Improving air quality in your home
Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) is one of the five environmental categories of the LEED standard of green building. Some of the most common indoor air pollution results from building materials and toxic gases. Asbestos fibers are one of the best known examples, leading to standards for their use in the Clean Air Act of 1970. However, other materials like paints, paint strippers, pesticides, some printer materials, and permanent markers may also release amounts of volatile organic compounds into the air. The EPA recommends “source control” as the most effective way of improving air quality in your home. This can mean sealing off or enclosing sources of pollution, or adjusting them when possible (as with gas stoves) to decrease their level of emissions.In Dallas homes, it’s especially important to have a good ventilation system to beat the heat on those hot summer days. However, you have to be sure that your ventilation system is correctly set up to prevent indoor air pollution. In older systems, outside air is not brought in automatically. You can improve the flow of air into your home by opening windows and doors or using a window air conditioner. Some new ventilators, known as air-to-air heat exchangers, actually do bring air into the home from outside. These new systems can be easily installed without professional help in most cases, and only need their filters replaced about once every three months.Ventilation is also necessary to prevent the growth of mold and allergens in your home. Improper ventilation can lead to condensation, providing the perfect environment for moisture-loving molds. Other causes of buildup may include plumbing leaks or ground moisture. If you allow mold to grow, it’s often expensive and destructive to get it removedhowever, removal is necessary, as many mold varieties release allergenic spores into the home.Purchasing an air cleaner is one of the newest options for improving air quality. There are models available for every price range, but most of the cheaper table-top models are ineffective at removing particles from the air. In addition, most varieties, regardless of price, will not remove gaseous pollutants from the home.You can get more information at the EPA’s Indoor Air Quality page, which includes a number of published resources and current headlines related to indoor air pollution. Find out if your house makes the grade when it comes to air qualityand if not, find out how to improve it.