Air Quality Testing and Sampling Services
As a homeowner, you know how important it is to care for all aspects of your home. Whether it is replacing a broken appliance or re-decorating rooms, there is always something to do. One of the most critical aspects of caring for your home or business is to evaluate the quality of your indoor air.
Why Indoor Air Quality Testing is Important
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) refers to all the air you breathe in and make contact with inside of homes or other buildings. You probably do not think about it too much, but there are times when the air you breathe can use an improvement.
In addition to all things environmental, there is a focus these days on designing and engineering homes and businesses that provide a comfortable and healthy indoors for everyone. This is mostly accomplished through maintaining comfortable indoor temperatures, reducing excessive humidity, and minimizing indoor pollutants.
Health effects from poor indoor air quality can be felt immediately or take years to develop. Therefore, it is important to take indoor air quality testing seriously. To maintain proper indoor air quality, take a few moments to familiarize yourself with indoor pollutants that could be making you sick.
Indoor pollutants can include:
Biological
- Mold
- Viruses
- Animal parts or by-products such as dander, waste, etc.
- Bacteria
- Plant parts or by-products such as pollen
Chemical / Mineral / Gas / Metal
- Carbon Monoxide
- Carbon Dioxide
- Radon
- Asbestos
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
- Lead (found in homes built before 1978)
- Smoke from tobacco use
Many people are affected by any or all of these irritants. Common effects can include irritation of the eyes, nose or throat, headaches, dizziness, or fatigue. There are also less common side effects that can lead to lung, heart, or skin problems, or cancer.
How Do You Know There is Poor Indoor Air Quality in your Home or Business?
There is much more to poor indoor air quality than a bad odor or a haze in the air. Certain indicators of poor air quality that you might be experiencing in your home or business include:
- Stuffy air
- Mold growth
- Dust that seems to accumulate faster than usual
- Condensation on windows or surfaces
- Any effects that appear after using pesticides inside
- Any effects appearing after a remodel of a home or business
- Any effects following a move to a new home or business
There are many ways you can maintain your home or business, including changing air conditioning filters and not allowing smoking indoors. If you feel you need a home air quality test, do not hesitate to call D’Pure. Our air quality tests will identify contaminants and allergens in your home or business, allowing us to make a plan for removing these toxins, making it a refreshing change from what once was.
Our Indoor Air Quality Services
One of the biggest ways to achieve a clean indoors is to have your air ducts serviced. Air ducts are located all around your home or business and connect to every room on every floor. When they become clogged or have not been cleaned in years, the air that flows through the vents will pick up polluted particles and spew them into the air you breathe.
Air ducts are integral to the safety and efficiency of your heating and cooling systems. Anything that accumulates in them, such as moisture, dust, mold, and other contaminants are released into your home every time the AC or heat comes on. When you have our technicians come out to do duct testing and cleaning, your home or business will be protected from all sources of potential air pollution.
According to EPA statistics, air quality indoors is two to five times more polluted than outdoor air on average. This problem affects just about everyone. Poor indoor air quality can be a minor annoyance, or it can grow into a much bigger problem, leading to serious consequences, including asthma, lung cancer, fatigue and more. The good news is that you can do something about it.
At D’Pure, we are committed to your health and well-being. If you have indoor air problems in your home or business, let our experts identify the problem, then correct it with quality services you can depend on.
- VOC air quality testing
- Mold inspection
- and more
When it comes to indoor air quality, the professionals at D’Pure are trained and certified to identify and remove any problems you might face. For indoor air quality testing or to know about other services we offer, call us today.
Protection from Pollen, Dust Mites, Insects, Sanitary Effectiveness, and More
When it comes to your allergies and respiratory issues like Asthma, it is not just mold and bacteria that can cause problems in your home. Things like pollen and dust mites can aggravate your condition, causing unsafe air quality. Every year around the springtime those that are allergic are subjected to an assault of pollen in the air. You can’t see the source of your problem, but you can certainly feel when it’s there. It is not always easy to know what you can do to help, as you have probably been dealing with it for years. However, there are steps you can take to help improve your situation.
Get Your Air Quality Under Control
The first thing you will want to do is find the source of the problem and have it taken care of immediately. More than likely if there are things like pollen in the air, it is due to poor ventilation in your home. The best solution is to open some windows to help promote air flow. While you may think this is hazardous because it is kicking things up, you are causing the hazards to move, possibly outside or through an air filter, instead of staying stagnant in one place. You can also turn on bathroom and kitchen ventilation fans that lead outdoors. It accomplishes the same thing and gives the air more of a chance to circulate. This method is especially important if you are using household cleaners with toxic chemicals.
Next, you should look at your air filters. Your HVAC system runs throughout your home, blowing heat and air to control the temperature how you want. When it is not in use, dust and other pollutants gather in the vents. When the system turns on, those pollutants are spread quickly. However, you have a filter system in place that can trap those pollutants and allow clean air through. Therefore, keeping the filter clean will give you a better chance at limiting the particles floating in your air supply.
Finally, do your best to control the humidity level in your home. Humidity refers to the amount of moisture in the air at any given time. The higher the humidity level, the more likely chance that something unwanted is growing and festering in your air. You will want to keep your humidity level at around 30-50%, something easier said than done depending on the area that you live in. However, there are a few ways you can control the humidity level. Simple humidifiers and dehumidifiers do a fantastic job of adding or limiting moisture.
Remember, you cannot control when things like pollen, dust mites, and other harmful substances are in your home, but you can help to get rid of them with a couple of easy steps. Open the windows if the weather permits, turn on your ventilation fans, and consider purchasing items that will help control the humidity levels.
When all else fails, call in the professionals, like those found at D’Pure. We can accurately measure the pollutants in your air supply and take the steps necessary to rectify the situation. You do not have to feel like your allergies or Asthma problems are just something you must deal with every year. Consider having your air tested today by the professionals.