During a remodeling project, household dust and other substances are stirred up, which can drastically reduce your indoor air quality. With the following tips, maintaining IAQ while remodeling can be a bit easier.
Plan Ahead With Your Contractors
Have your home inspected before the remodel begins. Remodeling can expose you to hidden dangers, such as lead paint, lead dust, asbestos, radon, mold and mildew. If any of these substances are present, they should be taken care of professionally before work begins.
Consult your remodeling contractor and form a plan for reducing contamination, and determine an appropriate cleaning regimen for the work area. Additionally, ask your HVAC technician about the best way to protect the HVAC system and isolate the work area from the rest of your home during the project.
Prepare the Work Area
As the work begins, use the following steps to protect your IAQ:
- Isolate the work area from the rest of the home by covering doorways and other openings with plastic sheeting that’s secured with masking tape. Cover vents with plastic, as well.
- Use fans to draw air out of the work area to the outdoors. This will create a negative pressure that helps prevent dust from spreading into the rest of the home.
- Schedule work during times your family will be away from home, if possible.
- Clean the work area often and use a vacuum with a quality air filter to collect fine particles.
- Choose building materials, paints and adhesives with low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) when possible, and provide plenty of ventilation as they off-gas to avoid breathing their potentially harmful vapors.
- Read the safety information on any products used during the renovation.
- Change the air filter in your HVAC system before the work begins and after it’s complete to reduce the levels of airborne particles.
To learn more about maintaining indoor air quality while remodeling, talk to our HVAC experts at Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric Company. We’ve served the Yuma area since 1952.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Yuma, Arizona about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about IAQ and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Credit/Copyright Attribution: “PHOTOCREO Michal Bednarek/Shutterstock”
