There are plenty of good reasons to remodel a home. Maybe you’re just bought a residence, and you’d like to make it just the way you want it before you move in.
Or maybe you’ve enjoyed your home for many years and wanted to continue to live in it, but age and new limitations like wheelchair or walker use mean that some big changes need to happen to continue to live in your home of many years.
Whatever the case, air quality while renovating is an easy aspect of overlook during this time. Our air conditioning repair team has some important tips to make sure you keep it up!
Block Out Areas Where Work Is Being Done
Never ignore the basics. If walls are being torn down, floors are being replaced with new tile or any major work occurring that’s a lot more than a fresh coat of paint, block your work area.
This doesn’t have to mean an elaborate barrier, but a plastic sheet is great for ensuring that any dust that is freed into the air is confined.
Another easy safety tip to complement this is to mist down the work area with water.
A thin layer of water creates an environment where dust is more likely to adhere to the water film than it is to keep drifting through the air. This helps in cutting down air contamination.
Take Extra Caution Removing Old Paint
If your home has paint on the walls that was applied before 1978, there’s a good chance one of the ingredients in that paint is lead. Lead itself is not an illegal substance, and still has many uses, but it has been discouraged from being included in some materials, like paint or water pipe.
The reason for this is that lead is similar to asbestos, in that it doesn’t pose any danger when it is inert in the paint. However, if sanding, cutting, grinding or other abrasive work occurs that creates dust, lead, in dust form, can pose some health risks.
While adults can get sick from breathing in lead, the effects are more severe for children, whose developing lungs are especially vulnerable. So when removing older paint, take more precautions to ensure all the dust is removed.
Get Your Air Filter Replaced
When the major renovations have been completed, the paint is drying, and all the big tools are being removed from your home, you’re not quite done.
There’s still an easy, but important final task you need to complete to ensure good air quality remains in your home. Replace the air filter in your HVAC system.
The unusually high amount of dust and dirt in the air has made its way through your HVAC network, and your filter has trapped a lot of it. However, a congested filter means your HVAC needs to work even harder to compensate for that blockage. That can mean higher bills until you replace it.
With the completion of renovations, you can now sit back, relax and enjoy your time in your new Fort Collins home. You’ve now got a place that’s likely increased in property value, and you managed to do it while keeping your air clean and safe for everyone!
