When planning your home renovation project near San Francisco, you are probably busy looking at paint colors, new appliances, and your future decorating scheme. These are important choices to make, but your indoor air quality is just as important to consider. You may not realize that performing renovations on your home may result in future breathing problems for you or your family. Continue reading to learn more about the link between your indoor air quality and your home renovations .

Updating Outdated or Banned Materials

During your renovation project, you may be updating your bathroom or kitchen with better and newer appliances. However, you must also look to the flooring, painting, and other building materials that were used in addition to your older appliances. Some building materials, such as paint, may contain banned substances, like lead, that could cause significant health problems. If you are updating a bedroom or living room, then consider the age of the flooring. Outdated carpeting may not only be displeasing to the eye, but you may have poor indoor air quality from it too.

Staying Protected While Renovating

While you are doing any sort of home remodeling, you should remain protected at all times. If you are working in an attic or crawlspace, then wear a mask to protect yourself from breathing in dust or other harmful contaminants. In the event you are working with wood or building materials—such as hanging drywall or knocking down walls—then wear a breathing mask to avoid inhaling drywall and wood dust. You must keep yourself protected however possible when performing home renovations.

Testing Air Quality Before Renovating

Proactively testing the indoor air quality before renovations is another smart way to prevent health problems in the future. Professional technicians can test your indoor air quality to locate potentially harmful bacteria, such as mold or asbestos. They can also help you choose the right building materials and products to ensure your home renovations are safe. These services are essential to performing a healthy and safe remodeling project.

Just as you are probably choosing more energy-efficient appliances, you will benefit most by choosing healthier building materials during your house remodel. Healthier home renovations near San Francisco will result in a more enjoyable remodeling project and a better environment for you and your family to live in. Here is a quick look at some healthy materials to use for your home remodeling and why you can benefit most by choosing them:

There are certain materials that have been deemed as “volatile organic compounds,” also called VOCs. These materials should be avoided at all cost during your home remodeling project. Products filled with VOCs can cause harmful off-gassing after your renovation is complete, which may result in health problems. You should also choose building materials that prevent mold and bacteria growth. Many flooring and paint materials offer this benefit, and it is healthier to choose these for your next home remodeling project. Mold, mildew, and other bacteria can cause a significant amount of respiratory problems, including increased asthma symptoms, allergies, and even cancer. Choose healthier home renovation materials to ensure you have a healthy renovation and future.

Home renovations and new constructions are using better and more insulated materials than ever before. However, these same materials could also be causing poorer indoor air quality in San Francisco and around the country, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA. Watch the video for a more in-depth look at five indoor air quality concerns .

1. Carbon monoxide, even in low doses, can cause headaches, fatigue, and dizziness.
2. Microbial growths, like mold and bacteria, can cause asthma, headaches, and more severe health problems.
3. Allergens, such as pollen and dust, can cause allergy symptoms.
4. Infectious diseases, like colds or flus, can continually circle through a home’s HVAC system.
5. Home remodeling materials, gases, and pesticides all fall under the toxic compounds category.

Homebuilders and renovators should strive for healthier home renovations by using healthier materials. They should also have professional air quality testing performed.

Your home inspection should include a thorough indoor air quality test before you officially purchase your new home. This home inspection in San Francisco can tell you a number of features you may not know before buying a house , such as if mold is growing and other dangerous air quality issues.

You can locate future problem areas.

Many homes may have certain areas of the house, such as the bathroom, that may be hotspots for the occasional mold growth or bacteria buildup. There may be a ventilation register or section of the HVAC system that has reduced airflow. These are not reasons to back out of buying your dream home. However, they are good traits to know as you go through buying a house, and they can only come with an indoor air quality test. You can then make the decision to remodel those areas after you have purchased the home.

You can back out before purchasing an unsafe home.

On the other hand, there are some houses that have a host of problems, including extensive mold growth, gas leaks, plumbing problems, and many more. Unless you are looking for a fixer-upper house, you should not be pulled into purchasing an unsafe home. A thorough home inspector will test the home’s air quality, plumbing, electricity, and all other utilities to ensure the house is safe for you and your family. If it is deemed unsafe or has too many damages, then you can find out before you move in.

You can learn more about your future home.

Even though you are likely to receive a lot of history from your realtor or the former owners, there are certain features of a new home that can only be answered with a home inspection. You may find out where there were previous mold problems or if fire and smoke damage had ever occurred. These are just a few of the many benefits you will find when an inspector performs an indoor air quality test.

Whether you are buying a new house, planning a home renovation, or want to improve the comfort of your home, testing a house’s indoor air quality in San Francisco is a smart decision. These thorough evaluations can alert you to problems that affect the safety of the building’s air, allowing you to address any issues as needed.

