How can I protect my home from wildfire smoke?
Is my home safe from inhalable particulate matter?
Should I be worried about wildfire smoke?
To start, let’s answer a simple question:
What is Wildfire Smoke and why is it dangerous?
Wildfire smoke is made up of a mixture of particulate matter, gases, and chemicals. Wildfire particulates include soot, ash, and condensed tar, which are often classified as PM2.5. PM2.5 is inhalable particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers, and the primary pollutant found in wildfire smoke and ash. It is also the most dangerous particulate given off, as it can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream.
What Are The Health Effects of Inhaling Wildfire Smoke and Particulates?
In the short term, exposure to PM2.5 has been shown to cause eye and nose irritation, fatigue, dizziness, headaches, lung inflammation, and respiratory irritation. In the long term, exposure to PM2.5 is associated with chronic conditions such as cardiovascular diseases and respiratory diseases.
How Can Air Sealing Protect My Home?
One of the best ways to protect yourself and your home from smoke and the particulates that come with it is by minimizing outdoor air infiltration. We provide this through air sealing. By sealing off cracks, gaps, and openings in walls, ceilings and floors, we can reduce drafts and limit the possibility of smoke leaks. Air sealing areas, such as the attic and basement, is crucial for blocking smoke access points.
What Are Other Benefits Of Air Sealing My Home?
There are many other benefits of air sealing other than reduced smoke leakage. These include reduced heat loss in the winter and reduced heat retention in the summer, a more comfortable home, a lower energy bill, minimized ice damming and icicle creation. With proper air sealing, your house will improve in comfort as its envelope is sealed properly.
What Else Can I Do To Keep My Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) High?
While sealing off your home from the outdoor air has many insulative and air quality benefits, PM2.5 will still be able to enter your home. As wildfire smoke migrates toward Western New York, ensure your HVAC system has a clean, high-efficiency filter to help filter PM2.5 out of the circulated air you breathe.
What Can A Wise Home Energy Assessment Do For Me?
With a Wise Home Energy Assessment, our experts can perform precise air quality tests and blower door tests to get readings on indoor air quality and locate major draft points. The Wise team always tries to utilize incentive programs such as NYSERDA, Empower+, and qualifying local programs to help homeowners in the Greater Rochester, Fairport, and Irondequoit area save as much as possible on insulation, air sealing, and even high efficiency heating, cooling and water heater replacement.