Indoor Air Quality When Building Your New Home
By HiLine Hal
When building a 
new home, indoor air quality is often overlooked, but it is much more important than most people realize. According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, the air inside a home can contain more pollution than the outdoor air in even the most polluted cities. Since most people spend 90 percent of their time indoors, this constitutes a significant health concern.
The American Lung Association warns that poor indoor air quality can contribute to a host of health issues including headaches, fatigue, allergies, nausea, dry eyes, respiratory irritation, and the development of serious lung diseases.
Fortunately, when building a new home, there are steps you can take to significantly improve the quality of your indoor air:
- Choose sealed ceiling fixtures. More dust and other pollutants travel through unsealed fixtures than you would think. By choosing sealed fixtures, you can eliminate this common source of indoor air pollution.
- Make sure you have a properly drained and sealed foundation with capillary breaks between the foundation and the framing. This will prevent moisture transfer and help keep the air in your home free of mold and mildew.
- Seal the wall between your home and your garage. Garages are a common source of pollutants from the exhaust and stored paints and other chemicals. To keep these dangerous pollutants out of the rest of your home, make sure the shared wall between your house and garage is well sealed.
- Choose low-VOC building materials, including primers, caulks, and adhesives. Some materials constantly put volatile organic compounds into the air, and these compounds contribute to respiratory irritation and other health issues. By choosing low-VOC materials, you will create a healthier home environment.
- Properly vent and install appliances, such as furnaces and stoves, to ensure maximum efficiency and minimum pollution.
At HiLine Homes, we take the health of our customers seriously, so our homes include features to maximize indoor air quality. If you want more tips for how to improve indoor air quality or to learn more about how we can help you create a safe and attractive new home, please do not hesitate to contact us.
