Keeping The Air Quality Optimum In Your Custom New Home

You've finally bought and customized that new home construction you've had your eye on for months. Congratulations! According to GREENGUARD, indoor air pollution can be 2 to 5 times higher than outdoor air pollution. You might be surprised to know that new homes contain certain chemicals that can affect your new home's air quality. What are these chemicals and how can you alleviate them to keep your new home's air quality levels at their optimum?

New Home Smell

You may not notice anything but that "new home smell" when you walk into your house. All those custom furnishings that you meticulously chose can emit formaldehyde and something called Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). These are most often emitted by your walls, furniture, and paint. There's no need to negate all those warm, fuzzy feelings about owning your new home because of them. You just need to know what these chemicals are and how to lessen their effect in your new home so you have the cleanest air possible.

Formaldehyde Emissions

Formaldehyde is the most common chemical in new homes. It's used in different types of woods that make up your cabinets, counter tops, and new furniture. Adhesives and other glues can also release the chemical into the your new home's air. Formaldehyde can irritate respiratory systems and exacerbate asthma. You can reduce formaldehyde emissions in your home by using composite wood products that comply to less harmful emission standards.

VOCs: Solving The Solvents

Wood stain, paint thinner and carpet glues are top culprits in VOC emissions. Collectively, they provide much of that "new home" smell you smell when you move into your home. VOCs can be more irritating to sensitive respiratory systems and can harm a person's central nervous system if exposure is long-term and consistent. You can easily reduce your exposure to VOCs by maintaining adequate ventilation in your house. You can alleviate many on-going VOC exposures by keeping chemicals like paint thinner and gas-powered machines like lawn mowers out of attached garages and in storage sheds away from your home. Make sure that your vents are open and that your home ventilation system is operating properly.

GREENGUARD Rating

One sure fire way to alleviate much of your custom home's contaminants is to ask your contractors to make sure that they are using materials that have the GREENGUARD rating. This standard tests and evaluates VOCs that are emitted into homes from building materials. If your contractor is using materials with a GREENGUARD rating for low emissions, you are making headway into keeping your custom home's air quality at its optimum.