We recently posted on our blog about the dangers the harmful gas radon can propose in your home through exposure to you and your loved ones. It’s important to remember that there are many harmful gases and airborne contaminants that can cause problems in your home without proper ventilation.
Especially in newer builds, homes today are constructed to be extremely tight in order to be energy efficient. Because of this, ventilation is more important than ever. In order to maintain a healthy home and a high indoor air quality, fresh air must be able to get in and “stale” air must be able to get out.
Poor ventilation can lead to a number of different problems in the home, from small issues up to significant issues that can cause a great deal of damage to the home. Common initial problems include odor problems. When air is not properly circulating, stale air can cause bad smells inside your home. Unfortunately, if there are bad smells inside your home, there is very likely a larger root problem causing this issue.
Once such problem is mold growth. With poor ventilation, mold can have a chance to grow inside your home. If exposed to mold, or even stale air, for an extended period of time, the potential for health issues can be high. Headaches and fatigue are common problems in homes with poor circulation. If not resolved, long periods of exposure to this air or mold can lead to much more sever health issues. Aside from health issues, poor air quality resulting in mold can also cause significant structural damage to a home.
By taking care of the root of the poor air problem through proper ventilation, all of these issues can be avoided. As mentioned above, replacing poor air with clean, fresh air is the key to maintaining high indoor air quality. This air swapping process can be expedited with the use of certain equipment. BelRed offers a number of different options that help the exchange occur. Some of these options include:
· Timed fresh air intakes
· Exhaust fans
· Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs) / Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRVs)
Energy recovery ventilation and heat recovery ventilation also provide energy efficiency benefits on top of providing an increase in the home’s indoor air quality. Timed fresh air intakes and exhaust fans can greatly improve the air switching process in your home as well by dramatically increasing the speed of air circulation.
If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms of poor ventilation in your home, including bad smells, stale air or mold, it is imperative that you reach out to a qualified contractor such as BelRed. Ventilation is a key part of a comprehensive home energy audit, which can pinpoint the causes of these problems and lead to recommendations and fixes to increase the quality of air in your home.
