Your home renovation dreams are about to come true. Along with the new paint, new plaster, and new everything else comes dust, allergens, chemicals, and other possible home remodeling byproducts. Take a look at what you can do to improve your home's indoor air quality during and after a renovation.
Let Air In
Fresh air is an essential part of lowering contamination risks during home renovations. In a closed environment, heating and air conditioning systems can recirculate dust. Opening windows or doors (weather permitting) reduces recirculation, helping to improve the indoor air quality.
Along with improving air circulation, opening doors and windows allows chemical and other smells -such as paint or plaster - out. Proper ventilation is necessary for both your family's and the workers' well-being.
Let Air Out
Even though letting fresh air in is necessary during a home renovation, letting the dust or odor-filled air out is equally important. The contractor should set up and run exhaust fans. These draw pollutants outdoors and away from your home.
Create Barriers
Are you renovating your whole home? If the answer to this question is no, create barriers to prevent dust, dirt, and other debris from going into the rooms you aren't working on. The most obvious, and often easiest, barrier is a door. But gaps in interior doors may allow dust, odors, and other irritants in.
Along with closing doors, cover entry points with ZipWalls (zippered plastic dust barriers). These make it possible for the contractors or your family to get from one room to another while also reducing indoor air pollutant contamination.
While indoor barriers can reduce some of the pollutant risks, they still may allow some dust and construction debris to get in. They also won't stop your air ducts from recirculating dusty air from one room to another.
Clean the Ducts
Cleaning your air ducts mid-remodel won't do much to improve the indoor air quality. Again, letting fresh air in and exhausting polluted air out are the primary methods to use during the renovation. Keeping every window and door open during your home improvement project won't guarantee that the indoor air is dust, allergen, or pollutant-free. The same goes for using exhaust fans.
Indoor air irritants can make their way into your home's ductwork. Cleaning the area following the renovation by wiping down surfaces or vacuuming floors may make your newly remodeled home look pristine. But this doesn't mean the air is clean.
Dirty air that your HVAC system has pulled through into the air ducts will leave behind the remnants of the renovation. These duct-clogging pollutants can reduce the efficiency of your heater or air conditioner and push allergens into your home - especially if you close the windows and turn off the exhaust fans after the work has wrapped up.
The easiest way to reduce the risks of HVAC system indoor air pollution following a renovation is to clean the ducts. Removing thick layers of dust, along with invisible allergens, isn't a job for the average homeowner. Getting deep into the ductwork requires the right equipment and expertise. Instead of trying to DIY clean your ducts, hire a professional to remove what's left over from the renovations.
Replace Filters
After a professional service, your air ducts are clean and dust-free. That is, unless you leave dirty air filters in place. Air filters catch most types of debris before it can enter your home's ductwork. But fine particles, such as those that construction creates, can make their way into your heating or cooling system.
Always replace all air filters following a complete cleaning. This reduces the likelihood of introducing construction debris back into your ducts immediately.
Do you need a professional air duct cleaning? Contact
CJ Services Inc
for more information.
