Radon and Indoor Air Quality Awareness
As we enter into the colder season of Michigan it is important to address issues that can affect our homes indoor air quality, and more importantly our health. There are steps we can take to make sure we are limiting our exposure to indoor air contmainates like mold, VOC's, and radon gas.
Cleaning Gutters! This is extremely important especially right now at the end of fall in November. Falling leaves tend to completely clog gutter and can cause many different water intrusion issues. It can cause water to poor over the top of the gutters and leak through the foundaiton of the home. This water intrusion can cause mold spores to form and can be harmful to you health. Not cleaning your gutter in Michigan can also contribute to ice dams. Ice dams form during the winter moths with snow and ice and water can begin to back up under the shingles and into the home. This again can cause mold issues in the attic and the ceilings.
Ventilation is Important! As we move into the winter months are windows are closed and our houses are bundled up tight. Radon gas which is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless radioactive gas that occurs natually in the environment and comes into your home and gets trapped without adequate ventilation or a functioning radon reduction system. Other contaminates such as VOC's (volatile organic compounds) can begin to cause short and long term health affects. These compounds are a group of chemicals that are emmitted by various sources such as: paints, solvents, cleaning products, and building materials. Proper ventilation with your HVAC system or a system like an ERV (Energy Recovery Ventilator) are great for these issues because they bring fresh, filtered, conditioned air into your home. This improves the overall indoor air quality and lowers radon levels, VOC's, carbon dioxide, and other issues.
Bathroom Fans Work! It is important that your bathroom fan not only works, but is vented to the outside. There are many homes that don't have a working fan, or they are just vented into the attic. This can cause serious mold issue in your attic and/or bathroom. Have a fan installed if you don't have one, and make sure it or your existing fan is ducted properly to the outside.
Conclusion:
As colder temperatures get us to seal our homes, it is important to stay vigilant. Test your home for radon gas. The only way to know if you have a radon problem is to test. You can test with a charcoal test from any home improvement store, purchase a digital monitor online, or have a professional like ALS Property Associates, Inc. test your home. You can also purchase monitors that monitor VOC's, CO, partulates, and radon. These are good for making sure your indoor air is safe. It is good to make sure your home is properly ventilated to make sure you are breathing fresh air. Another recomendation is a high quality HEPA filtered air purifier. Lastly, it is important to always keep you home clean. Keeping your home clean and free of dust, dirt, and pet dander is the first step in good indoor air quality. This can be overwelming at times and hardwork, but will help improve the indoor environment. If you have any questions or are interested in any indoor air quality products, testing, or services. Please give ALS Property Associates, Inc. a call. We would be glad to answer any questions and move you forward to the cleanest indoor air.