Fresh Ideas to Improve Indoor Air Quality and Survive Your Next Home Renovation
When renovating your home, it is essential that you put together an action plan for improving your air quality because many of the materials exposed or used during the process are very toxic.
Fibers, mold spores and glass or metal particulates emitted into the air from the destruction of walls and floors can make air gritty with dust and damage your lungs.
Toxic fumes found in paints, varnishes and paint thinners add chemicals such as xylene, ammonia, formaldehyde, and benzene to the air. These are poisons that can cause some serious neurological and cardiovascular symptoms including fatigue, brain fog, dizziness, hallucinations, and depression.
To keep the air fresh in your place while renovating it is important to develop strategies that will help you go about your day without sabotaging your health by breathing air compromised by toxins.
Turn the HVAC Off and Use Portable Air Cleaners
One of the simplest ways to keep the dust and fumes contained in the area of renovation is to shut off your HVAC system.
Don’t run any type of freestanding fan or ceiling fan either or you could encourage the dust to whirl up into the air.
Any type of device that has suction or blows air is likely to distribute harmful vapors and particles throughout the rest of your home via your heating ducts and vents.
Instead, use smaller portable air cleaners running on high to eliminate dust particles, microbes, and bacteria from the rooms that you are living in while the renovations are being done.
Combat the Problem Naturally With Salt Lamps, Essential Oils and Plants
Some Louisville, KY residents find great success when it comes to dissipating odors and cleaning the air by placing salt lamps in rooms that seem to be overwhelmed with fumes.
Essential oils such as tea tree oil and eucalyptus oils can be dispersed through the air using an aromatherapy diffuser to help kill bacteria, viruses and mold spores that might be floating in the air.
Plants, especially huge tropical plants also help oxygenate and clean the air and are known natural eater of such airborne toxin as benzene, xylene, and formaldehyde. These are all toxic chemicals that are emitted through the use of solutions commonly used for floor strippers, varnishes, paint and paint thinners.
Replace Your HVAC Filters As Often As Possible
One of the most effective ways to raise the standards of your air quality is to make sure you give your entire HVAC system an overhaul by a trained professional twice a year.
It is also helpful to be continually changing your air filters so that they never get clogged or dirty. Filter screens that are not clean clog up your system and cause it to be less efficient.
The less efficient your system is, the more likely it is to cost you a lot of money, so be sure to keep plenty of air filters on hand to replace those that are fouled by the dust, mold, and bacteria produced by the renovation process.
