How do I find the indoor air quality of my home and how is it measured?

For many homeowners, they don’t think about the air quality in their homes or how it affects them. Indoor air quality has become a leading cause of health issues to residents over the past few decades. Most people don’t even realize that these contaminants can be found in their homes. However, simple testing can lead to answers, information, and solutions.

The major leading causes of poor air:

• Lead
• Formaldehyde
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
• Radon
• Smoke
• Mold

Testing options for you:

• Lead Testing:
  • There are many tests that you can do as a homeowner to find out what is affecting your air indoors. Lead can be tested through an licensed professional that can use a 3M LeadCheck or a D-Lead test. Both these tests identify any lead in paint used on surfaces, such as wood, metal, or walls.
• Formaldehyde Testing:
  • Simple testing kits can be purchased that test for formaldehyde, which can be caused from smoking in homes and homes with new products or construction. Products that might be high with formaldehyde are manufactured wood used in laminate flooring, plywood, particleboard, and cabinetry. Permanent pressed fabrics, such as curtains or furniture, can have formaldehyde, and so can household glues, paints, pesticides, cosmetics, and detergents.

• • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Testing:
    • VOCs are found more indoors that outdoors and can be found in cleaners, paints, wax, varnishes, and regular household disinfecting products. Testing kits for VOCs are cost affordable and can be used by you, the homeowner, and sent back in for readings.
    • Radon Testing:
      • Radon is another major pollutant in your home and should be tested by a certified and trained contractor. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) have worked together to ensure that you have licensed contractors that know what to test for and what the dangerous levels are. Radon can be found in the soil and ground on which your home is built. The EPA has a voluntary National Radon Proficiency Program for licensed contractors to go through, which enables them to identify and resolve any radon problem in your home. You can check out more info on Radon Testing at cpsc.gov and www.epa.gov.
    • Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Testing:
      • Other household pollutants can be easily detected too! Carbon monoxide and smoke detectors are the homeowners’ first line of defense against poor air quality. You don’t have to be a smoker to have issues with smoke in your home. Smoke can be found in homes with chimneys and through previous homeowners who have smoked.
    • Mold Testing:
      • Mold is another common effect on air quality in your home. Mold can be found wherever there is moisture or in areas with poor ventilation. Mold testing can be done through purchasing a home kit and the samples you pull from your home can be sent off to a laboratory for analysis. The best option is to hire a trusted professional to test for mold, which has the most accurate results.

Regardless of what your air quality indoors is, there are many ways of find answers and solutions. Home kits are available for some testing but for the best results, you should bring in a qualified professional to test your home for everyday pollutants. Licensed contractors provide timely and trusted results every time!

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