Anyone who lives in Greenville and suffers from allergies knows that this Spring has been particularly bad in comparison to past years. According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, roughly 7.8% of people 18 and over in the U.S. suffer from hay fever. For many, allergies start hitting the minute they walk out the door. Others, however, aren’t so lucky. Plenty of South Carolinians find themselves dealing with allergy issues within the comfort of their own homes. More often than not, the problem stems from poor indoor air quality.

What Causes Poor Indoor Air Quality?

Many people don’t realize that indoor air is often quite a bit dirtier than air located outside of the home; sometimes up to 100 times more polluted. It’s an environmental threat recognized by the EPA, and it affects people all throughout the world. Understanding how indoor air quality can suffer isn’t always easy, however. Every situation is different, but the following are just a few common contributing factors —

• Chemicals from building materials

• Smoke

• Dust / debris

• Mold

• Outdoor air pollution

Some of these issues stem from inside the home, while others occur externally. You may think that there’s nothing you can do about the latter scenario, but the truth is that there are steps you can take to improve indoor air quality no matter what the issues at hand may be. One of the most effective ways to get started is to focus on your home’s building envelope.

Improving Your Home’s Building Envelope

It’s important to view your home as exactly what it is — a system. Furthermore, it helps to consider how your home interacts with its surroundings. The building envelope is essentially what separates the conditioned and unconditioned parts of your home. Unsurprisingly, a poorly-designed building envelope will allow outside air into the home, which can contribute heavily to the allergies that so many Greenville residents are suffering from currently.

Improving the building envelope with air sealing and insulation can help to ensure that issues such as these are not only controlled, but disappear completely. It all starts with a home energy audit from Benton Green Energy, which will give you a complete view of any issues plaguing your home and the information you’ll need to decide how to move forward. You wouldn’t go years without a checkup at the doctor’s office, so what about your home? Knowledge is power when it comes to improving home performance, and conducting a home energy audit is the most effective route to take.

Don’t let allergies get you down this spring. Contact us today to learn more about how to improve your home’s building envelope.