Improve Your Health And Your Home's
At Bradley Mechanical, we have 44 plus years of experience solving home performance issues. Indoor air quality (IAQ) is probably the most common building performance issue that we are called to address. Having poor air quality can cause uncomfortable living conditions — especially for those with asthma or allergies. That’s why it’s our top priority to help our clients breathe easier with reliable and effective service.
What Causes Poor Indoor Air Quality?
Most of the time, poor indoor air quality is driven by uncontrolled moisture issues and leaky ductwork that picks up particles from attics and crawl spaces and makes them airborne. If unchecked, poor air quality can become a health and safety issue, similar to unvented gas appliances or gas leaks.
Some of the other common causes of poor air quality that we find are old duct boards that are breaking down into fiberglass particles. It’s also often that the dryer has been routed into the living space — or there is an overuse of cleaning supplies or solvents.
When Does Indoor Air Quality Become A Big Problem?
Indoor air quality can have a huge effect on comfort for the homeowner and inhabitants. The conditions can create especially adverse reactions if the inhabitants have asthma, allergies, COPD, or compromised immune systems — even carpeting and items in the home that collect dust can exacerbate conditions. Animal dander can also affect air quality whether it is from pets or pests such as mice, squirrels, bats or insects.
Every once in a while we even find that the issue is with a homeowner trying to mask odors with candles, air wicks, or sprays like Febreze. The fumes and chemicals from these items can make the air quality worse and mask the true reasons for the poor air quality in the first place.
How Do We Determine The Cause Of Poor Indoor Air Quality?
A good client questionnaire can be invaluable in tracking down the cause of poor IAQ. A big question we ask clients is if their condition improves when they leave the space and go somewhere else. One local allergist estimated that about 75-80 percent of patients come to him as a result of poor IAQ issues in their home. Poor health, missed work and school, doctor’s appointments, and medicines add up fast. It’s easy to see why poor IAQ is high on the list for resolving the issue at the source and doing a better job of controlling the movement of air and moisture on all levels of the home.
Get in touch with Bradley Mechanical to learn more about having indoor air quality testing done in your home.
