As we start 2022, many of us have our eyes on starting new projects or making improvements in our lives. For homeowners, the new year is also the perfect time to take another look at the health of their homes.
Indoor air quality is a concept that COVID-19 has brought to the mainstream over the last few years, but fewer people understand the relationship between IAQ and their houses. Today, we’ll talk about just how overlooked the importance of indoor air quality is and steps you can take to make your home healthier for your family, as well as $7,500 in potential rebates available to qualifying Eastern Shore homeowners.
What Causes Poor Indoor Air Quality?
Poor indoor air quality can be traced back to many everyday household activities or common items in a home, including:
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Mold growth and moisture problems from high humidity (cooking or taking showers without properly running exhaust fans) or water
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Radon gas leaking into your basement or crawl space from the surrounding earth
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Tobacco smoke from indoor smoking
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Pet dander
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VOCs and other chemicals from household cleaning products and off-gassing from furniture and appliances
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Outdoor air pollutants like pollen and other allergens entering your home
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Carbon monoxide from improperly venting combustion appliances like a gas furnace or wood stove
What Are the Symptoms of Poor Indoor Air Quality?
One of the biggest reasons why few homeowners are aware of the dangers of indoor air quality is that so many of the health symptoms associated with unhealthy indoor air can be mistaken for a cold instead of a problem that came from the house itself. If you or your family members experience any of the following on a regular basis in your home, indoor air pollution could be the cause:
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Allergies or asthma symptoms
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Headaches
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Fatigue or dizziness
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Irritation of the eyes, nose, or throat
Solutions that Help Improve the Air Quality in Your Home
Because there are many different causes of unhealthy air quality, there isn’t a single solution that will address the problem for every home. That’s why Total Home Performance offers a variety of healthy home services that aim to address a variety of underlying issues that can affect home health.
The best place to start is a healthy home assessment. Similar to a whole house energy audit, our assessments use testing and visual evaluations of your home to discover what indoor air pollutants may be present in your home as well as what’s causing them.
With the results of your healthy home assessment, you can take actionable steps with Total Home Performance to address the specific issues your assessment uncovered, including:
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Whole home ventilation to remove indoor air pollutants by exchanging stale indoor air with filtered outdoor air
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Mold remediation to remove existing mold in your basement or crawl space
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Crawl space encapsulation to prevent mold growth and moisture problems from returning
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Insulation and air sealing to protect your home from air and water leaks that can bring in moisture, humid air, and outdoor air pollutants like pollen and allergens
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Duct sealing to avoid air pollutants from entering into the air circulating through your HVAC system and your home
Save Money with Rebates on Healthy Air Quality Upgrades
Total Home Performance not only can help you improve the air quality of your entire home, but can help make it affordable, too! We are one of the few qualifying contractors serving the Eastern Shore who can qualify you for rebates on crawl space encapsulation and other home performance upgrades through the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR energy efficiency program! With up to $7,500 in total rebates, it’s even more affordable for Maryland homeowners to improve the health, energy efficiency, and comfort of their homes.