09/11/2023
The post everyone has asked for… This is both realtor/“crunchy mom" related, which is why I linked it to both of my pages.
To give you some background, for the past few years we’ve been on this journey to living a healthier life, not just for us but for our kids as well. We’ve done this by evaluating the products we use, the food/drinks we consume, the things we expose ourselves to, and much more. Along with that, we’ve had a few small issues in our house, which pushed us to dig a little deeper.
If you live in a new construction home or are considering a new construction home, builders are making homes more energy-efficient, which is great! However, with this, it can cause a few kinks along the way.
One of the largest issues we’ve had is keeping the humidity down in our home. Your home should be as close to 50% humidity as possible. When looking at our thermostats, especially upstairs, sometimes they showed as high as 75-80% humidity. Among some other small issues, we ultimately decided to hire an environmentalist to come out and do a complete inspection on our home. Not only did he give us solutions to help with the humidity, but he also tested the quality of the air we breathe each day and gave us some great suggestions.
The key takeaways:
1 - After moving into your home, hire a professional to clean and sanitize your ductwork - don’t just blow it out! This will help your A/C unit operate more efficiently and it also prevents you from breathing in all the debris from the building process. You should do this every 3-5 years.
2 - Your thermostat should tell you the humidity of your home, however they aren’t always accurate. Ours showed a 12-15% difference which can cause you to react when it’s not necessarily needed. To help with this, purchase a Hygrometer for each level of your home. You want this to read as close to 50% as possible. In the Winter, you will likely need to add moisture with a humidifier and in the Summer, you might need a dehumidifier.
3 - I know this is going to be the pain point for most BUT skip the gorgeous light fixtures and have multiple ceiling fans throughout your home. Run your ceiling fans on low 24-hours a day. “Air is only healthy as long as it’s moving.” Think of it like pond water… Pond water doesn't circulate, which is why it tends to be gross, and most people don’t want to swim in it. The air you breathe is the same way.
4 - Use antimicrobial air filters and change them out every three months (PM me for the brand and I can send you a link.) Since our ductwork was so dirty, at times, I was replacing them every month and we have six.
5 - Last but not lease, add air purifiers in your home. These won't fix all your issues, but they are the "icing on the cake”.
We loved the environmentalist we used and I’m happy to pass along their information to anyone that is interested in their services.
Chelsey Rojas, Realtor
Constantine Real Estate Group
📱 615.796.5151
📧 [email protected]
📸 Cassidy Jo Photography
