How to Create a Healthier Home - Part 1

We’ve all spent more time in our homes in the last two years than we likely ever expected to spend indoors. As such, you may have started to add some items to your to-do list around the house based on some of the conditions or elements that may be impacting your comfort and well-being.  Enlisting a builder or remodeler to help is step No. 1 to figure out what the issue may be and determine the best solutions. Here are a couple common issues that you may want to bring to their attention:

1. When I cook, the smell lingers. 
This is likely a ventilation issue, so you may want to consider asking about features such as kitchen range hoods, smart appliances, or heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems with sensors or automation to help alleviate the issue. 
 
2. Someone in my family has allergies and asthma.
Healthier indoor air quality can make a huge difference. Features that can assist with this include bathroom exhaust fans, a kitchen range hood, high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, HVAC systems with sensors and automation, and materials that are low in volatile organic compounds (VOC) to minimize the number of pollutants in the air.

For more information on how to talk to builders about health or efficiency concerns in your home, contact Home Performance Counts — a joint initiative between the National Association of Home Builders and the National Association of REALTORS — at homeperformancecounts.info, or contact the Central Washington Home Builders Association.