The uncomfortable symptoms of fall allergies are often caused by the release of pollen. A common trigger is ragweed pollen, which only lives for one season, and therefore gets the spotlight in the fall as it travels in the wind for miles causing allergy symptoms for everyone it touches along the way.
Mold build-up in damp environments is another cause for allergies in the fall, as are dust mites which can be found in indoor spaces around your home.
If you start sneezing, wheezing, coughing, and sniffling the instant the weather starts to cool down, you’ve come to the right place. Here are some tips and techniques to keep fall allergens out of your home.
HealthSmart Homes
Last year, LifeStyle Homes launched our HealthSmart program in an effort to improve the indoor air quality of the homes we build.
How does this relate to fall allergies?
LifeStyle Homes has been building energy-saving SunSmart and solar-powered homes for over a decade. The introduction of LifeStyle HealthSmart took the quality of our homes a step further, incorporating a multitude of materials, measures, and technologies to help make sure your newly built home is designed to limit allergens indoors.
Construction Techniques to Keep Allergens Out
LifeStyle HealthSmart homes put your family’s health at the forefront of design and construction. These homes are specially designed to limit water intrusion which means fewer chances of mold and mildew growth.
For instance, HealthSmart homes work to limit the potential that water enters your home by using a peel-and-stick roof underlayment that is designed to guard against wind-driven rain. Other technologies used on HealthSmart homes include the ZIP System, an exterior and wall sheathing technology that achieves optimal levels of permeability and drainage.
Keeping Air Clean
Clean homes are the most conducive to keeping allergens at bay. When constructing a HealthSmart smart home, LifeStyle incorporates many practices to ensure the air you breathe in is as clean as can be.
Before you grab the keys to your new home, for example, your LifeStyle superintendent will ensure new HVAC filters are installed He/she will also run diagnostic tests to ensure your HVAC system is performing optimally.
Health-Conscious Touches
HealthSmart homes are built with touches throughout that are designed with your health in mind. From using low-emission carpets with antimicrobial agents, to hard surface flooring to eliminate build-up dirt and dust, all of these considerations have been carefully thought out by LifeStyle Homes. The low-emission carpets use Microban technology, which means microorganisms cannot function, grow, or reproduce. This technology is excellent for preventing the growth and buildup of common fall allergens.
Other things you can do to keep fall allergens out of your home include:
- Take off coats, shoes, and sweaters as soon as you enter your home to prevent the allergens from spreading around.
- Vacuum once or twice per week with certified asthma and allergy-friendly vacuums to ensure the vacuum doesn’t spread dust in the air.
- Avoid mold spores by reducing moisture in the bathroom and kitchen. You can do that by:
- Not running the shower for a long time before you get in.
- Using dehumidifiers.
- Limit the number of houseplants you have.
- Fix all leaks ASAP.
- If you spot mold, clean it right away.
Interested in learning more about HealthSmart Homes? Check out our HealthSmart informational page and contact us if you’d like to get started on building your clean indoor air home.
