Every year, more than 50 million Americans suffer from allergies. This results in an annual cost of about $18 billion to the health care system in the US.
You can reduce your exposure to outdoor allergens. But what about pet dander, molds, dust mites, and mildew—the indoor allergens affecting your loved ones inside your home, all year round?
When speaking of healthy households—safe from allergies—what are some solutions that come to mind? Your home’s insulation may not be one of them. But did you know that the right insulation can offer you a protective barrier from all these indoor allergens?
In this article, we will discuss ways air filters can safeguard your health against allergies and how you can make them more effective by using them along with the right insulation.
4 Ways Air Filters Can Safeguard Health
EPA studies confirm that indoor air can be 5 times more polluted than outdoor air!
For achieving good indoor air quality (IAQ) management, you can use air filters. Air filters are devices made of porous material that traps allergens such as dust, mold, and pollen.
There are many benefits of air filters to your health. Let’s discuss them one by one.
1. Eliminating Harmful Chemicals
With air filters activated for carbon filtering, you can cleanse the air in your home. Air filters trap the chemicals before they get in and only allow fresh air to enter your house.
2. Neutralizing Unpleasant Odors
VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) can break down at room temperature and cause off-gassing odors that cause breathlessness and nausea. Using air filters allows you to get rid of these gases as the VOCs get trapped in carbon-activated filters.
3. Improving Sleep
Cleaner air gets you better sleep. Air filters can help you prevent bacteria or dust in the air as they filter out most allergens from your room.
4. Reducing Allergy Symptoms
There are invisible particles in the air that cause allergies. By using air filters, these particles can be trapped from entering through the ventilation system. A review of studies on air filters confirmed that a MERV 12 filter improved asthma symptoms as well.
Are Air Filters Really Effective?
While air filters are excellent for safeguarding your health, on their own, they are only so effective. Houses often have cracks in walls that offer an easy way for allergens to enter your home, and which air filters can struggle to keep up with.
So, for optimal protection, it is suggested to go for insulation that restricts air flow plus air filters.
How Does Insulation Restrict Air Flow?
Air flow occurs when there is a pressure difference between the exterior and the interior of a building, moving from a region of high pressure to one of low pressure. The best way to restrict this air flow is to install an air barrier system (insulation) in cracks and openings in the walls and ceiling.
Why Do You Need Insulation To Prevent Allergies?
Insulation prevents mold and mildew from growing in the spaces between walls, which also reduces allergy symptoms. It also serves as an excellent barrier against pollen by sealing wall cracks so allergens don’t find their way into your home.
However, poorly installed insulation, an old insulation system, or just the wrong insulation product can actually become the source of your allergies. It is pointless to install insulation if it doesn’t protect you against allergies, right?
To overcome this problem, Superior Insealators offers a variety of insulation types. In particular, we offer spray foam insulation that is known for helping reduce allergy symptoms. It is a spray-applied cellular plastic that is made by mixing chemicals to create foam.
Keep Your Indoor Air Clean with Superior Insealators
Air filters, along with insulation, are the best solution to save you and your loved ones from allergens. At Superior Insealators, we are a GREENGUARD Certified company with extensive experience in developing the latest and most effective insulation products for commercial and residential buildings.
We use open-cell spray foam that’s low odor and VOC, and install products that have an R-value of 3.9 per inch sprayed. We also install GREENGUARD GOLD Certified closed-cell products that have an R-value of 6.9 per inch, forming an air and moisture barrier. We build insulation products with excellent adhesion properties and advanced fire test ratings to ensure safety.
We offer a variety of insulation products that are proven to help in reducing allergy symptoms—but that’s not the only reason customers trust us. Our great customer service team, on-time installation, and superior knowledge of product applications are why we are the number one choice of our customers.
With a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 1, our residential products are the best solution for an environmentally responsible product that guarantees the performance of a building.
