Have you ever noticed the incredible amount of dust and particles in the air around a construction site? Ever wondered where it all goes?
It’s one thing when construction work is happening outdoors with open-air ventilation and nature to disperse it, but what happens when it’s a renovation inside your home? The answer is that it settles inside your home on every surface and crevice available. It even lands in your air vents and deep down into your air ducts if you don’t take the proper preventative measures before construction begins.
Protecting the Air You Breathe
When it comes to the health and safety of you and your family in your home, the quality of the air you breathe should be a top priority. Springtime is a popular season for making home improvements. We want to help you protect your lungs during all your home renovation projects with these five strategies.
Protect Your HVAC System: Cover Air Vents
If you’re renovating one room or one section of the house, cover the air vents to prevent excess dust particles from settling into the air ducts. If you leave these vents open with the idea that you’ll vacuum at the end of the project, you might forget.
Keeping your vents open also lets the dust settle deeper into the ducts where your vacuum can’t reach. The next time you turn on your air conditioning or heat, you’ll have a rude surprise as clouds of dust pop out of the vents all over your house. You can easily seal your vents with some plastic sheeting or a garbage bag.
Let Natural Air Circulate (Open Windows and Doors)
If you’re renovating the interior of your home, we recommend that once you’ve covered the air vents, open the doors and windows when possible. This allows for a natural exchange of air. A natural breeze will help a portion of the dust travel outside rather than settling inside. It also helps your workers breathe better on the job.
Contain Dust to a Specific Area (Seal Windows and Doors)
If you’re renovating the outside of your home or installing a deck, you can seal the exterior windows and doors to prevent sawdust and other construction particles from seeping inside. Containing construction debris not only improves your air quality inside but it also reduces the mess you’ll need to clean up later.
Remove Allergens With an Industrial Vacuum
At the end of any renovation project, you should use an industrial-grade vacuum to suck up the dust and debris. Don’t use your regular vacuum, as it is not designed to hold industrial-grade debris and could be damaged in the process. Industrial vacuums also use special filters that trap more particles than your home vacuum. If you’re concerned about the amount of dust that has gathered or you have sensitivity and allergies to dust, we recommend hiring a professional duct cleaning service provider like Clean Air Solutions to vacuum out your HVAC system.
Use a Commercial-Grade Air Purifier
If you have a high sensitivity to dust, you could use a commercial-grade air purifier in the rooms closest to the renovation site. You could also place an air purifier in your bedroom to give you a better night’s sleep. If you’re planning a large-scale home renovation, your best option might be to stay somewhere else while the construction phase is happening.
Your HVAC and Duct Cleaning Specialists Serving Edmonton and Northern Alberta
If you live in the Edmonton area and are planning home renovations this spring and summer, contact us at Clean Air Solutions Ltd. We’ll be happy to answer all of your air quality questions and provide an estimate for duct cleaning and furnace cleaning.
