Essence of Home Improvement

Posts Tagged ‘VOC’

Remove as Many Allergens and Irritants as Possible – Smoke, pet dander and a buildup of household dust (when was the last time you dusted the tops of your kitchen cabinets?) are all obvious allergens and irritants. But so are the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) emitted by certain paints and carpets. If you are considering having your home painted in the near future make sure you ask your painting contractor to use paints that are “low VOC”.

Install detectors – Most homes have a smoke detector or two, but do you have one that also detects carbon monoxide? Excess amounts of this gas can be emitted from faulty heating systems or even malfunctioning clothes dryers and gas stoves and it is highly toxic even in very low concentrations. Its chemical cousin, carbon dioxide, is also colorless and odorless in low concentrations, but can cause serious problems, even death. In addition to installing detectors you should also have your heating system checked by an HVAC professional regularly and make sure all appliances are properly vented.

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