Your Villa - Desert Cities - April - May 2022

D E S I G N + B U I L D Improving your home’s air quality BrandPointContent.com edited by YourVilla Sta As many Americans have traded their work commute for a home office, interest has focused on creating more comfortable remote workspaces. Temperature and particulates in indoor air can all threaten comfort. Following are four ways to improve your home’s air quality. 1) Get your ducts in order. While today’s HVAC systems are highly efficient, even the most advanced heating or cooling technology will not deliver its full value if attic ductwork is compromised. EnergyStar reports that an average home loses up to 30% of the air that moves through its duct system due to leaks, holes and poorly connected ducts. 1 2) Assure adequate attic insulation. More than 90% of homes are under-insulated, falling short of current DOE guidelines for energy efficiency. 2 Attic insulation provides an effective resistance to the flow of heat from warm into cool parts of a home. Adequate levels of insulation can help keep hot attic air from infiltrating the conditioned area of a home in summer; and restrict heated air from entering the attic in winter. 3) Practice good HVAC hygiene. Change your furnace filter according to the manufacturer’s directions and visually inspect your filter monthly. If the furnace filter is covered with dust, changing the filter is a good idea even if it has not reached the end of its anticipated lifespan. 4) Look for warning signs. Debris around a register or increased dust in the home can indicate an HVAC problem. Similarly, higher energy bills are a sign that air may be escaping due to holes in a home’s ductwork. 48 | YourVilla Magazine 3 3     3   3  3 €   ‚ 3 ‚ CLEANING | POLISHING | SEALING TONY TOMAS MARBLE CARE SINCE 1985 COMPLETE STONE & TILE CARE Marble Travertine Limestone Terrazo Mexican Pavers Tile & Grout Other Stones Indoor & Outdoor (760) 776-5878 tonytomasmarblecare.com FREE Estimates! TT