Question from Miemiemuis
Dear Debra
I love having the windows open, but since we live in Florida we don’t want to let the house get too hot and humid. My husband is also allergic to pollen and since I have small children I don’t want open windows at night for safety reasons. Our house is fairly new and tight and I’m concerned about indoor air quality. So, to improve indoor air quality, I was wondering if it is worth it to have our A/C changed to let filtered outside air in. We do have a good air filter that we change often, but I am concerned that the outgassing of new construction is polluting our indoor air and not going anywhere.
Thanks for your help
Debra’s Answer
You mention two factors: air conditioning and new construction.
You don’t say how toxic the new construction is.
New construction requires ventilation, so it would be a good idea to have more outdoor air coming in.
However, you can speed the curing of new construction by using heat. You might want to try a bakeout (instructions are on page 395 of my book Home Safe Home, under the head “Curing a Sick House.”
That said, it never hurts to have more ventilation.
