There are many ways to combat indoor air quality issues but the thing is that it’s hard to know which home needs one.
You can always hire a service technician to help you determine what kind of pollutant is present in your home or how polluted it is. However, it’s going to be an additional expense on your part. If you’re not yet ready to take this procedure, try these DIY tips to examine whether your home needs further IAQ diagnosis.
Carbon Monoxide Testing
Carbon monoxide is an odorless and extremely hazardous gas which can cause death in minutes of exposure to high concentration. It is commonly released by a malfunctioning furnace.
Fortunately, carbon monoxide test kits are affordable and reliable in detecting CO presence in your home. You can opt to have it professionally installed or you purchase one and simply plug it to any available outlet. Either ways, you need to have one installed in each floors and test them biannually.
Radon Testing
Radon can get through homes through cracks and holes in the foundation. So if you haven’t done any radon test and your home have been there for almost a decade or more, don’t waste another day. There are over –the-counter and affordable radon testing charcoal canisters which can provide an estimate of the amount of radon present in your home over a matter of weeks.
Even though these DIY tests are not giving an absolute report, these can help determine whether your home is subject for professional testing.
Mold Testing
Just like radon tests, there are available materials that you can use to test the presence of molds. Toxic mold tests include a disc which serves as their breeding ground. Put these on the area where you think has mold issues. Observe for several days and you will find mold with distinctive appearance, color and coverage area which determine the type of mold and how bad the problem is.
If you’re in for a DIY mold testing, keep in mind that molds occur naturally in the outdoor environment and may have distributed inside you home in small amounts. Home tests will respond to even a tiny amount of mold but it doesn’t necessarily mean you home has mold issues.
Whether you want to do it yourself or you need a professional help in testing your indoor air quality, you can count on the experts at Hightower Service.
