You know the signs of that first fall cold. Unfortunately, there’s little you can do but allow it to run its course, hoping to ease the symptoms. Your home can be just as susceptible to seasonal conditions, feeling sick because of exposure to problematic elements. Fortunately, you can take preventive measures and make some simple home repairs to stave off many of these seasonal discomforts. You can also act quickly as you notice issues to limit the impact on your household.
Consider the following four ways you may be making your home feel sick.
Poor Ventilation (the Cough)
A stuffy home atmosphere can be unpleasant, and the impact affects your home as much as it does you. Attic ventilation is critical for keeping your roofing system intact, and you may find that excessive attic insulation or blocked soffits are making it tough for your home to breathe. Additionally, your living spaces can be affected by emissions from cooking products, laundry materials, office supplies and more. Balanced mechanical ventilation can help in moving fresh air into your living spaces as it exhausts polluted air from laundry areas or bathrooms. Review your home’s lungs to be sure that your structure is breathing in a healthy manner.
Dirty Ducts (the Stuffy Nose)
As particulates move through your home, ducts can accumulate material over time. Germs, mold and bacteria can also be harbored in these spaces, affecting the air that passes through. Restricted airflow has a negative impact on the performance of your central heating and cooling equipment, and exposure of your air supply to the germs harbored in the ducts can be detrimental as well. Duct cleaning is an effective way to remove excess debris and to address issues such as the presence of mold. Additionally, a duct inspection is helpful for evaluating the presence of leaks, another issue that can impact household health and home energy performance.
Air Leaks (the Chills)
A case of the chills can be miserable, especially if there’s a consistent fluctuation between being too hot and too cold. Your home’s air leaks can result in drafts and inconsistent temperatures from space to space. Fortunately, it’s very inexpensive to seal air leaks. Use caulk at window panes and other breaches in exterior walls to fill in gaps. Use weather stripping at doors. Keep extra material handy to quickly address new leaks during the winter months.
Excessive Heat (the Fever)
Older furnaces tend to operate with only a full-force heat setting. The blast of heat can be overwhelming and uncomfortable, drying out the indoor environment and making conditions miserable. It may be wise to consider upgrading to a two-stage furnace with low levels of heat output for milder days. Reserve that high stage operation for the chilliest days in the Huntsville, Texas, area and tame that feverish heat when conditions aren’t so extreme.
The Beckham & Jones Heating & Air Conditioning team is available for HVAC maintenance, the equivalent of a physical for your home. Head off the fall fever and unexpected comfort issues by contacting our office for a tune-up today.
