Have you finally saved up enough money, or maybe taken the plunge into a home equity loan so you can do some major renovations to your house?
Or maybe you’re in a different situation where you just bought a house, but there are some changes you’d like to make before you move in?
Whatever the case, when it comes time to renovate we have a few important tips to keep in mind to make sure the your house remains with good indoor air quality.
Make Sure the Basement Is Fixed For Leaks
For people with renovations that involve a basement, it’s always a good idea to reclaim that space, but before you do, have the foundation checked out.
Ensure that it’s watertight and that you’re not getting leaks. There are two big reasons for this, to protect you both financially and medically.
Water leaking into a basement on a regular basis means that even if you go to all the trouble of putting drywall, or laying out carpet, you may need to resign yourself to the idea of regularly replacing these things due to moisture damage.
Or accept the fact that they will become water damaged and live with that. But from a health perspective, if water gets into walls, or under carpet, that combination of dampness, darkness and even warmth can cause mold to grow. Once it does, the spores that mold releases into the air can make people sick. They can even seriously threaten the health of people that already have respiratory issues like allergies, asthma, or other lung conditions.
Let Professionals Deal With Asbestos
Homes that were built before the 1980s can have a lot of history, charm and unique architectural features. But many of them may also contain asbestos in the walls or other parts of the structure.
Asbestos was a common building material prior to the 1980s thanks to its flameproof properties. Unfortunately, it was later discovered that it was also a carcinogenic substance.
While asbestos is relatively inert when left as lining in walls or other parts of a home, if it is disturbed, broken up, and becomes airborne, as dust, it presents a massive health threat. If you have an inspector that finds and confirms the presence of asbestos in your walls, have a team of professionals come in to restore a healthy environment to your home by removing it.
Buy a New Filter
If you don’t have any extras sitting around in storage, one final job once the big renovations is done is to go to your hardware store to buy a new filter.
Typically, a filter replacement in your HVAC system is a seasonal affair; every three months is normally fine.
Big renovations, however, kick up a lot of dust, and much of this is eventually caught and held by the filter. It will be much dirtier than it would under three normal months—or even a year—of use. Dirty filters mean harder working furnaces and ACs, and that means higher bills. So keep your efficiency up with a new filter.
A renovated home is something you should take both pride and pleasure in. You’ve now got a home that suits you better, you’ve probably increased your property value with these improvements, and you may even have better, safer air quality!