Air quality can be a complicated issue to tackle. When people worry about the quality of the air in their homes, many immediately suspect mold. Although it’s possible that mold is polluting your air, there are several other issues that you may not have even thought about.
For the sake of your home health, it’s important to be wary of mold, but it’s only one element of the dirty air you could be breathing.
Air Quality Involves Multiple Factors
The mold you’re worried about could also be dirt, dust, dander, or insect or rodent feces.
Although it may seem innocuous, moisture in the home can also be problematic. Moisture attracts insects (ants, termites, spiders and cockroaches), rodents, and snakes into your home, and simply removing mold won’t fix that problem.
Most of our calls are about mold in the crawlspace. A study by Washington State University Extension Energy Program found that up to 40% of the air inside a home comes from the crawl space. So if you have mold in your crawl space you are likely breathing it inside your home. But, what about the other 60% of the air inside your home? What other factors inside your home may be contributing to poor indoor air quality?
Preventive Measures
If you’re worried about your air quality, there are measures you can take before calling for an environmental assessment.
Be sure to clean HVAC supply and return vents, under the refrigerator, under rugs, behind furniture, under the beds, and behind the clothes washer and dryer. Spills happen, and dirt and dust accumulate. If it’s hard to access, clean it! You could save your money and your health.
If you want to learn more or schedule an inspection, just get in touch! We’re happy to talk to you about your best next steps.