When a house is tested for contaminants such as asbestos, lead, and mold, the process usually involves several steps. First, an experienced team arrives at the home and conducts an extensive inspection, during which the members will search for any areas that could harbor contaminants that might affect the house’s indoor air quality.

After evaluating all areas of the building, the team will carefully obtain samples of any suspect materials. Next, the samples are sent to a lab for testing and identification. Finally, the testing company will report the findings to you and discuss any recommended treatment or abatement services to improve the home’s indoor air quality.

When planning a home renovation near San Francisco, you have a lot to consider regarding the project’s design. In addition to dimensions, layout, and style, the effect of the remodel on your indoor air quality , or IAQ, should be factored into your decisions. During new construction, there are several reasons why you should talk to your contractor about your home’s air quality.

To Make the Most of Your Home Remodel

Whether your house is new or old, there may be existing materials that are affecting your family’s health. If it is poor, the quality of your indoor air can cause allergic reactions, discomfort, and even illness for anyone residing in the home. A renovation, however, gives you the ideal opportunity to address the construction of your home in a way that improves your IAQ. After having an air quality test performed, talk with your contractor about any areas you’d like to remove or repair to address any IAQ issues.

To Remove Unhealthy Materials from Your Home

Home remodeling gives you the chance to tear out or contain any dated, damaged, or unhealthy materials that may be affecting your IAQ. For older houses, lead and asbestos are common issues that homeowners face during a remodel. Also, bacteria, mold, and mildew can develop in both newer and older homes. Before you begin your renovation, schedule a professional IAQ evaluation for your home to identify any contaminants you are facing. Next, speak with your contractor about the best course of action regarding the removal of problematic construction materials and any need for lead or asbestos removal services.

To Choose Materials that Support Better Indoor Air

In addition to addressing any problematic materials in the construction area, the home remodel allows to you to replace these with new and better options. Today, there are products available that can resist the growth of bacteria, mold, and mildew to help protect your home’s IAQ. Also, the VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, found in some construction materials can release vapor into the air that lowers indoor air quality, so speak with your contractor about your low or no-VOC options.

Are you thinking of buying a house in San Francisco ? If so, then it’s vital that you consider the indoor air quality of a home before committing to purchase. Poor indoor air can affect your family’s comfort and health, and may also indicate a problem with the home. When considering a house, there are several questions that you should ask your real estate agent about the building’s indoor air quality:

What can you tell me about the air quality of this home?

Your real estate agent isn’t an expert in air quality or the factors that can affect it. However, she can help you find professionals who can evaluate the house to provide you with insight into its air quality. Before buying a house, checking the indoor air quality should be considered essential. A standard house inspection will not necessarily catch potential problems, so it’s ideal to schedule a dedicated air quality inspection.

Does this home contain any lead-based paint or asbestos?

When the materials in a home contain lead or asbestos, they tend to be benign as long as the structure of the material is in good condition and left undisturbed. However, it’s important to ask your realtor about these two substances. Even if neither is a deal breaker for you, it’s essential that you be aware of the presence of lead-based paint and asbestos so you can keep an eye on the state of the containing materials. Additionally, lead and asbestos can affect your ability to safely remodel your home.

Are there any signs of mold in this home?

Mold is a contaminant that is found in many homes. While it may not cause serious problems in small amounts, the presence of mold can indicate a water leak or water damage in the building. Additionally, when not dealt with, mold can grow into a significant issue that can affect the health of your family, as well as ruin your belongings and harm the structure of the home. Finding out if the home inspector spotted mold can help you make a better-informed decision when you buy your new house.

The summer season has arrived, and many homeowners are choosing to embark on seasonal home renovation projects. When you are embarking on a bathroom or kitchen remodel, you may want to schedule indoor air quality testing with a company that serves the San Francisco area.

Indoor air quality testing is an essential part of the renovation process. By taking the time to inspect the air quality of your indoor spaces, you can make sure that you are not creating a health or safety hazard when you remodel your home. For example, your inspector can check for black mold, asbestos, and a variety of other toxic substances. If an indoor air quality issue is exposed, you will be able to schedule a remediation that will allow you to fix the issue at the source. A company that offers air quality testing will be able to provide you with peace of mind before you get started on a renovation or construction project.

Indoor air can be as much as ten times more polluted than the air that you breathe outdoors. To take a look at what the latest science says about indoor air quality, check out this video.

When chemicals and other forms of pollution are brought indoors, they can become concentrated in your indoor spaces. Fortunately, by hiring a company that offers air quality testing near San Francisco , you can make sure that your indoor spaces are free of black mold and other forms of pollution. Indoor air quality inspections are particularly important before you complete a renovation or construction project. By taking the time to test your air quality before your remodel, you can rest assured that you are completing a healthier home renovation.