Great Question! The problem... levels of indoor air pollutants can often be many times greater than those of air pollutants outside our homes and buildings. This is coupled with the fact that in this country we spent about 90% of our time indoors, and the majority of that time in our houses! So, the air quality in your home is a important issue to consider.

The typical contaminants of indoor air include by products of combustion (nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, tobacco smoke), pollutants released from building materials (formaldehyde in particle board, furniture and some carpeting), volatile organic compounds (paints, wood preservatives, aerosol sprays, cleaners and disinfectants), heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, radon and molds.

So, how do you improve your indoor air quality? First, remove as many of the existing contaminants as you can, and avoid bringing new pollutants into your home whenever possible. One easy improvement is to leave your outdoor shoes by the front door! And second, make sure you have sufficient ventilation in your home to provide for adequate air exchange.

Improving ventilation can be as simple as opening a window or turning on an indoor fan that vents to the outside for a period of time each day. The current standard for minimal indoor air quality is a complete exchange of the air inside your house with outdoor air every three hours. So, the trick to having an energy efficient AND healthy home is to "seal it tight and ventilate it right." A home energy auditor can help you get there. Thanks for asking!