Air Quality

Did you know that indoor air often contains higher concentrations of hazardous pollutants than outdoor air? Not only that, but most people spend as much as 90% of their time inside - which means that the air in your home or office affect you more often than the outside air. Dust mites, mold, germs and many other pollutants affect the health of you and your loved ones.

The Problem

Over the years, buildings have become more airtight in favor of energy conservation. This has been achieved by installing storm windows, using better insulation, applying caulk and weather-stripping to seal cracks and other openings. We also are heating our homes with kerosene, wood, coal, and natural gas. Unfortunately, when we trap hot or cool air inside we are also trapping pollutants. In addition, we are creating more pollutants within our home through cooking, use of cleaning products, pets, furniture, carpeting, building materials, electronic equipment, and so much more.

What does all of this mean?

So what are some of the problems that are facing homeowners today?

1. On average, people spend about 90 percent of their time indoors. Sixty-five percent of that is spent in your own home.
2. Those who are most susceptible to indoor air pollution are the ones who are home the most: children, pregnant women, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses.
3. Children breathe in 50 percent more air per pound of body weight than adults do.
4. EPA studies found that pollutant levels inside can be two to five times higher than outdoors.
5. With certain activities, indoor air pollution levels can be 100 times higher than outdoor.

Fortunately, there are easy steps that everyone can take to reduce the potential for indoor air pollution and to improve the quality of the air they breathe.

How do you know if the air inside your home is impacting your health? It is difficult to determine which pollutant or pollutants are the sources of a person’s ill health, or even if indoor air pollution is the problem. Some symptoms may not show up until years later, making it even harder to discover the cause. Common symptoms of exposure to indoor air pollutants include: headaches, tiredness, nausea, itchy nose, mild or intermittent asthma, allergies, and a scratchy throat. More serious effects are persistent asthma, other breathing disorders, and even cancer.

A recent study, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine concluded that 65 percent of asthma cases among elementary school-age children could be prevented by controlling exposure to indoor allergens and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). By controlling biological contaminants (e.g., dust mites and cat allergens), asthma cases could be reduced by 55 to 60 percent.

The PHD solution:

First, we visually inspect the building envelope which includes the crawl space, interior of the home, the HVAC system, all duct work, plenums, and coils. We focus on source control first and foremost. Air cleaning devices without source control are virtually useless. The cleaners will always be cleaning “bad” air. We can provide you with great air cleaners, but do not put the cart before the horse. We are providing you with clean air, not selling you a device.

If sources or issues cannot be found visually we can take mold samples using Air-O-Cell cassettes to measure spore levels inside the home. This can be useful in determining sources and types of mold.

Finally, we will provide you with a “prescription” of the process we will take to remedy your indoor air quality issues and provide you with the best medicine of all - clean air.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule a consultation, please contact Pure House Dynamics today.