Yes, Your Very Own Home or Workplace Could Be Endangering Your Health and Making You Sick…
No building, whether it is a house, school, hospital, church or an office is immune to the sick building syndrome.
Indoor Air Quality – A Public Perspective
On the videotape “Indoor Air Quality – A Public Perspective,” Robert Axelrad of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency stresses that, “The biggest problem that we are dealing with… is a hugely complex problem… the Indoor Air Issue.” In recent years many homes have been retrofitted making them too airtight and with duct cleaning long overdue the air has become stagnant with higher concentrations of pollutants than even outdoors.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency
Visit the US EPA Website
The Lung Association
Research by the Lung Association states that “Canadians spend an average of 90% of their time indoors… 65% of which is at home.” According to further research by the Lung Association, “Individuals who are especially susceptible to indoor air pollution are the very people that spend the most time at home. Babies, pregnant women and the elderly are the major victims of indoor air pollution.” Also, for the many allergy sufferers, asthmatics or anyone with a sensitive respiratory condition, regardless of their age, indoor air pollution can be a constant battle.
Indoor air pollution has been associated with a variety of ailments including headaches, itchy-watery eyes, chronic colds, sore throats, flu, fatigue, allergies, wheezing, sneezing, etc. According to the Lung Association… Facts about your lungs outlined in “Air Pollution and Your Health,” “Polluted air can make healthy people cough and wheeze. For people who are already sick or especially sensitive to air pollution, it may mean discomfort, limited activity, and even a shortened life.”
The Ontario Lung Association
Visit the Ontario Lung Association Website
Every Breath You Take
In the book”Every Breath You Take” Dr. John H. Toogood and Dr. Jean-Luc Malo with Pamela Tames state that “Household dust… made up of animal dander (dandruff), indoor moulds, vegetable fibres, food particles, algae, dirt and insect parts and feces, each constituent of dust can act individually as an allergen.” Furthermore, “In temperate climates, asthma triggered by dusts tends to worsen during cold months when windows are kept shut and forced-air heating systems, which collect a lot of dust, are operating.” In addition, “Even if an asthmatic has only mild symptoms, breathing the cleanest possible air helps to avoid future worsening of the disease.”
Three Vital Steps
So needless to say, the time has come to take a closer look at the pollutant sources in our homes and to initiate steps in order to achieve safer, healthier levels of indoor air. You can wash your walls, windows, floors and have your furnishings and carpets cleaned regularly, but it will all be to no avail, if you do not start by having the ductwork professionally cleaned first. Because the minute the forced air system for heating or cooling comes on, it is blowing dirt and toxic debris throughout your home, not only settling on the contents of your home, but possibly even in your lungs which could be hazardous to your health.
The three vital steps to upgrade the indoor air quality in your home are…
- Have the entire ductwork professionally cleaned, eliminating all the dirt and the toxic debris that has accumulated
- Have an effective air cleaner installed in order to keep the air quality at a safe level
- Have a mechanical HRV installed to ensure that fresh air is entering your home at all times. This will dilute high concentrations of pollutants and also alleviate moisture problems in homes that are too airtight
Protect Yourself and Breathe Clean Air
Call an established duct cleaning company and don’t just shop for the cheapest price but shop for a quality job when it comes to an issue that could affect your health. Check with the Better Business Bureau and with Heating Contractors to make sure that the company is reputable and has the proper equipment to do the job right.
It is rewarding to have gained the trust of most of the Trades in Windsor and Essex County including Heating and Cooling Contractors, Fire Restoration Specialists, New Home Builders and Renovators who refer business to us. But the most rewarding highlight comes when a customer takes the time to look us up at a homeshow to let us know the difference that improved indoor air quality has made in their life and that the benefits of our duct cleaning service are for real.
You are conditioned to the air that you are breathing in your home but after having the ductwork cleaned, you too will experience the benefits of clean air and appreciate the relief it can bring. The decision is yours but you can no longer take clean air for granted!
