The air inside a house is generally two to five times worse than the air outside on a busy city street. Though it sounds hard to believe, when you think about how home construction has changed over the years, it’s understandable. It used to be that homes would “breathe” to the point where there’d be 10 to 20 air changes per hour. Nowadays, construction has improved the energy efficiency of buildings significantly, but the flipside is that air changes are down to about 3 to 7 per hour. Without adequate mechanical ventilation, stale and polluted air becomes trapped indoors, leading to poorer air quality.
There are ways to check for air quality problems yourself. A good first place to start is to sniff around for a musty smell which indicates the presence of mould. It’s easy enough to smell as long as your nose isn’t stuffed up or you’re not wearing powerful perfume that blocks the smell. You could also buy or borrow an air quality monitor that will test for certain air quality issues, though they only test for certain air quality problems and their accuracy is limited.
If you don’t suspect a problem with your air quality and you’re not suffering from any particular health condition or there’s not one of the other reasons to have your air quality checked (refer to the list below), those steps would likely be enough. But if you really want to be sure of your air quality, you’ll want to hire a professional as they can deliver a more detailed and reliable assessment of your home’s air quality than your nose or a consumer product can give you.
When Would You Want to Have Your Indoor Air Quality Checked
Here are five general criteria to consider when deciding whether to get your indoor air quality checked. The first point is the most important of them all. If you have any health issues or are in an at-risk group that could be reason enough to test your air quality. Add on any of the other factors, and it’s even more important to check your air.
Health problems or at-risk group – If you have a health condition, such as a respiratory or cardiovascular problem or multiple chemical sensitivity, indoor air quality will have more of an impact on you. Another reason worth getting your indoor air checked is if you’re experiencing unexplained health issues. If you find yourself coughing a lot, getting headaches, wheezing, short of breath, or have chest pain, it could be due to poor air quality in your home or workplace. It’s particularly evident if you notice these problems after being in the building awhile and then the problem goes away after leaving for some time. Another risk factor is having young kids, pregnant or elderly people using the building as they are more susceptible to air quality issues.
Concerned about particular pollutants – If you have reason to believe that there’s a particular air pollutant in your home, testing is worthwhile. Perhaps there was water damage from a flood or you otherwise found mould and you think it could be inside the walls. Or perhaps you live in an area with a high level of radon gas poisoning. You might also be concerned your HVAC system is not functioning properly and outputting toxins. All these are good reasons to do an assessment.
Before purchasing or renting – It’s happened far too many times that someone bought or rented a home, only to find out their body rejects the home after moving in and they have to completely gut the house to remedy the problem or move out. This is particularly an issue with old buildings or anywhere there’s a concern about potential contaminants. If you’re at all concerned do air quality testing.
Get the Green Building Project Checklist
Use this handy checklist on your next project to keep track of all the ways you can make your home more energy-efficient and sustainable.
Post-construction or remodelling – This could also be a good time to do air quality testing. Construction creates dust and releases other pollutants in the air. Even something as simple as putting in new cabinets or carpets could offgas harmful toxins. For someone who is sensitive to air quality issues these issues can prove significant.
Workplaces, institutions or commercial buildings – Anywhere there’s a large number of people using a building there’s a greater responsibility to ensure air quality is sound. There’s also a greater chance there will be someone who is highly sensitive to air quality problems. Regular air quality testing is something to integrate into routine maintenance.
Check out this video for more ideas on whether you need to do IAQ testing.
Indoor Air Quality Testing Companies in Canada
Below is a listing of some air quality testers in Canada. When searching for an air quality technician, it’s best to take some time to talk to a few of them, explain your situation, and ask a bunch of questions. Ask about their experience, what their process is, and what you can expect after the initial inspection.
Credentials are helpful to certify their proficiency. There are many, but here are a few to look for: International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI), IICRC, and AIHA. You can usually find them listed on their website. If not, ask about them. Same goes for insurance and licensing. If they don’t list it on their website, it’s worth asking about – if a company carries errors and omissions insurance you’d be protected in the event they make a mistake.
As you search for an inspection company a lot can be learned about them through reviews and testimonials (particularly if there are many of them), however, they can be faked, and some companies just don’t focus on getting reviews or testimonials, so they’re by no means the only thing you’ll want to look at. If possible, it’s always best to get a referral from friends or family.
Western Canada
- ABM Environmental Inc. – Vancouver, BC
- Motorious Solutions – Calgary, Alberta
- Environmental Monitoring Solutions – Edmonton, Alberta
- Winnipeg Air Testing – Winnipeg, Manitoba
- Got Mold – Regina, Saskatoon, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and Alberta
Eastern Canada
- Air Quality Canada – Toronto, Ontario
- Mose Home Inspection Services – Montreal, Quebec
- Lab’Eau Air-Sol – Quebec City, Quebec
- Wilcox Inspections – Halifax, Nova Scotia
Whether it’s building materials offgassing harmful VOCs, mould lurking behind walls, or outdoor air pollution that enters the building, air quality issues largely remain unseen. Thanks to their invisible nature, it’s easy to do nothing about them. But if you feel some of the symptoms of poor air quality or if you’re in one of those above-mentioned categories where you’d want to get your air checked it’s a good idea to do so because after all, air is the most important thing in our life!
