How You Can Improve Your Basement’s Air Quality

A basement can be turned into a living space or an activity area. However, it has to have an effective air system to prevent nasty smells in the room that may affect your health.

In this post, your leading home maintenance expert discusses how you can improve the air quality in your basement.

Find the Source of Smells

You have to address the source of the unpleasant smell in the basement before installing an air system. If the room smells musty, it can be due to high humidity levels or a water leak that resulted in mildew and mold. The smell of rotten eggs in your basement may indicate sewer gas leak. Other sources may include floor drains and laundry tubs or wash basins.

Air Filters

After you have dealt with the source of the bad smell, the next step is to add fresh air to the basement. A good air system can dramatically improve your indoor air quality, reduce pollutants, and get rid of the unpleasant odor in your home.

Make sure to routinely change the air filters at the beginning of the cold and warm season. The dust buildup in filters can lead to mold growth.

Dehumidifiers

Place a dehumidifier in a central location to add fresh air to your basement. It can also reduce humidity in the room, limiting musty smells, stained walls and ceilings, and mold growth. This is because it removes moisture by condensing water vapor from the air. However, unlike an air conditioner, it only removes moisture and doesn’t cool the air.

Energy Recovery Ventilators

This is one of the best options to improve your indoor air quality. It brings fresh air to the house by allowing moisture in stale air during the winter and fresh air in summer, to be transmitted to the air stream or the dryer. With an ERV, you can also save on energy bills as it has a low operating cost.

Choose a reliable home maintenance and installations contractor like Handyman Connection® of Matthews to improve your home’s indoor air quality. Call us at (704) 255-5626 or complete our online request form for an estimate.