Do you ever wonder how clean the air is in your home? The Environmental Protection Agency has deemed indoor air as the top threat to human health. Indoor air has proven to be much more harmful than outdoor air, which is why it is essential to test your indoor air quality. If you choose to test your indoor air quality, the late fall or early winter months are the perfect time before you spend so much time indoors during the colder weather.
What Are The Typical Indoor Air Pollutants?
Some chemicals and pollutants can make our indoor air unhealthy to breathe.
VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (VOC)
These molecules turn into gases that are harmful to breathe. They are found in many places in your home, including paint solvents, wood-burning stoves, gas ranges, and even can be found in arts and crafts supplies. When VOCs are built up in your home, they significantly decrease your indoor air quality.
FORMALDEHYDE
One of many different VOCs is formaldehyde, mostly found in cigarettes and construction materials, and can even be found in new products taken right out of the box. More recent homes built since 1990 are better at retaining heat, but this can cause a problem because if there isn’t proper ventilation, then formaldehyde can become trapped in the home.
MOLD AND MILDEW
Even if you can’t see it, mold and mildew can lurk anywhere in your home. Mold and mildew will begin to develop anywhere in your home, where there are the perfect temperature and moisture. Common places are bathrooms and kitchens, but that doesn’t mean mold and mildew can’t grow in dark corners of your home. Mold includes numerous forms of fungi that can grow on many different materials. When mold and mildew are left untouched for so much time, it can damage your home, especially when airborne. Please don’t be too alarmed, because every home has a little bit of mold, but the important thing is to catch it before it becomes extremely harmful.
RADON
Radon is a lesser-known colorless and odorless gas that can have severe side effects on your health. Radon is a naturally-occurring chemical in the ground and can make its way into your home through the foundation or crawl spaces. A scary fact is that radon is the number one cause of lung disease in non-smokers! Testing for radon is easy, and if the levels in your home are toxic, you can have it removed by suctioning it out of your home and into the outdoor air.
KEEP THE AIR IN YOUR HOME CLEAN WITH 5 STAR SERVICES
5 Star Charleston is available to help you with all of your heating, air conditioning, insulation, and indoor air quality needs. You can rest assured that whether you call us at 2 a.m. on a Saturday or Thanksgiving Day, we will be happy to provide you the exceptional service you deserve. Contact us at 843-406-1700 to schedule an appointment.