Healthy Indoors Magazine
Issue link: https://hi.healthyindoors.com/i/1076124
Healthy Indoors | 53 cian clean out the system can prevent dust and dirt from getting into your circulated air. • Get your air ducts cleaned: Your home's air ducts can act as a holding area for dust, dirt, grime, pollen, and much more. When you turn on your air conditioning or heating, all that particulate matter gets blown into the living spaces of your home. By having a professional clean out your air ducts on a regular basis, you can help ensure that the dust, dirt, and pollutants are being removed from circulation. • Consider an indoor air quality assessment: If you have followed the tips above, you should have improved your home's indoor air quality. However, if you still have con- cerns, you can opt to schedule an IAQ assessment from a trusted, local air quality business. This may reveal further areas for improvement. You may also consider establish- ing a baseline by scheduling a pre-assessment prior to your construction or remodeling project and then another one after, so you can benchmark just how much your in- door air has improved! Talk to an expert By following the tips outlined in this article, you can help make your home a better place to live, cook, sleep, and spend time with your friends and family. However, keep in mind that every home and situation is different. For an individualized assessment of your home's IAQ and personalized recommendations, contact a local IAQ expert in your area. Many HVAC companies now have such professionals on-staff, ready to meet with homeown- ers and put them on the path to better indoor air quality. Amanda Lee is the senior editor and communications specialist at King Heating, Cooling and Plumbing, a pro- fessional HVAC & duct cleaning company in Oak Forest, IL. Besides HVAC topics, she also enjoys writing about home building and indoor air quality as she has been working within the HVAC industry for more than ten years. Keep your air clean throughout the remodel Ironically, even if you are adding IAQ-friendly additions as part of your remodel, the act of remodeling itself can be a potent source of bad indoor air quality. Knocking down dry- wall, removing insulation, and pulling up tile all can lead to an increase in dust throughout the home. Adding or remov- ing paint also adds pollutants. Make sure you wear proper protection while working in your home, and make use of windows, doors, and fans for ventilation. Use ductless for home additions For homeowners who are making an addition to the home—such as a new garage, sunroom, or guest house— consider using a ductless HVAC system to cool and heat those spaces. As the name implies, ductless units do not require new ductwork to be installed connecting your ex- isting ducts to the new space. This can be a big money saver for additions attached to your pre-existing home. It also offers a comfort solution for a separate addition de- tached from the main building. Ductless units allow you to control the comfort in these spaces independently from the rest of your home. These systems are also generally more energy-efficient than standard duct-based HVAC setups. There is another ben- efit you should really know about: by not linking ductwork to that new space, you will reduce the amount of dust and other particulates that travel to that room. That means easier breathing for you and your guests. What to do after the dust clears Once your new home construction or remodeling project is complete, there is even more you can and should do to improve your indoor air quality. Here are just a few action items for homeowners to consider: • Schedule regular HVAC tune-ups: Cooling and heating maintenance is a critical piece of the air quality puzzle. Not only does a seasonal checkup help your air conditioner, furnace, or heat pump run at its best, but having a techni-