Why you should carry out an air quality inspection before moving into your new home

A new home brings a world of opportunities and new beginnings for your family. Whether you are leaving the city in search of a healthy suburban lifestyle or are simply moving because you need more space, the home is a place where you need to feel grounded, healthy, safe and happy.

I have come across many families who don’t understand the need for air quality inspections, simply because it is a new home. One of the biggest misconceptions is that only older homes have air quality issues—newer ones do too!

Unlike mould, which can be seen with the naked eye, indoor air pollution is not so easy to detect. Just because you don’t see it or feel like your air is polluted, you still may not be in the clear.

While many of us are concerned about the quality of the air outside our homes, we rarely, if ever, think about our indoor spaces. Can you guarantee that the air inside your home is clean?

If you’re moving into a new home and want to make a fresh start, here are a few more reasons why you need an indoor air quality inspection.

Polluted air can have a detrimental effect on your heart and lungs

Contrary to what you may think about air pollution, what you need to know is that air isn’t light, and right now, it’s pushing on your skin with up to 15 pounds of pressure per square inch. 

Although your skin can’t feel it, your lungs can, especially when the air is full of toxins. 

There are many reasons why you may have polluted air in your new home, including:

  • Smoking inside your home
  • The heating and lighting in your home
  • The use of pesticides and cleaning products
  • we can develop acute and chronic diseases ranging from obvious respiratory diseases to cardiovascular diseases.

    Generally, the risk of developing any type of sickness depends on your overall health, the pollutant type and concentration, and the length of your exposure to polluted air. That said, if pollutants are trapped inside your home, you will experience this sooner than you would if you spent hours outside.

    Your skin is affected by air pollution 

    Your skin is the body’s first line of defence against toxins and pollutants and it is the first organ that can be contaminated. Some studies suggest that the amount of pollutants the skin absorbs is similar to the amount you breathe in.

    Being exposed to air pollutants are associated with several signs of skin ageing, including the development of facial wrinkles, pigmented spots on the skin, fine wrinkles on the back of your hands, and loose skin in the eyelids and cheeks.

    That’s not all. 

    Other studies go on to show how skin microbiota, the microorganisms in your skin that play a key role in skin health, reduces with continued exposure to air pollution. 

    This effect is not only limited to facial skin but skin anywhere on the body. Polluted air can also cause skin inflammation and other skin diseases like acne and eczema.

    Schedule an air quality inspection to improve your quality of life in your new home

    Air quality is an important aspect of a healthy home; given that it’s the very air you breathe, making sure that it’s clean needs to be a top priority if you want to lead a healthier lifestyle.

    At Building Harmony, my goal is to help you make your space a nourishing and enriching environment. I do this by leveraging tried-and-tested principles of building biology to detect air pollution in your home or at work.
    Get in touch today and find out how I can support you with a Healthy Home Assessment to make your new beginning a healthier and more refreshing one.