One of the things that makes a house a home is that it protects you and your family from the unpredictable, and sometimes dangerous outside air. However, is it always a good idea to keep your indoor air and the air outside separate? Can a home be made to be too airtight, or is a little indoor draft not such a big deal?
AAA Northgate has been helping homeowners throughout Peoria, East Peoria, Bloomington, and Pekin keep their homes comfortable and their energy costs down with insulation and indoor air quality services since 1948. Here’s what you need to know about how to approach the airtight seal of your home.
How Contaminated Is Your Indoor Air?
The air outside is estimated to be two to five times less contaminated than the air inside of a confined space, like a home or an office building. And in some cases, indoor spaces can contain up to 100 times more contaminants! This may make it seem like the solution is to bring in some of the fresh outdoor air. However, the air outside does still contain some harmful particles, like:
- Dust
- Dirt
- Mold
- Pollen and other allergens
- Nearby chemicals, smoke, and exhaust
When outside air is allowed to enter your indoor living space, it will bring these contaminants with it, which will then be added to your already-contaminated indoor air. Once inside, they are then recirculated over and over thanks to your heating and cooling system.
Even if you have been keeping your windows and doors shut as often as possible, outside air can still infiltrate your home through the tiny holes and gaps hidden throughout vulnerable areas, like the attic and crawl space. So…
Is an Airtight Home The Answer?
Let’s get to the point—yes, making your home as airtight as possible will provide many benefits, as long as it is properly ventilated! How can we do that? Here at AAA Northgate, we start with properly insulating and air sealing a home.
Air sealing is the process of locating and filling all of the tiny holes and air gaps throughout a home. We use what is called a blower door test and thermal imaging technology to locate as many of these air gaps as possible and then fill them in, stopping air from freely moving in and out of the home. Then, upgrading the insulation in areas like the attic and crawl space keeps the temperatures in the home more stable, reducing the amount of indoor drafts that can pull more air in and out of the home.
Next: Improving Home Ventilation, Filtration & Purification!
Once we are sure your home is as airtight as possible, we need to ensure you have proper home ventilation by providing the existing contaminants in your breathing air an assisted path back outside. Or, in the case of air purification and filtration, we can install a system that will either capture these contaminants in a properly rated filter or render the harmful contaminants in your air useless, through an air purifier.
When combined with an airtight home, you can expect to notice a number of benefits, such as:
- Increase indoor air quality
- Less dust in your home
- A more efficient heating and cooling system (energy savings!)
- Consistent indoor temperatures
Looking for a Customized Solution? Schedule an Energy Audit!
While the process may be similar, no two homes will have the exact same problems when it comes to improving indoor air quality, meaning a more customized approach is required to achieve an optimum, airtight, indoor environment. If you are looking to get started reducing your energy costs, staying more comfortable, and breathing cleaner air in your home, an energy audit with AAA Northgate is the place to start! Talk to our team today about scheduling a whole house energy audit for your Peoria-area home, today.