You aren’t crazy! Your indoor air quality is extremely important to your health, and it is very likely contaminated. By evaluating the following sources of bulk contamination, we can help you feel more comfortable in your home. Remember, One Speed Services is one of the only companies that can help you address all of these factors. It all starts with scheduling a free home health evaluation by calling 1-888-ONE-SPEED.
- Your HVAC system: Your air ducts are likely loaded with dust and your evaporator coils may have mold. The dust isn’t the issue. The fecal matter from the mites that live in the dust are the concern. Also, mold doesn’t like to grow on plastic and metal, but it’ll happily grow on a layer of dust caused by not having your air ducts cleaned every 3-5 years. We recommend air duct cleaning, antimicrobial coil cleaning, blower cleaning, and a free attic and crawl space evaluation. There is a good chance your air ducts have gaps, rips and/or disconnections. This may be causing crawl space and attic air to enter your home at a greater rate.
- Mold and fungus: There can be very large amounts of mold and fungal growth in your attic and/or crawl space. Most people don’t inspect these areas of their home, and the ones that do, may not know what mold and early stage fungal growth look like. We will inspect your attic and crawl space for free, take pictures, discuss our findings, and, if necessary, provide an estimate for remediation.
- Cleanliness: When’s the last time you mopped your ceiling and walls? Do you keep your fridge and pantry clear of expired food? How often do you vacuum your couch and mattress? Are you regularly cleaning your bedding? How’s it looking under your couch? When your run your finger along the top of the door jam, is your finger caked with dust? Have you laundered your curtains in a while? Is your dish washer filter loaded with old food? Are the nooks and crannies of your washing machine clean? Note: Be careful when addressing these cleaning problem areas. Wear a respirator.
- Volatile Organic Compounds: The chemicals you keep in your garage, basement or under your sink may be off gassing and leaching into your air. Choose chemicals and building materials wisely. There are low VOC alternatives. Also, keep in mind that it may be better to store some of these products in a shed, rather than an attached garage. If your garage is positively pressured, and your house has negative air pressure, those fumes are interring your home. Use expanding foam to seal the gaps at pipe penetrations under your sink. Air from your crawl space may be pressurizing the area under your sink, forcing air into your home.
- Crawl Space & Attic Issues: Many insulation products are fine enough to leach into your home from gaps and cracks. Some insulation products are harmful to your raspatory health. We can help you identify and remove harmful products, and air seal gaps and cracks. This will also help your utility bill. A damaged vapor barrier (black plastic covering the ground) in your crawl space can cause fungal growth and additional pressure in your crawl space. Not to mention problems associated broken pipes and standing ground water. We can evaluate this for you for free.
Additional points to take into consideration:
- HEPA air filtration is a massive win for your indoor air quality. We recommend multiple portable HEPA air filters throughout your home. We do not recommend spending a small fortune on them. Ultraviolet light, carbon and ozone can be counterproductive and/or unnecessary.
- The Willamette Valley was nick named by natives, “the valley of sickness.” The problem may be a combination of your home and our environment.
- Radon is a leading cause of lung cancer in the united states. We don’t provide radon testing, but we do recommend you have your home tested for elevated radon levels.
Call 1-888-ONE-SPEED for a free home health evaluation. One of our consultants can help you identify likely sources of contamination that may be contributing to or aggravating your health problems.
