Survive Your Upcoming Home Reno with these 3 Expert Air Quality Tips

Renovating a home can take weeks or even months, and very often it is not affordable or practical for you to relocate while the work is being done. It can be a challenge to plan your everyday life around the noise, fumes, and dust that is often necessary to get things done.

One of the worst parts of this process is keeping your air fresh and breathable, as all of the sawing, drilling, varnishing, and painting can raise a great deal of dust, as well as spread toxins into your living spaces.

However, with just a few clever lifestyle hacks, you can manage to survive the worst aspects of this transition, without having to inhale dust or fumes.

1. Plan Your Everyday Life Around Your Renovation

One way to prevent home renovations from disrupting your life is to do a bit of planning ahead of time.

Think of ways you can curate your living arrangements so that you are well out of the way of any noise, fumes or disruptive workmen.

It helps to set strong boundaries with contractors, making it clear that they only have access to certain areas of your house.

It is a very good idea to seal off areas that are being varnished, painted or demolished with sheets of plastic that reach from ceiling to floor. This will help keep the indoor air pollution that is part of a home renovation, away from your living quarters.

2. Be Aware Of Disturbing Toxic Building Materials

One way to maintain your air quality is to do be well prepared in case your contractors manage to find toxic materials embedded in your walls. This can include fiberglass insulation, which releases tiny threads of glass into the air, asbestos and black mold. If you live in a much older house, then you might have to consult with an environmental specialist to determine how severe the problem might be and how to handle their removal from the walls of your home and contain it safely.

Many different solutions might be suggested, including shutting down your HVAC system temporarily, installing protective sheeting and you might be advised to leave the home for a while if the material is known to be very hazardous to human health. In conclusion, it is crucial or Albuquerque NM residents to plan ahead so that your life will not be completely turned upside down by a home renovation. If you are worried about air quality in your home, then you also might want to consider replacing your entire HVAC system.

This is important nowadays because extremes of temperature all over the world are making it necessary for people to use these systems more often. It is also a good idea to replace your air filters at least twice a year, but more often if you are renovating or suffering from asthma or allergies. The diligent use of clean air filters helps keep your indoor air breathable. Replacing air filters frequently can also help you maintain your HVAC system and reduce the cost of your energy bills.

3. Replace Your HVAC Air Filters Frequently

Replace your HVAC air filters as often as every week while renovations are being done in your home.

This is because your system can easily be overloaded by the amount of dust and particulate matter it might be trying to filter as it jettisons air through your home’s rooms.

It is best to only operate air conditioning or heating units in rooms that are not being renovated, if possible, as turning fans on high can cause dust to be sucked up from the work area and through various living areas.