As usual, the summer has been extremely humid here in the Carlisle, PA area. With high temperatures and lots of moisture in the air, it’s easy to feel uncomfortable, but the humidity may be affecting you more than you think.
What is Indoor Air Quality?
Indoor air quality (IAQ) is a measurement of how pure your home’s air is. It is influenced by a range of factors that might not be easily visible, including temperature, humidity, mold, VOCs (volatile organic compounds), dust, carbon monoxide, and even carbon dioxide.
How Does Indoor Air Quality Affect Your Health?
Spending day after day inside, your home’s air is what you’re breathing for most of your waking (and non-waking) hours. All those particles and gases make their way into your lungs and have an impact on your health, whether you actively experience symptoms or not.
How Humidity Influences IAQ
During the summer when there are excess levels of moisture in the air, it’s particularly easy for:
Viruses and bacteria that cause respiratory infections to spread and multiply
Mold spores, dust mites and other allergens to grow and thrive
Levels of volatile organic compounds — VOCs — to be higher
If humidity is already affecting the indoor air quality of your home, you might experience issues with musty odors and health concerns like stuffiness, headaches, wheezing, eye irritation, or other asthma and allergy related symptoms.
Effective Measures to Improve IAQ
Improving your home’s indoor air quality starts with controlling humidity. This means reducing levels during the hot months, and potentially increasing levels during the colder season. If your home already has problems with mold growth due to high humidity, it’s time to address the underlying issue for good.
All effective improvements to IAQ start with an energy audit to uncover where moisture and excess humidity is entering, as well as identifying other factors that may be contributing to poor air quality. Once an audit is performed, the most common upgrades for improved indoor air quality include crawlspace encapsulation, as well as air sealing and insulation throughout the home. These solutions will work to make your home healthier, and will also help to make your living space more comfortable and energy efficient. So you’ll breathe easy while saving on your energy bills!
Get Healthy with Energy Smart Home Improvement
Whether you live in Chambersburg, Harrisburg, Lancaster, or in the surrounding region, the team at Energy Smart Home Improvement can reduce the humidity in your home so you can stay healthier. Our experts will ensure you get the long-term preventative solution tailored to your home’s needs.