The idea that homes could be “sick” is a relatively new concept. It began when people prone to allergies and feeling rundown discovered that being in certain buildings brought on their symptoms.
However, as the years have gone on, more evidence has accumulated that it’s a real phenomenon. Some buildings can literally make you ill.
When you think about it, this makes a lot of sense. You’re in a property all day long and so its condition would inevitably begin to affect you. Eventually, it could lead to full-blow health issues that damage your quality of life.
So, is your home ill? And what are the tell-tale signs? Let’s find out.
Excessive Pest Activities
The first sign that your property might have a problem is, strangely, pest activity. Animals and insects are exceptional at finding locations that provide them with effective habitats, and sometimes this happens even if the environment isn’t helping you.
Rodents are highly likely in most parts of the world, with cockroaches also making an appearance as you go toward the equator. Insects will also settle in your house if they think it can provide them with adequate protection or a proper nesting site.
If you have pests in your home, do the following:
- Seal up cracks and holes around the property to stop them from getting in. Most critters can’t chew their way through proper brick-and-mortar
- Keep food stored in airtight containers in your pantry and vacuum any crumbs
- Clean kitchen countertops and other surfaces used for food preparation to prevent critters from accessing the calories they want (including sticky sugar stains)
- Hire pest control to remove any more challenging infestation scenarios
Water Stains
Another sign you have a problem with your home that could be making you sick is damp spots or water stains. These often appear quickly and suggest something’s wrong with your home’s construction or plumbing.
Don’t leave damp spots to fester indefinitely. Instead, sort them out quickly by finding out what’s causing them.
For example, you can fix this problem by:
- Looking for leaks that might be causing dampness and repairing them
- Monitoring your plumbing system, checking the pressure is correct and that water isn’t escaping through cracked pipes in the walls
- Waterproofing your basement to stop rising damp from affecting the room and causing a hazard
- Checking your gutters to ensure they’re not overflowing and causing water to pour out all over the place
- Checking the roof for additional leaks
High Dust Levels
Another problem some “sick homes” encounter is high dust levels. This usually occurs when the HVAC filters become clogged and require cleaning or replacement.
High dust levels are an issue for anyone with respiratory levels. It can make conditions like COPD and asthma much worse, potentially putting your life at risk.
Fortunately, this problem is relatively easy to solve. Getting air duct cleaning allows you to remove the dust at the source and prevent it from continuing to circulate around your home.
The other option is to rip out the old filters and replace them with new ones. Swapping them for better solutions can stop the issue from cropping up again in the future.
If you can replace filters every 1 to 3 months, then do so. Any more than that could potentially put your air quality at risk.
Carbon Monoxide Issues
Another telltale sign that your home has a problem is frequent headaches and fatigue caused by carbon monoxide gas. These leaks are silent but can have serious health consequences (and be deadly in many cases).
Carbon monoxide is something that boilers and furnaces emit as they burn gas. Usually, the chemical rises from the flue and out of the home. However, it can remain trapped if you don’t maintain your system properly. And when this happens, it can cause all sorts of dangerous health effects.
The reason carbon monoxide is so bad is that it binds to your blood cells preferentially to oxygen. Unfortunately, it can’t deliver anything your cells need, leaving you feeling tired, prone to headaches, and oxygen-deprived.
So, how do you fix this issue?
- Install a carbon monoxide detector to see whether you have elevated gas levels in your home. Modern solutions should beep almost immediately if there’s a problem.
- Get your furnace or boiler serviced to ensure that that leak doesn’t come back
- Install a new boiler if your existing one is too old
Stuffy Air
Another sign your home is sick is stuffy air. If it always feels humid and “close,” then it suggests something’s wrong.
Usually, stale and stuffy air comes from poor home air circulation. The same particles keep going around, increasing the risk of pollution inhalation. Homes can accumulate toxic chemicals from the outside world, leading to excessive and chronic exposure.
The best way to deal with stuffy air is to add exhaust fans to your property. Getting rid of stale air faster makes it less likely it will enter the broader circulation. You can also try using a dehumidifier and filter, or simply opening windows if it is safe to do so.
Many people in this situation also consider adding houseplants and lilies. These purify the air naturally, removing toxins. Just remember, some species are more effective at this than others.
Window condensation
Also, beware of window condensation. It’s another sign that something’s not quite perfect about your home (and could make you sick).
The main culprit of condensation on windows is high indoor humidity. Too much water in the atmosphere can cause it to deposit on cool glass surfaces.
Usually, you will notice this most after taking a shower. You wash the night before and then wake up in the morning to find much of the moisture that was thrown into the air on the inside edge of your windows.
Unfortunately, this process leads to an increase in dust mites and mold growth. Added water to your interiors, makes it more straightforward for life to gain a foothold.
To deal with this, ventilate your home more. You should have some bricks with holes in them or purpose-built vents hiding in the corners of your rooms.
If you don’t have these systems in place, get professionals to install them for you. The more you can increase air circulation, the less likely water will build up elsewhere.
Chemical Odors
If you smell odd odors, that’s another telltale sign that there’s something wrong with your home (and it could make you sick). The most common culprit is VOCs or volatile organic compounds. Researchers believe these are dangerous because they are harmful and potentially outgas carcinogenic substances.
Left unchecked, many of these chemicals can cause headaches, dizziness, and nausea. Some can also make it harder to wake up and leave you feeling rough in the morning.
The tricks for dealing with this problem are many and include:
- Using natural cleaning products instead of artificial ones that hurt the body
- Avoid using VOC-containing paints that could outgas later on
- Install furnishings made of natural materials throughout your home
Peeling Paint
Related to this last telltale sign, peeling paint is another issue that could indicate your home is sick. This problem often occurs in older properties and could indicate you have lead-based paint, which is dangerous, particularly for children.
The best approach for dealing with this problem is to use a DIY testing kit. These detect lead in your paint and let you know how much of it you have (if any at all).
Fortunately, the incidence of lead paint in homes is low since it is such an old technology and has been banned for a long time. However, you might encounter it if your property is considerably older than average, or hasn’t had a renovation since it was built.
If your DIY testing kit tells you that the peeling paint has lead in it, don’t remove it yourself. Instead, look for professionals to hire who can dispose of it safely.
Mildew Smells
Mildew smells are another tell-tale sign that your home is sick. Ideally, it shouldn’t smell of anything (unless you spray it with perfume or use incense).
Mildew is similar to mold and can release spores that the human nose detects as having a fragrance. You often notice these when you enter a room, with the most commonly affected areas being the basement, kitchen, and bathroom.
If you have a problem with mildew, the usual suspect is leaks. These allow water to enter the room and provide the raw materials mildew needs to survive and thrive.
To prevent this, seal up the gaps, particularly in the bathroom where the problems are usually the worst. Then, plug in your dehumidifier and leave it on for a couple of days to reduce the moisture in your home as much as possible (Leaving these appliances on for longer helps to draw water from the floors, ceiling, and wall, making them permanently dryer, like the day it was made).
So there you have it: some of the telltale signs your home is making you sick, and what to do about it.
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