Indoor Air Quality in Your Home

Substances that cause indoor air pollution take many forms, including gases, contaminants/particulates, mold, bacteria, and more. Some common indoor air pollution components include carbon monoxide, mold, radon, and allergens.

Identifying Air Quality Problems

As part of a comprehensive home energy audit, Wisconsin Home Improvement will check your home’s indoor air quality using the following methods:

  • Blower door testing assesses the building’s tightness to determine how much it leaks. When paired with infrared thermal imaging to identify where leaks and gaps are present, the blower door test can help homeowners seal out airborne allergens like pollen.
  • Combustion safety testing looks at carbon monoxide levels in flues and other ventilation from furnaces, water heaters, and gas cooktops.

Air Sealing

Many homes require some degree of air sealing to help prevent further air quality issues from developing. Air leaks often occur due to tiny holes and cracks, particularly those that hide out in the attic, crawlspace, or around doors and windows where you can’t always see them. Through the home energy audit process, we will identify the location of these air leaks and offer solutions for fixing them.

Steps to Prevent Indoor Air Quality Issues

The only way to prevent home air quality issues is to carefully manage the air that comes into your home and upgrade your HVAC system to ensure that the air inside is always fresh and clean. Air sealing service is the first step in this process, as it prevents bad air from getting in and good air from getting out.

Types of Household Air Pollutants

Some common indoor air pollution components include:

  • Carbon Monoxide: CO is produced through combustion from furnaces, gas-fired water heaters, gas cooktops, and wood-burning stoves. This gas is odorless and can build up to dangerous levels in homes that are not properly ventilated.
  • Radon: Radon is another dangerous gas that can invisibly build up inside homes. It seeps into basements and foundations. Radon is easy to neutralize when found, but when left unchecked, it can cause lung cancer.
  • Allergens: Common allergens in the air include dust, seasonal pollen, and dander, all of which can negatively affect family members who have allergies and asthma. Homes that are not well sealed allow these particles to enter the home, and poor outside ventilation allows the particles to remain within the house.
  • Mold and Mildew: Mold and mildew develop in poorly sealed or poorly ventilated homes when moisture builds up from leaks, condensation, and humidity.

Air Sealing Locations in the Home 

Air leaks can occur in any area of your home; however, they are especially likely to occur in some locations, including attics and basements.

Next Steps to Consider

<div class=”no-margin-bottom”>Wisconsin Home Improvement can complete a home energy audit that includes several tests to assess your home’s indoor air quality and help you identify areas that need attention. Call us today to schedule a visit and learn more about what steps you can take to improve the air quality in your home.</div>

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some common questions we get about home insulation improvements and how insulation works. If you have a question and don’t see the answer below, please let us know.

What should I do if I think there is mold in my attic?

Mold growth inside a home is one of the leading causes of indoor health issues like asthma, allergic reactions, and respiratory complaints. If you have mold in your attic, it is important to first remove the mold and then address the underlying issues that caused the mold to grow in the first place. This may include adding insulation, sealing air leaks, or managing your home’s ventilation.

Where does indoor air pollution come from? 

Many environmental factors can affect indoor air quality, including building materials, smoke, vapor, mold, and poor ventilation.

How can you keep indoor air clean? 

Strong seals, good ventilation, and HVAC maintenance are all essential components to maintaining good indoor air quality.

What are some methods for improving indoor air quality?

You can improve the quality of your indoor air by maintaining tight air seals that prevent leaks as well as upgrading and maintaining your home’s ventilation and HVAC systems to ensure that air is filtered and moving well.

Can ventilation systems help improve indoor air quality?

Yes. Quality ventilation systems can help remove or dilute indoor air pollutants as well as control interior temperatures. This, in turn, reduces the level of contaminants in the air and improves air quality.

What causes poor indoor air quality?

Poor indoor air quality happens when pollutants such as carbon monoxide and radon or allergens and mold accumulate at dangerous levels in the air. This can happen because of poor ventilation, improper air seals, and lack of proper HVAC maintenance in the home.

Get in Touch!

Are you ready to schedule a home energy audit with Wisconsin Home Improvement? Well, the time has never been better to take charge of your energy consumption. Here are all the ways you can contact us and everything you need to know to put you on the road to home energy performance improvement that lasts.

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Get in Touch!

Are you ready to schedule a home energy audit with Wisconsin Home Improvement? Well, the time has never been better to take charge of your energy consumption. Here are all the ways you can contact us and everything you need to know to put you on the road to home energy performance improvement that lasts.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

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