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24-Hour Emergency Water, Fire, Smoke Restoration 888-726-9182
Home Care Tips
Get Ready for Winter - Winterize Your Home
When Is a House Too Tight?
When winter winds send a chill through the air,
homeowners begin to look for ways to conserve energy and reduce drafts in
their homes. If the house is too airtight, however, it can cause indoor air
quality problems. There are lots of different factors to consider when
examining indoor air problems, including the sources of pollutants, how the
air enters the house, and the health issues that can affect your family. In
this issue, we have provided some indicators of these factors and
precautions you can take to reduce indoor air problems in your home this
winter.
Pollutant Sources
There are many sources of indoor air pollution
in any home including:
- Combustion sources such as oil, gas, kerosene, coal, wood and tobacco
products
- Building materials and furnishings such as deteriorated,
asbestos-containing insulation, wet or damp carpet and cabinetry or
furniture made of certain pressed wood products
- Products for household cleaning and maintenance, personal care or
hobbies
- Central heating and cooling systems and humidifying devices
- Outdoor sources such as radon, pesticides and outdoor air pollution.
Health Effects of Indoor Air Pollutants
Health effects from indoor air pollutants may
occur immediately after exposure or even years later.
- Immediate effects include irritation of the eyes, nose and throat,
headaches, dizziness and fatigue. These are usually short-term and treatable
by removing the person from exposure to the pollutant.
- Symptoms of long-term health problems such as asthma,
hypersensitivity to allergens and humidifier fever may also show up soon
after exposure to some indoor air pollutants.
- Long-term health effects that may show up years after exposure
include respiratory diseases, heart disease and cancer.
If you have allergy-sensitive residents in your
household or people who are considered more "at-risk" such as the elderly,
pregnant women, those with pre-existing medical conditions or small
children, it is especially important to ensure that your home has proper
ventilation, particularly during the winter months.
Precautions You Can Take to Reduce Indoor Air
Problems
- Have the radon level in your house measured by a professional.
- Identify all possible sources of indoor pollution and eliminate as
many sources as possible.
- Have all combustion sources checked by a professional.
- Limit smoking in your home.
- Consult your healthcare professional if you or a family member
experience symptoms. Offer as much information as possible to that
professional so they can help identify the source of the symptoms.
- Improve ventilation in your home by opening windows and doors,
operating window or attic fans or making certain the vent control is open on
window-unit air conditioners often enough to recycle the air in your home.
Exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom also improve ventilation.
- Pay special attention to ventilation when involved in projects such
as painting, paint-stripping, heating with kerosene heaters, cooking or
working on hobbies that involve welding, soldering or sanding. Try to
schedule hobby activities during a season when you can do some of the work
outdoors.
- Consider the purchase of an air-cleaning device for your home.
Please call
(209) 726-9182
or
email to find out how we can assist
you.
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ServiceMASTER
Clean P.O. Box 2192
Merced, CA 95344 •
(209)
726-9182 •
Email
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Fresno, Merced, Modesto, San Luis Obispo. All rights reserved.
An independent business licensed to serve you by ServiceMaster Clean. |
