Indoor air quality Houston TX has become much more of a problem than it was in the past—partly due to building technology innovations. Developments in technology that allow us to seal up our homes for increased energy efficiency have reduced the exchange between fresh outside air and indoor air. This isn’t good when indoor air is polluted with substances such as:
• Fuel from fireplaces or stoves
• Building materials and furnishings
• Household cleaners
• HVAC system materials
• Excess moisture
The quality of indoor air can have wide-ranging impacts on your well-being. Urgent concerns like odors, allergic reactions, sore throat, dizziness and fatigue or more serious conditions like respiratory diseases, asthma, heart disease and certain forms of cancer have been associated with indoor air quality problems.
What is there to do about it? Source prevention and control are the best measures to take, but various other actions can be taken.
Source Control
Eliminate the sources of any pollution your building is experiencing. Certain sources, such as those that have asbestos, can be enclosed or sealed. Others—such as gas stoves—can be fixed to lower the level of emissions.
Enhance Your Ventilation
We spoke about air exchanges above—it’s vital to move fresh air into the house and make the stale air flow out. This was something that happened naturally before—because we did not have the advancements to seal the building envelope tightly. Because such technology is turning into the standard, we have to compensate for that loss of exchange.
This can be accomplished by adequate ventilation. Outdoor air can be introduced and air exchange can be promoted through natural means like opening windows—or mechanical means like intakes from your HVAC unit. It’s particularly important to open windows if you’re doing something that impacts indoor air quality in the short term like cooking, cleaning or painting.
Additional Concerns
You can avoid mold growth by controlling moisture. Make sure you install carbon monoxide alarms to test for radon as well. Use and maintain your ventilation system the proper way—including objects such as attic fans, localized kitchen and bathroom fans or even fans in open windows.