Five Ways to Improve the Air Quality Inside Your Home

by

25 October 2018

Home Improvement

Air Quality

When we think of air quality issues what comes to mind is often industrial factories or people blowing smoke in our face. But anything you use to build or decorate your home can have a positive or negative impact the air quality inside your home. Air quality can be directly linked to life expectancy so it’s an issue that should

1. Check your Paint:

Choosing the right paint is important. We sleep in rooms covered with paint every night. As the paint dries volatile organic compounds (or VOCs) escape into the air and can negatively impact the air quality in your house. These chemicals can cause headaches and dizziness and the long-term effects of exposure are not yet known.

Choosing non-toxic paint for your living quarters will have positive health benefits for years to come. Low or no VOC paints are the best choice for an eco-friendly home. Over the last several years paint companies have introduced many excellent options.

2. Check Your Flooring:

Vinyl and synthetic carpets emit loads of VOCs. If you’re looking for non-toxic, allergy-friendly flooring try cork, linoleum, or ceramic tile. Hardwood floors have become quite popular, but if you want the beauty without the toxic chemicals buy hardwoods sealed with a water-based polyurethane or presealed hardwoods.

3. Consider purchasing an air purifier:

Buying a quality air filter can be a good tool in your arsenal in the fight against toxic chemicals. Be sure to buy a model with a HEPA (high-efficiency air particle absorbing) filter. Don’t skimp and buy the cheapest filter you can find, view this purchase as an investment. The CADR (clean air delivery rate) of your purifier is also important. The higher the CADR number the more air is moving through the purifier. Air purifiers with high CADR numbers can be used to purify the air in larger spaces.

4. Plug Your Leaks:

Mold and mildew can have a significantly negative impact on your home’s air quality. Make sure your home is free of leaks. It’s important to check the places that get the least traffic in your home. Make sure your basement, attic, crawl space, and utility closet are free of water and moisture. It’s a good idea to call a professional who can help you pinpoint problem areas.

5. Test Your Home for Radon:

Radon is an odorless, colorless gas that can cause lung cancer in healthy humans. Radon is the gas produced by the decay of uranium in most soil. If there are gaps or holes in your home’s foundation radon gas can seep into your living space undetected. Any home can have a radon gas problem. You can buy an inexpensive test kit at your local hardware or home improvement store. There is no safe level of radon exposure.

Read Also:

I enjoy writing and I write quality guest posts on topics of my interest and passion. I have been doing this since my college days. My special interests are in health, fitness, food and following the latest trends in these areas. I am an editor at Content Rally.

View all posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related

Your apartment

Things You Can Do to Your Apartment to Raise Its Value

Any real estate investment aims to increase its value. It should be worth more than what you spent on it. There are both low-cost and more expensive and in-depth techniques to raise the value of your apartment. You've come to the perfect site if you want to increase the value of your Los Angeles apartments. The renovation of your apartments is bringing a new fresh modern look to your home. But when you are thinking of renovating your place, you are stepping one step back thinking about the budget. But these solutions are easy and cost-effective. 4 Easy Tips To Raise Your Apartment Value You are spending hours renovating your apartment. But do you know that you can use some simple tips and increase the value of your apartment within a few hours? Yes, you pick the right one. You can apply some simple tips and increase the value of your apartment. Here are four easy tips for it: 1. Paint Painting your apartment is one of the most straightforward and cost-effective improvements you can make. Freshly painted rooms appear cleaner and more modern, which adds value. When choosing paint colors, remember that neutrals appeal to the largest number of individuals, making your home more appealing.  A single-gallon amount of paint typically costs around $35.That leaves sufficient extra money for Painter’s brush, rollers, painter's tape, and drop cloths. So go out and grab a few gallons and get to work. 2. Repair Blinds And Light Fixtures Window blinds can take a beating from families and just everyday wear and tear. If yours are in need of repair, new blinds, or even a different style of window treatment, such as a flowing panel of fabric, it may be time to replace them.  This slight modification can restore a room's fresh, lively appearance. A new light fixture might sometimes be all that is required to modernize and brighten a room in your apartment. You generally don't want anything too contemporary or out of the ordinary, but anything with a classic appearance that fits well with any decor would suffice. Look for sales, and you'll be able to stick to your budget. 3. Replace Hardware What creative, attractive, or appealing hardware can accomplish for a kitchen or bathroom will astound you. Replace those hideous 1980s cabinet knobs and drawer handles with something more modern. You can go for a nice rustic look, fun and showy beach house look, an ultra-sleek and trendy look, or anything else that works with your existing cabinets and vanities.  At least one of your friends has exceptional taste. Call this person, flatter him or her and offer to buy lunch if they’ll come shopping with you to pick out some hardware for your apartment kitchen and bathrooms.  4. Curb Appeal Take a look at your landscaping (or lack thereof) to see what thoughts your house evokes. Consider what you can do to improve your home's curb appeal so that potential buyers will come to your door. A potential homebuyer's decision to buy or not buy your house will be based on how they feel when parking on your street. Renovating your front entry will make a terrific first impression.  Make a small change like painting the front door or, if you can afford it, purchasing a new door. Your home's value will skyrocket, and your new entrance will entice visitors to come inside and create memories. Even if your apartment front door is built of steel, paint it with a finish that makes it look like wood. To add to the charm of your front door, consider installing a doorbell, doorknob, or perhaps a knocker.  Conclusion: Are you heading to change the interior design of your apartment? These four tips are not time taking, and these four are the easy, cost-effective solution to increase the value of your home. Not only for the selling every few years we like to see some changes in our apartments. This is a straightforward, innovative approach to change the entire look of your apartment. What types of designing plannings are you currently following? Do not forget to share your opinion in the comment sections. Read Also: Ideas for Modern Flooring Designs for Home Improvement Plans 5 Interior House Painting Tips

