Since most people spend several hours each day in their houses, it is not surprising that they experience health issues when exposed to various pollutants for extended periods.
Is my house making me sick?
Since indoor air maybe two to five times more polluted than outdoor air, many people are beginning to pay attention to their homes as a source of health problems.
To determine whether your house is making you sick, it is essential to understand the sources of pollutants indoors and how they can affect you.
These can include fumes from paints or cleaning supplies, gas appliances like stoves and ovens, hazardous chemicals under the sink, and structural problems like mold.
You can feel sick in their homes for many reasons, including the following:
Indoor air pollution
When people think of indoor air pollution, they usually immediately think about “what in my house is making me sick?”. As you think about it, many pollutants come from paints or cleaners, but there are other sources. One example is radon, a colorless, odorless gas that may be present in some homes. Radon comes from the natural breakdown of uranium found in soil, rock, and water and can cause lung cancer if inhaled over a long period.
According to the EPA, installing a radon mitigation system usually costs around $1,500 – 2,000, with an additional cost for equipment rental for approximately three days (www.epa.gov).
Mold
When a house has mold growth, it is usually due to dampness from water leaks or condensation. Problems include the development of a strong, musty odor or visible mold growing on walls or furnishings after a flood, storm, or plumbing leak. Mold contaminants can cause respiratory problems, including wheezing, coughing, and nasal congestion, to name a few.
If you suspect that your home has mold problems, you should contact a professional company for inspection and testing.
Hazardous chemicals
Many household products contain hazardous chemicals like bleach or ammonia. Others may include gasoline stored in a container used for lawn equipment, paints, and sanding supplies containing lead or mercury light bulbs, insecticides, and batteries. Some of these chemicals can be dangerous if they are not properly stored away from where children might reach them.
Household structure
If a home has poor insulation or faulty wiring, it may increase the risk of exposure to carbon monoxide. This colorless and odorless gas can cause serious injury and even death. There is also the risk of fire and electrical shock when exposed to faulty wiring.
If it is suspected that hazardous chemicals or structural problems contribute to health issues within the home, hiring professional companies for diagnosis and testing may be necessary.
Drainage or flooding issues
Water leaking for an extended time can cause mold growth, structural problems, and other related safety concerns. Leaks may also lead to furniture damage if the ceiling beneath is stained.
It is essential to contact a professional company when you have drainage or flooding problems in your home so they can assess the issue and determine whether there are any hidden safety hazards.
Vermin infestations
If wasps or bees are frequently found around windowsills or exterior doors, it may be due to mice nests being built inside walls. Rodents build these nests by gathering bits of insulation through small holes in walls that allow them access into the corners where the wiring comes into homes from outside sources. These rodents can chew on wires leading to faulty wiring and potentially cause fires.
Additionally, rodents often leave droppings that can cause illness if they are not cleaned up thoroughly after a professional company has treated a vermin infestation. Dust mites
Dust mites are microscopic organisms that thrive in humid conditions like those found in many homes. They feed on human skin cells and reproduce at an alarming rate, resulting in excessive amounts of house dust containing their waste products, leading to allergies or asthma attacks. This is why it is essential to use a vacuum with a HEPA filter to avoid these problems.
Toxins from household products
Toxins such as phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) can be found in many everyday household products like plastic food containers, shampoo bottles, cleaning agents, and water bottles. These items can leach chemicals into the air we breathe or food we eat, leading to health issues over time.
Water and moisture problems
It is important to identify and address issues related to excess moisture or water in your home as quickly as possible to avoid further damage that may be costly to repair. When these problems are not addressed promptly, molds can grow, resulting in poor air quality inside the house, leading to health issues such as upper respiratory problems or allergic reactions like asthma (EPA).
Hiring professional companies for inspection, testing, and remediation services when you suspect unsafe within your home can frequently save you time and money in the long run. It is always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your health!
Structural problems
Structural problems in the home may allow moisture to seep into walls, floors or other areas that can lead to mold growth. If you think there are structural issues in your home, it is important to contact a professional company before attempting any repairs yourself. This will ensure that there is no further damage done and help you avoid hazardous situations in the future (NCBI).
What health problems can occur with poor indoor air?
Poor indoor air quality can lead to a range of health problems, especially for those who suffer from asthma, allergies or other respiratory conditions. Additionally, children under the age of five who have not yet developed the ability to communicate when they feel sick are at a higher risk of developing related issues.
Inhaling particles in polluted air can diminish lung functioning and make existing medical conditions worsen over time. In addition, poor air circulation caused by limited airflow or blocked vents can lead to unusually high or low room temperatures, resulting in discomfort and potential injury from fire hazards if people cannot adjust their body temperature accordingly.
All individuals deserve peace of mind knowing that they will enjoy healthy living conditions every day when it comes to home safety.
Household chemicals, structural problems, drainage or flooding issues, vermin infestations, toxins from common household products can make you sick. Call a professional company for inspection and testing after noticing unsafe conditions in your home.
What Kind of Professional Services Can Help Protect Your Home?
Crawl Space Encapsulation:
Crawl spaces are often used to house plumbing, HVAC equipment, insulation and other utilities. However, they are also notorious for being one of the biggest sources of moisture in a home. Moisture found in crawl spaces can lead to mold growth linked to allergies, asthma, respiratory problems and even cognitive issues.
Crawl Space Encapsulation methods properly seal all access points between conditioned spaces and your crawl space while stopping airflow that could cause moisture buildup. You will need to use someone who is trained and experienced in crawl space construction to help you with this process.
Crawl Space Vapor Barrier Installation:
Your crawl space vapor barrier is essentially your first defense against moisture build-up. Moisture naturally passes through concrete, so the vapor barrier prevents it from entering the soil below which could cause mold growth or encourage insects like termites to live underneath your home. Many people install barriers without sealing around doors and vents, allowing unconditioned air into your home’s otherwise conditioned area, which does more harm than good.
Mold Removal:
Molds are often easy to miss even if you know what you’re looking for. Black mold, for example, is nearly invisible until it’s grown enough to discolor the surface underneath. Some molds require a microscope or even lab testing to identify them which means that professional inspectors and contractors will need access to samples before they can tell you with certainty what kind of mold you’re dealing with and how long it’s been there.
While many types of mold aren’t dangerous, those that produce mycotoxins or cause other toxic reactions should be removed as soon as possible.
Sick Building Syndrome:
Some people report feeling unusually tired or irritable when in their homes. Others may come down with flu-like symptoms, headaches and other health issues after spending time in rooms in the house only to feel better once they’ve left and returned sometime later.
Crawl Space Sealants:
If you notice cracks forming between the concrete slabs beneath where your house sits on a crawl space, it’s important that you have a specialist seal the gaps as soon as possible.
It can be hard to identify exactly what kind of caulk you need from just looking at them or reading descriptions online so call a professional restoration contractor that offers free estimates on sealants once you’ve checked your crawl space for leaks and identified any problem areas you’ll want them to fix for you before they do the rest of the job.
Moisture Remediation:
Mold growth isn’t the only problem you can encounter in a crawl space. Sometimes moisture buildup causes one part of your home to start growing mold or begin warping while another section remains untouched. This is often caused by high humidity which comes about due to poor insulation, missing vapor barriers and other problems that aren’t always easy to spot without help from an expert.
The best way to deal with this issue is to use infrared cameras that highlight hidden issues before they become too serious for you to ignore them any longer.
You’ll be able to see things like water damage, insect infestations and structural problems as well as identify where those problems may have started long before they became a serious issue for your family’s health.
