Ensure You're Living in a Healthy Home with these Steps

We spend so much time indoors, so it's critical that the space we spend the most time in is healthy and efficient. These steps can help you ensure that you are living in a healthy home. 

Conduct a laboratory-certified indoor air quality test

Using a third party to evaluate air quality will provide information about the quality of air that you breathe almost everyday. This insight can be used to compare with other quality testing methods and to improve your home's air quality needed.

Install carbon monoxide detectors on every floor

"An odorless, fatal gas, carbon monoxide is obviously important to monitor in the home." By having the right amount of detectors in the home (preferably near bedrooms), this step can ensure that there is never a dangerous level of this gas in the house. 

Install a radon vent below the basement slab that vents through the roof

"A passive radon vent installed through the roof is cheap and easy.  Take it a step further and also run in a junction box next to the pipe in the attic in case a homeowner needs or wants to add an exhaust fan to make it an active radon mitigation system." By adding this extra step to the cheap and easy method, you can better help protect the health of your home and family.

Eliminate mold-causing condensation

Monitoring condensation can be important because of its involvement with mold growth, which can have dangerous affects on the quality of air. "A third of the home’s R-value should be installed outside the air barrier to ensure any condensing surfaces in the wall assembly are eliminated. This is a good rule of thumb for colder climates zones and WUFI is a great tool to double check that the system is working properly. The exterior insulation will warm the exterior sheathing so that the inside face of the sheathing does not become a condensing surface."

Source: http://www.ecobuildingpulse.com/green-builders/nine-key-steps-to-build-a-healthy-home_s.aspx?dfpzone=home