READ MOREDetails
Wood Flooring

How to Protect Your Wood Flooring in a Busy Household

A busy household is one with a lot of love. Whether it is a lot of people all living together in one home or just neighbors and friends dropping by at all hours of the day and night, keeping up with a barrage of feet across your floors can be difficult. A stylish wood flooring might be exactly what you need in terms of aesthetics but what can you do in terms of protection? Keep reading to find out. Choose the Right Floor: Protecting the floor actually begins a long time before it is even laid. One of the most crucial decisions you can make when it comes to choosing the right flooring comes from which wood you pick. If you opt for a design which has been treated to be resistant then you know it will be a little longer lasting than something else you could choose. You should also choose something on the neutral side so it will always be in style no matter how much you change the rest of the room about. The right color will blend in with everything and can even help to disguise stains depending on what you choose. Enforce “Shoes Off” Yes, you might have to be one of those households which enforces a shoes-off rule. If you want to maintain clean floors as often as possible, you need to ensure that no-one is trekking mud and dirt through your home on the soles of their shoes. Some people only like to use this rule when they have carpets, but it can also be used when you have wood flooring you want to keep pristine. Keep a collection of slippers just for guests if they aren’t comfortable walking around in just socks. Use Protector Pads on Furniture: Head to any hardware store or even your local supermarket, and you will be able to find a square of felt which you can cut up and used to cushion the feet of your furniture. This can be bought either in the pre-cut shapes or you can do it yourself. If you have furniture like chairs which frequently get dragged along your floor, this felt will help to protect the floor. Long scores and other damage on the floor can be extremely difficult to fix and you should instead try to focus on preventing such damage. Put the pads on any furniture will be resting on the floor even if it will not be moved often. It might not be the most convenient for you to try to place the pads on your heavy dresser, but it will be worth it if it means your floor won’t be damaged. Just the natural shift of people walking around the house might be enough to cause it to move and damage your floors. Wipe up Spillages ASAP: Wood floors are great as they do not require that much in the way of maintenance but there is one thing you must be exceptionally vigilant about. This is spillages from liquids; something which might happen quite a lot in households with a lot of people. From drinks being dropped to vases getting knocked over, there is plenty of scope for things being spilled on your beautiful wooden floor. If this spillage is left unattended, you can risk the wood warping and become irrevocably damaged. There is not really any way to correct wood once it has warped so it is easier to just be vigilant and clean up the spills as they happen instead. If you have young children, make sure that you instill in them the knowledge that spilling on the floor is not wrong if it is an accident, but it must be cleaned up as soon as possible. Gentle, Regular Cleaning: A wood floor can look beautiful, but you need to be very careful about what you use to clean it if you want it to remain as good as possible for the longest amount of time. First of all, a regular sweep will work wonders. Build one into your routine. If you do a daily clean down or tidy of the room with the wood floor just to keep things nice and neat, running around with a broom is not a massive addition to your cleaning routine. When it comes to something a little more, all you need is a good microfibre mop. These are brilliant as you can really wring them out to ensure that they are merely damp as opposed to wet. You should not want to use anything too wet to avoid the warping problem mentioned above. A damp microfibre mop and a suitable cleaner which can be used on wood flooring are all you need to ensure that the wood is left sparkling clean. Read more: Use Floor Polishing For Keeping Your Flooring Looking New A Stylish Rug or Two: If your wood floor is in somewhere with a lot of traffic, for example, a hallway or the kitchen, then you might want to take an extra precaution to protect the floor through the use of a rug. This will protect your floor from some additional wear and tear and can help to prevent those tell-tale marks which slowly appear from lots of feet trailing through the same area. What’s more, it is incredibly easy to find rugs to match whatever style you might have in a room. With a load of different textures and designs to choose from, you can very easily find the perfect rug to match your room and rest knowing that the floor underneath will stay protected that little bit longer. Find the Right Floor for You Today: If you have been holding back on installing a wood floor because you think your household is too busy for it, you need to correct that mistake now. There are plenty of options for you even if you have a house bursting at the seams with loved ones! With the tips mentioned above, there is no reason why you cannot have a beautiful wood floor in your home even if you have visitors at all hours of the day and night. Read Also: How Long Does Vinyl Flooring Last? 7 Advantages Of Reflective Epoxy Flooring 5 Factors To Consider In Choosing The Right Floor Colors

