How Can Homes Be More Environmentally Friendly?

In spite of the technological advancements of the last 100 years, maintaining good air quality in your home can still be a significant challenge. City environments are filled with pollutants from automobiles, factories, and commercial vehicles. Many people with respiratory problems (such as asthma) or severe allergies, air quality can have a significant impact on quality of life. Here are a few simple tips that will improve your home and make it environmentally friendly.

Improve Ventilation

Improving your home's ventilation system is a great way to help lower the concentration of harmful air pollutants and contaminants in your environment. The vast majority of home heating and cooling systems, including forced air systems, don't actively bring fresh air into your home. What this means for the homeowner is that he or she must find other ways to ensure the house is adequately ventilated. Add airflow by opening windows and doors, and running attic or window fans. It is important to properly ventilate the home when performing tasks that can generate a large number of air pollutants. Tasks like painting, cooking, and favorite hobbies can emit harmful particles into the interior air.

Minimize Sources of Air Contamination

Seek out and eliminate sources that could be emitting harmful pollutants into your living environment. Gas stoves, lead-based paint, and asbestos insulation are all conventional sources of contamination. You can adjust the level of some emissions by retrofitting your home or modernizing the building material.

Clean House

Keeping your home clean is a simple way to reduce the number of pollutants in your home. These include doing things like:

• Clean your carpet regularly.

• Vacuum floors frequently.

• Promptly clean up pet hair.

• Shampoo fabric upholstery

Kitchen Lighting

If you are looking to change a kitchen, upgrade the lighting. The kitchen is at the heart of the modern household, and it has to be a place where family members are happy to assemble for meals or spend time together. Modern lighting adds to the ambiance of the kitchen by highlighting food preparation areas and generally setting the mood, creating a space to meet and eat.

Air Ducts

Homeowners should also consider contacting a local duct cleaning company to inspect their home. Clean air ducts improve air quality by not recirculating dirt and dust throughout the house.

For more information on environmentally-friendly custom homes, contact Grayson Homes at 919-578-6222.