How to Improve Air Quality in Your Home

Air quality impacts our lives in big ways. While there’s little you can individually do to change the air outside of your home, there are several pathways to having deliciously pure air in your household. Discover the secrets to breathing in clean air and rid yourself of toxins.

You’ll discover pollutants don’t just come from outside of the house. Several sources are within your walls; they come from your appliances and get trapped by your finishings. Luckily, with proper materials, ventilation, hazard reduction, and air purifiers, every breath you take can be a breath of fresh air. Learn how to improve the air quality in your home so you can start breathing freely.

While the outside world is full of natural contaminants entering your home, your house’s air isn’t naturally toxic. So what are the causes of pollutants in your home? Understanding how toxicities infiltrate your air system shows you where you can make changes to improve your air quality.

One of the most common sources of pollutants inside a home is combustion sources. While the type of material used determines the level of toxins released, all combustion dirties the air. Whether you use oil, gas, kerosene, coal, wood, or even smoke tobacco products near an open ventilation source in the home, it’s increasing air pollution. Another reasonably common source is building materials, particularly any covered in New Windowasbestos. It’s a word you likely know and associate with a problem, but when was the last time you assured your home was free from the fiber? If you’re asbestos free, make sure none of your carpets or fabrics are retaining water, and check for pressed wood in your home. While not all pressed wood releases toxins into the air, you’ll only find the ones that do in your home by checking them all.

Other sources include the products you use, from your cleaning supplies to your hair arsenal. You probably already know aerosol cans release pollutants into the air, but did you consider their impact on air quality in your home? In addition, the HVAC system can be a significant cause of pollutants if it’s not well maintained.

Ventilation allows for better airflow. It also reduces moisture build-up fighting back against the major air pollutants in the home. Allowing clean air in and dirty air to escape is one of the best ways to ensure you breathe clean air in your home.

Think about fan placement, not just over the stove or in the bathroom, but in each room in the house. From ceiling fans to attic fans, the simplicity of a few blades spinning in circles to stir up the air in each space of your home can make a significant impact. Airflow and movement mean you can put all of the old air with its build-up of pollutants out of a room and eventually out of the house. Consider how an HVAC system moves air through the home. Through regular ventilation and powerful fans, you can usher clean air into any space.

When it comes to ventilation, using whole-house air-to-air heat exchangers is the latest technology. They use separate air systems with different temperatures to cool and heat your house more efficiently while replacing the air inside your home with air from outside your home to reduce humidity and toxins build up. Not every solution needs a complicated gadget, though. Something as simple as switching to ventilated doors can drastically improve your home’s airflow and, thereby, air quality.

There’s little you can do to change how your foundation was laid, but you can ensure it’s not the source of pollutants in your home. Ensure your home is built with a solid foundation, and check in on your radon levels to ensure you’re not breathing in a silent attacker.

If you’re New Windowbuilding a new home, make sure the foundation is fully sealed and equipped with quality drainage. Should you discover your home’s foundation requires work, reach out to contractors to seal it up and add drainage as needed.

Look into the materials your home is built with, verify the moisture levels in your carpets and fabrics, and most importantly, address any issues you discover. If there’s moisture, check for mold and have it fixed. Discover the cause of the moisture build-up and manage it; often, a little more ventilation and a fan are all you need to stop moisture from building.

Work with an expert to adjust any gas stoves to reduce emissions, or consider switching to a convection oven for ultimate temperature control and clean air. If you don’t want to switch, consider a dedicated outdoor air supply for your combustion appliances. While changing these up, replace old toxic products with better versions that don’t dirty your air. Once you know how to improve air quality in your home through the removal of pollutants and the addition of ventilation, it’s finally time to consider air purifiers.

Air cleaners might be the first thought when it comes to improving the air quality in your home, and that’s with good reason. They just shouldn’t be the only measure you consider. Air cleaners come in many sizes and scopes for your home. As you look into the myriad options, consider your needs for your home. A whole house purifying system will ensure every room has fresh air while simplifying the maintenance of these air scrubbers. Remember, they can’t clean the air if you don’t keep them clean. So regular maintenance is just as crucial to your breathing as these purifiers.

Another way to clean the air of pollutants is by placing filters in each of the vents to your HVAC system. While they’ll still need regular cleaning and maintenance along with the HVAC filters, setting additional decontaminating screens on each entryway for air provides one last scrub before it reaches your lungs.

Build new and do it right from the start. Utilize your new understanding of pollutants and ventilation, air purifiers, and toxin reducers to build a clean home. HomeOpulent Design-Build is the premium custom home builder in Dana Point for clean air solutions. They made it their expertise to create homes that don’t just stun you but function for you. Stop fighting against hazardous materials and untethered pollutant sources. Use a builder who doesn’t need to scrub the toxins out of your home because they will build it cleanly.