Tightly Sealed Home and your Indoor Air Quality

Homes today are built to be more energy efficient, which can be good on your wallet, but could cause harm to your health. They are meant to keep air inside to avoid losing heat in the winter and keep heat out during the summer. Energy efficient homes are great though because your heat bill doesn't skyrocket because you are only heating your home, not heating the outdoors. But this also means the harmful air particles that get into your home stay in your home because they can't escape. So even in the summer when you open your windows to let fresh air in you are also letting pollutants in. This is why you want to make sure that you have good air filtration for your home to capture those particles. This doesn't mean you shouldn't breathe that nice fresh air on a summer day flowing through your house, it just means you should have something in place to help capture those particles from traveling freely through your home such as an air purifier, or a high quality pleated furnace filter to help out.

Here is a breakdown of the four most popular air pollution sources; animal dander, pollen, tobacco and mold & mildew. If you are allergic to cats or dogs your actual allergy is to the skin flakes which is known as pet dander. Pet dander can stay in the home long after the pet is not around. Pollen is everywhere from flowers, grass and trees. Every time you open your door millions of pollen particles can sneak into your home. There are certain times of the year when certain pollens are more prominent but they still are there year round. One of the smallest allergens is tobacco smoke. Studies show the health effect from second hand smoke is just as bad as the actual smoker. Places that are warm and humid are the ideal places for mold and mildew to grow, but they are typically found in the kitchen, shower and basement.

We believe that an energy efficient home is what we should all strive for for the many great benefits, but don't forget to keep tabs on your indoor air quality. That tightly sealed home is keeping more than the heat in.


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Who's there? Hidden things in the air.

You may not be able to see air, but it's all around you. All living things need it...so let us help keep it clean, one home at a time.

Studies show that most people spend 60 to 90 percent of their time indoors and indoor air can have significant effects on your health. The young and elderly spend a majority of their time indoors and these can be the people that air quality effects the most. Here are some things that can effect the quality of your air that most people do not even think of, because you can't see.

• Asbestos: Not in all homes but if it's in your home it can cause major effects.
• Bleach Mixing: If you mix bleach with cleaning products it can cause harmful fumes that you can not see.
• Carbon Monoxide: An odorless gas that causes dizziness and possible death. In the last 15 years there have been 1,000 deaths in the state of Washington alone. So this is a major issue to watch out for. You can install a carbon monoxide detector in your home to detect dangerous levels.
• Mercury: This is a vapor that can come from broken fluorescent lights and can be very harmful to your health. If you are pregnant you want this to be non existent.
• Mold: If mold is found in your home, it needs to be removed immediately to prevent any mold related health issues.
• Outdoor Air: This can and does sneak into your home every time a door or window is opened. You also want to make sure that no campfire smoke sneaks in either.
• Pesticides: If you live in an area where vegetables and fruits are being sprayed then pesticides could make their way into your home air.
• Radon: This is a radioactive gas that can build up in buildings. This is the second leading cause to lung cancer.
• Tobacco Smoke: Even if people do not smoke inside your home, they can still bring it into your home with them. This kills on average 443,000 people every year in the United States and 49,400 deaths from second hand smoke.

You can help prevent these things from getting you or your family sick, by taking the appropriate steps and preventive maintenance. A good filter will not protect you from everything that may be in your indoor air but it's a good step towards breathing cleaner, healthier indoor air.