It can happen so quickly. One moment you’ve just finished vacuuming and dusting the house, the next you go to close a window, and you see it—a film of yellow or gray speckles all over the sill you just cleaned. How does this happen so fast?!
Though windows can be partially responsible for letting in dust and allergens that cause allergies in your home, the particulates that make your air unhealthy also creep in from other, more difficult to detect places, impacting your family’s health and comfort while at home and making you wonder, “why is my home so dusty?”
Fortunately, the pros at Total Home Performance offer an array of products and services to help you achieve good indoor air quality (IAQ) in your Annapolis and Eastern Shore home. In this article, we’ll address why dust and allergens accumulate in your home, and what you can do to prevent poor IAQ.
Why Are Dust and Allergens a Problem?
Dust, dust mites, pollen, mold, smoke, and dander are all examples of particles that can affect the air quality in your home and hurt your family’s health. When inhaled, these particulates often create a reaction in people and pets alike, including:
Sneezing
Runny nose
Itchy eyes/face
Coughing
Headache
And more
Poor IAQ at home can result in health issues, especially for allergy sufferers and those living with heart or lung conditions. And while not all of these irritants lead to severe health implications, some, like long-term exposure to mold or smoke inhalation can cause serious concerns.
How Can I Know If My Home Is Affected?
The truth is that despite your best efforts, microscopic contaminants are going to end up in your home’s air. They can travel in on pets, through open windows and doors, even on you! Another major source of air intrusion is through gaps in the structure of your home, and through poorly insulated areas.
Can I Make My Home More Air-tight?
The good news is that you can improve the seal around your home’s building envelope and improve air quality. Total Home Performance offers two services to seal your home’s healthy, conditioned air inside and reduce dust and allergens in your home:
Insulation
Did you know that an estimated 90% of homes are under-insulated? According to this statistic, your home is likely lacking sufficient insulation. A well-insulated home is comfortable, offers even temperatures throughout your floor plan, and is wonderfully quiet (a bonus of good insulation!).
Heating and cooling systems in a well-insulated home are able to operate more efficiently since very little heat or air conditioning (depending on the season) is leaking out of your home, meaning they don’t have to work harder than necessary to maintain your desired settings. This can extend the life of your HVAC equipment, reduce maintenance costs, and lower your monthly utility bills.
Air Sealing
Air leakage through gaps in your attic, crawl space, or walls can decrease your home’s energy efficiency and contribute to the build up of allergens and dust in your home. With professional intervention, you can put a stop to air leaks, reduce allergens, and further decrease your heating and cooling costs.
Air sealing your home is a safe and reliable choice for environments prone to moisture as well. The spray foam insulation involved in the air sealing process can help prevent mold growth in basements, crawl spaces, and more.
How Can a Healthy Home Assessment Help You Breathe Easy?
Still searching for the best method of purifying your home’s air? Eager to remove allergens from your home for the sake of your family’s health? Total Home Performance is proud to be Maryland’s trusted healthy home expert—we’re here to help you improve your home’s indoor air quality.
We want accepting indoor air pollution to be a thing of the past for Eastern Shore Maryland communities. We take a preventative approach to fostering good indoor air quality in new and existing homes, and we’re happy to partner with you at any point along your IAQ improvement journey. Given the technology we have at our disposal to reduce allergens through a combination of air filters, air sealing, insulation, and strategic whole home ventilation, there’s no reason not to boost the quality of the air inside your home, and ensure your family’s health is well cared for, too.
Say goodbye to dust and allergens in your home’s air. Call 410-822-1390 or contact us online today.