Greener Living - How Healthy Is Your Home?

Greener Living - How Healthy Is Your Home?

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Why Excellent Air and Water Filters are Indispensable to Your Health!

Save money, conserve energy, protect the environment, and improve your health. The good news is that it can all be done at the same time and its easier than you think.

No doubt, you are becoming more aware about the intimate connection that exists between your home and the health you enjoy. Its real.

Veteran home inspector Nick Falus of Green Field Inspection Services concurs. He believes that building (home) safety and the homes inhabitants safety are of utmost importance.

Falus inspects residential and commercial properties throughout the Bay Area, and he states that the most common concerns include proper ventilation and eliminating toxins inside your home.

Homes Need a Breath of Fresh Air

Energy efficiency is driving new home design: low-flow toilets, low-flow faucets, Energy Star appliances, double-pane windows, and even solar panels and solar water heaters are part and parcel of such design. Read our recent post on solar panels now.

But, admonishes Falus, in becoming more energy efficient there are some issues. While air-tight windows and doors can save energy, they also seal off the home in effect not allowing fresh air to circulate. Falus contends that this leads to increased sickness, to vulnerability of mold and mildew, and chemical outgassing.

Says Mr. Falus:

The one thing thats changed over the years, people tend to insulate themselves in their homesometimes people think thats energy conservation and they close all their windows and doors, but thats why were hearing more and more about mold and mildew, because were not getting air circulation. And new homes are so energy efficient that the air thats in the house stays in the house, but its important to let the air circulate and let fresh air in. Theres that adage sleep with a crack in the window. Air needs to circulatefresh air is very health, very good for you.

Smells like the new paint and flooring in a home are mostly chemical in glues and fibers that outgas. Outgassing applies to carpets, furniture and matresses as most of them have chemicals in them.

Then there is the dank smell of mold and mildew, a sign that air is not circulating in the home or at least the part of the home where mildew and mold are growing.

Opening a window is a good first step. Just be aware that overall outside air quality is often poor, which leaves you in a bind since the inside air quality is what youre seeking to improve with outside air.

That is why Falus notes that a homeowners most important investments from both a safety and a health perspective are air filters, furnace filters, and water filters. All of them are of utmost importance in greening your home, saving energy and money, and transforming your health.

For people with asthma, allergies, and other sensitivities, there are air purifiers that clean the air and gets rid of airborne allergiesTheyre not that expensive and theyre very efficient, advises Falus. Every home needs an air filter.

Make sure that your air filter does not produce ozone, a common by-product of most air filters and a toxin.

As for furnace filters, especially important in greener living, Falus recommends having old duct work and furnaces vacuumed every five to ten years and installing high grade HEPA furnace filters. These filters cut costs and conserve energy by allowing the furnace to function more efficiently. Think about what cleaning out the lint trap does for your clothes dryer.

And finally Falus addresses the condition of municipal deteriorating water pipes through which water flow into your faucets. "Only positive results can come from using water filters," states Falus.

A greener home really can save you money but most importantly it can transform your and your familys health.

About the Author:
Gabrielle Dahms is real estate investor and a real estate agent with 10 years' experience, who loves the San Francisco/Bay Area. You may visit her blog on http://dahmsrealestate.wordpress.com or http://www.MyPremierAgent.com




Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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