February 11, 2016
Many people don’t realize just how much time they typically spend indoors. According to a study published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Americans spend an average of 93% of their lives inside with at least 60% of that time at home and even more if you are a stay-at-home parent or work from home. Homeowners usually spend even more time indoors during the winter, and if you’re going to be spending this much time indoors, it’s essential that you take a closer look at the quality of your indoor air—especially when it comes to the health and safety of your family since the American Lung Association claims that 50% of all illness is either caused by or aggravated by poor indoor air quality.
Understanding the basics of indoor air quality isn’t difficult, and it’s an important step for homeowners in Lawton, OK to take in attempting to enhance home performance.
What Hurts My Indoor Air Quality?
There are a number of factors that can affect indoor air quality (IAQ). In many cases, poor ventilation can contribute, as can problems controlling a temperature/humidity; even recent remodeling jobs can be factors. Other times, the problem comes down to specific contaminants, such as construction dust, atmospheric dust, mold, cleaning supplies, pesticides or other airborne chemicals. Even your rugs and other construction components can create issues through off-gassing, which occurs slowly over long periods of time.
How well your house is constructed and air sealed from outside elements determines what gets into your living space. How well your duct system is constructed and sealed along with the type of air filtration and air purification devices installed determines what gets circulated through your home for you and your family to breathe. The quality of that air is dependent upon the source of the air with which you start. No one wants to breathe air through a vacuum cleaner bag, but if the air circulated through your living space and duct system comes from your attic, crawl space or garage the air quality is just as poor.
The Dangers of Poor IAQ
It’s not uncommon for people to experience allergy-like symptoms when spending time in their homes. While seasonal allergies may seem to be the culprit, it could easily be an issue of poor indoor air quality. Poor IAQ can contribute to a number of respiratory illnesses and even create or aggravate them, which means it’s especially dangerous for those who suffer from asthma or similar diseases. If you immediately start feeling better the moment you leave your home, chances are you’re dealing with an indoor air quality (IAQ) issue.
Pippin Is Here to Help
At Pippin Brothers, we believe there are few things as important as good IAQ. We also know that pinpointing issues can be easier said than done. We employ our team’s collective wealth of knowledge to come up with the best solutions possible for each job we approach. Our home performance experts will walk you through your options and develop a plan that fits your home, answering any questions you may have along the way. If money availability or affordability financing is a concern, we’ll work with you and your budget to determine the best course of action and a convenient and flexible way for you to pay that makes buying easy and affordable.
