What Are VOCs in the Home?

What are VOCs?

VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compounds. Doesn’t necessarily sound like something you want to have in abundance in the place where you live and breathe, does it? VOCs are carbon-based chemicals found in everyday items that typically evaporate at room temperature. An abundance of VOCs in the home can have a dramatically damaging effect on your indoor air quality, leading to something called “Sick Building Syndrome”. Poor indoor air quality can be a very serious, health-threatening issue. Some people are very sensitive to VOCs, experiencing headaches, nausea, or other effects from exposure. Especially susceptible to the risks are pregnant women and those with respiratory issues, as VOCs in the home are a frequent cause of indoor asthma attacks.

Dangerous indoor levels

It’s not uncommon to smell high levels of particular VOCs, such as the smell of a new car, house paint, or certain types of flooring. Yet, odor is not an accurate indication of the level of risk associated with inhaling these chemicals. While all VOCs have to potential to be harmful, a select number commonly found in the home are particularly dangerous. Among the most dangerous are formaldehyde, benzene, and phenol. These agents are classified as Hazardous Air Pollutants by the U.S. EPA. Inside the home, concentration levels can become more than 100 times their levels outdoors.

7 Ways to Fight VOCs in the Home

1. Create ventilation

• Use a ceiling fan
• Open windows (weather permitting)

2. Say no to carpeting

• Carpet fibers & carpet pads a primary culprit
• Use a top performance HEPA vacuum cleaner when carpet is present

3. Fill your home with live plants

• Green plants are a natural air purifier capable of filtering more than 85% of common indoor chemical toxins every 24 hours & eliminating dust particles by 20%

4. Use VOC-free paint interior wall paint

• The average wall paint contains acetaldehyde and formaldehyde, among the most dangerous VOCs.
• Use a VOC-encapsulating primer to seal previously existing paint.

5. Give new furniture and decorative items an outdoor off-gassing period

• Allow new items ample time to off-gas outdoors before bringing them inside your home.
• Recommended period is at least 24 hours, but the longer the better.
• An open garage is an alternative in poor weather conditions.
• Focus on anything known to contain VOCs or with a chemical odor.
• Resist purchasing affordable MDF (pressed wood) furniture

6. Discontinue use of chemically laden scented home products

• Most widely available air fresheners and candles are made with harmful VOCs shown to create serious health risks for children and adults.

7. Use an air purifier

• Multiples are preferred, especially in highest use areas of the home.

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Contact  From the Ground Up Inspections today

For all your Middle Tennessee home inspection needs, contact From the Ground Up Inspections. To learn more about our services, prices or to schedule an appointment, call (615) 351-1922. We look forward to serving you!

For info on special offers & updates, click here:  http://www.homeinspectionsmurfreesborotn.com/

Red Flag or Red Herring?

Don’t go it alone

When you’re thinking of buying a home with more than one previous owner, there are many variables to consider. It can be daunting to pursue the purchase of any property, particularly because there is no real assurance that all of the building’s history is known, let alone shared in a disclosure report. When you’re facing what may possibly be the largest financial investment of your life, you don’t want to go it alone.

What’s the extent of the damage?

For example, what does it mean when you happen to stumble upon painted sheathing and rafters in the attic space of a building? Typically, the presence of paint upon portions of an unfinished attic is a telltale sign of previous fire damage. A shellac based paint is used to seal the charred wood in order to prevent the escape of noxious odors resulting from fire damage. But how can you be sure that the level of damage sustained in the fire has been properly addressed, especially when the current owner seems to have no knowledge of a fire event in the history of the home?

Red flag or red herring?

For many potential home buyers, this is a clear deal breaker. But it doesn’t have to be. That’s a key benefit of hiring an experienced professional home inspector. There are certain issues that may read as red flags to the average home buyer. However, upon closer inspection with a professional, what had initially appeared to be a red flag may be revealed to be a true red herring - leaving you face to face with a rare hidden gem. Wouldn’t it be great to be so…..lucky? No, the word is smart.

Contact From the Ground Up Inspections

When it comes to smart decisions, an experienced, licensed building inspector knows where to look and what to look for. That’s why calling From the Ground Up Inspections may be the smartest decision you ever make. We promise to dig deep to ensure you know what you are getting into with your purchase - from the ground up! Contact From the Ground Up Inspections for all your Middle Tennessee home inspection needs. To learn more about our services, prices or to schedule an appointment, call (615) 351-1922.

For info on special offers & updates, click here:  http://www.homeinspectionsmurfreesborotn.com/