How to Create a Healthier Home - Part 2

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:

3. My home always feels humid.
A consistent indoor temperature can not only create a more comfortable living environment, but is also usually indicative of a good building envelope. Humidity or temperature fluctuations may be solved by looking at features such as appropriately sized HVAC equipment, high R-value insulation in floors, walls and ceilings, and proper ventilation — including not only bathrooms and kitchens, but also ensuring the dryer is vented to the outside.

4. I feel outside air getting in when I’m standing near my windows.
Solving air leaks can help ensure consistent temperature indoors and minimize utility bills by keeping conditioned air indoors. Features to consider can be as straightforward as making sure you have appropriate weatherstripping around windows and doors, as well as an appropriately-sized HVAC system, or may involve installing double- or triple-pane windows with lower solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) and U-factors.

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.