Benefit: Safety and Indoor Air Quality

Sometimes normal household activities like doing laundry while running the kitchen exhaust fan can depressurize your house enough to cause combustion appliance vents to backdraft gases into the home. These backdrafts can be dangerous, sometimes spewing carbon monoxide, soot, and toxic fumes into the house with serious health and even life-safety effects.

Other safety issues include mold, mildew, and other growths associated with improper moisture control. These problems not only create an unhealthy indoor environment, but they can also damage the structural integrity of your home, requiring costly repairs. Other irritants like dust and spores, can cause discomfort and recurring health problems, especially for those with allergies or asthma.

Green Home Performance contractors have unique qualifications for testing, detecting, and correcting these types of safety issues. We’ve had many homeowners report significant improvements in asthma conditions as a result of a Green Home Energy Update, and many homes have been improved to prevent carbon monoxide leaks and backdrafts.