keep the air circulating in your HVAC system free from dust, animal waste, and other harmful contaminants that might be hidden behind walls and in the unconditioned spaces in your home.
Clean Up the Air in Your Home This Winter with Home Energy Medics
A comfortable home is one filled with clean, healthy air, and air purifiers and other HVAC-only solutions won’t do anything to address the underlying causes of poor indoor air quality in your home. As award-winning home experts, the Home Energy Medics team follows proven building science guidelines to create a healthier, more comfortable indoor environment in your home. And nearly all of our services will help lower your heating and cooling costs at the same time!