Anyone ever do Home Air Check?

[chupiechow]

Ever since I moved to my new home, everyones allergies have gotten worse. I am a clean freak!
I am starting to think it might be a hidden mold issue.
Does anyone know if the indoor home air kits you can buy really work? Here is one that I am looking at:
http://www.greenhome.com/products/testing/home_safety_tests/114926

 

[Ravinmad]

Cant get the link to open but a few things you should check off the bat are as follows:

Furnace filter, get yourself a pleated filter with a MERV of 8 or greater unless you have a high end filtration system already such as an electronic unit or one of the 4" thick honeywell type systems. Annual at the most, or sooner as needed.

Check the humidity of the house, very dry will add to allergy problems, 50% humidity will help alot and a wall mount gauge is fairly cheap at most stores.

Carpet and Vacuum cleaners can add to problems.

This is just a start, we can check additional things from here.

Various home tests results can vary due to age of the test and conditions.

Good luck,

Doug

 

[chupiechow]

Thanks Doug,

I have a boiler with radiators so I don't have a filter to clean.
I have a Miele vac which is pretty awesome.
I am just thinking something is up because my dog has developed horrible allergies since moving in here. All she does is chew her feet nonstop. I now cook her food, one protein, one carb, but she is still bad. I can deal with it, but my poor dog is almost bald. The vet said it's environmental. So that's why I thought I would do the test.

 

[Ravinmad]

the dog having a reaction or allergy to the carpet, or carpet cleaning chemicals that might have been last used on your home? its possible.

 

[TristanC]

Oh no the poor pup! I don't suppose you have a HEPA filter? Some inexpensive models will clean out the air for a sizeable amount of space. You could also get someone to come in and professionally steam clean everything once over, and clean out the carpet.

Sorry, that's all I can think of right now

 

[Ravinmad]

HEPA air filtration is definately a good idea, for you, the family, and the dog. Unfortunately you will have to get someone to clean carpets to remove a potential allergen from the carpets for the Dog. I would call around and see who has what type of cleaning methods, chemicals, and or if they have any hypoallergnic carpet cleaning options. Locally to me here in Michigan I have several that do have a good method that is very easy on pets and people. http://www.chemdry.com/is a good company,FWIW one guy I knew said he would eat his food off of freshly cleaned carpets by them as he worked for them years ago and knew what was in their cleaners.

Good luck, and with HEPA filters the initial cost can be medium to high, the REAL cost of a HEPA is the avg. cost of replacement filters, so do a little bit of shopping!

Good luck

 

[QueenB29]

Ugh. I am EXTREMELY allergic to mold and my basement flooded recently so I know where you're coming from. Everyone has already offered good advice. Definitely get the vents cleaned, get a HEPA air filter for each bedroom and a larger one for the main living areas of the house and get a dehumidifier if you have a basement. Personally, however, I would have a professional come out and test the air quality versus doing it myself. He/she will be able to measure the amount of mold in the air (if there is any) and also send it out to a lab to test for the type of mold. Then, of course, he/she will mitigate the mold as much as possible. DH and I had this done a few years ago. I don't remember what we paid...just that I didn't think it was too expensive...probably a couple hundred $.

It's also possible that the people who lived there before you had a cat or a dog or something that you're extremely allergic to. (My allergist told me that it can take years before all of the dander is gone.) It could also be one of the trees or plants or the type of grass in your yard.

Good luck.

ETA: Just saw the part about your poor puppy So it might not be a prior cat or dog that's the problem. My lab has pretty bad allergies too and we have to keep her on allergy meds full time.

ETA again: When I said it wasn't too expensive, I was referring to the testing. Fortunately, we didn't have to have anything mitigated, so I don't know what that would cost.