READ MOREDetails
ceiling light

How You Can Choose the Ideal Ceiling Light for Your Living Area

Your house can certainly benefit from the right lighting – lighting is, after all, essential for any living space. With the proper lighting, you can have warmth and homeliness in your abode, but you can also have an entirely functional element that can help you perform certain tasks and see everything clearly. But lighting can have an impact on other elements as well, and it can affect your space's wall color to the color of your flooring or carpet. It is therefore essential to have an ideal plan for your lighting, especially when it comes to your living area. The correct light can go a long way in giving your home the ambiance and serenity it needs, and it can lend a great atmosphere to your living space as well. The ceiling light you choose, in particular, can make a huge impact. Here, then, is how you can select the ideal ceiling light for your living area. How You Can Choose the Ideal Ceiling Light for Your Living Area: The height of the ceiling and the available space: Firstly, you should try to figure out how you use the room and the time of day you often spend there. It is also important to note the available space – how big or small it is – as well as the height of the ceiling. If, for instance, the ceiling in your living area is low, a large fixture such as a chandelier may not be such an ideal choice, as it may make your living room appear cluttered and smaller. On the other hand, if you have a high ceiling, a small ceiling fixture may look awkward and may even 'disappear' in a room with a high ceiling. If your living area has a low ceiling, you could go for semi-flush mount or flush mount lighting fixtures, as these kinds of fixtures have a small drop and don't extend too far from the ceiling, which adds to the illusion of a higher ceiling or space. For high ceilings, big, bold chandeliers or lighting fixtures are an excellent option. The type of lighting: You should know that different ceiling lights will have a variety of functions, which leads us to the different types of lighting. You should ask yourself this important question as well: what is the purpose of your ceiling light, especially when taking into consideration the kind of ambiance you would like your living area to have? Essentially speaking, there are three major types of lighting: task lighting, accent lighting, and ambient lighting. In general, a ceiling light in the living area provides ambient lighting because it gives a wide illumination, and you can also control it with the use of a dimmer. You can complement ambient lighting with the use of layers in the lighting scheme and design of your living area. You can add layers with lighting fixtures such as lamps (both floor and table lamps), sconces, drop lights, downlights, and recessed lighting. Lamps serve well as both accent and task lighting too. The bulb: The bulb you choose also makes a difference, as any expert will tell you – and many of us make the error of overlooking the bulb, even though it can impact the overall elegance of our lighting design. Modern lighting often involves the use of LED bulbs, as they are bright and energy-efficient, and they can last for a long time. Living areas can definitely benefit from the use of LED bulbs, because living room lighting is used almost every day, most especially at night, and LED bulbs are ideal for this type of use. There are decorative LED bulbs which you can also make use of, and they are often great for any living space – this is especially true for filament bulbs, which are trendy yet have a unique vintage appeal. Read Also: 3 Trendy Lighting Ideas For Your Kitchen Island The Benefits Of Solar Lighting In A Nutshell Las Vegas Electricians Share Fun Lighting Ideas For Your Home

READ MOREDetails