The Downsides of a Too Tight Home
In the push for energy efficiency in modern homes, builders have taken to building homes that are extremely tight. While it is great for keeping cold air in during the dog days of summer and cold air out when winter’s winds are blowing hard, there are definite downsides to it that you need to know about it.
Indoor Air Quality
The biggest downside for of having a home that is too tight is the fact that over time the indoor air quality begins to suffer – tremendously. It doesn’t take that long either. Everything in the home from building materials to cooking food, and even what people bring into the home on the soles of their shoes has the potential to contaminate the air every day. When these things come into or are introduced into a “tight” home, they have no way to escape and this can lead to poor air quality inside your home.
No Escape for Moisture, Mold, and Mildew
The same concept holds true when it comes to moisture. Moisture is created inside the home and carried throughout the home whenever you prepare meals, take baths, or wash clothes and dishes. Rainy and snowy days bring moisture in on boots and clothes. If you have pets, it’s a never-ending battle to keep moisture from becoming a big problem throughout your home.
What Can You Do to Help?
While you may be saving a great deal of money on your monthly energy bills, that savings could come at a great cost to personal health and the structure of your home. It may appear to be hopeless if you’re going to have to choose between a home that is energy efficient or one allows bad air to escape while bringing fresh, clean air in.
The good news is that there several options that will allow you to have the best of both worlds. You get to enjoy the energy savings of a tight home and clean air to breathe when you install and use a whole house fan into your home. Combined with open windows and proper ventilation, these fans draw heat, moisture, allergens, toxins, and more out of your home leaving breathable air behind instead.
In addition to a whole house fan, or instead of, in areas where opening lower floor windows isn’t practical, consider installing garage exhaust fans to cool your garage by several degrees during the summer while clearing the air. In addition, an attic fan can extend the life of your roof if moisture sits in your attic and turns to ice or frost in the winter.
Little moves let you enjoy real energy savings without increasing risks to your health or your home in the process.