Seasonal Allergies - Winter and a Stuffy House
If you watch the news, you have probably read recently that the government is trying to encourage homeowners across the country to tighten their homes up by sealing up drafts, adding insulation and swapping out old windows and doors for new more efficient models.
The program has been dubbed as, "Cash for Caulkers.
" As someone who spent a couple years in his 20's performing energy audits...
If I had a nickel for every time someone would say.
"Well, I don't want to seal it up too tight.
" As the energy auditor, I was expected to say something like, sure you don't want it too tight, but I have to tell you.
Your house is hyperventilating.
You need to tighten this house up.
Your causing global warming.
So last spring, Beth and I moved into a third floor condo in a development that is sealed up tighter than my wallet after Christmas.
It's so tight that when a door slams, things throughout the building vibrate.
I can't recall every seeing a single cobweb or any signs whatsoever of air movement (and remember, I'm a trained energy auditor).
It really didn't bother me until winter came along.
I get plenty of exercise and my respiratory tract usually does just fine through the winter.
Even with the two cats.
This year I'm dying.
I swear pet allergies for the first time.
After a lifetime of having pets in the house.
Green matter coming out of the nose each morning for the past three weeks.
Sitting home for a couple house and I'm starting to need to crack a window, but there is a foot of snow on the ground and it's 25 degrees outside.
I'm not mandating to anyone that they should be wasting energy.
But what I am offering you.
Is if you plan to take advantage of the incentive money to do weatherization services on your house.
Make sure you're still going to have sufficient airflow for all the occupants inside the house.
If you do find that it's too tight, or runs the risk of becoming too tight.
Make sure you have a strategy to keep the fresh air flowing.
Whether it's a mechanical vent or fan, or even if it's a window that you can crack and it isn't going to impact your cost to heat too much.
I'm now thinking that fresh air keeps the green boogies away.
The program has been dubbed as, "Cash for Caulkers.
" As someone who spent a couple years in his 20's performing energy audits...
If I had a nickel for every time someone would say.
"Well, I don't want to seal it up too tight.
" As the energy auditor, I was expected to say something like, sure you don't want it too tight, but I have to tell you.
Your house is hyperventilating.
You need to tighten this house up.
Your causing global warming.
So last spring, Beth and I moved into a third floor condo in a development that is sealed up tighter than my wallet after Christmas.
It's so tight that when a door slams, things throughout the building vibrate.
I can't recall every seeing a single cobweb or any signs whatsoever of air movement (and remember, I'm a trained energy auditor).
It really didn't bother me until winter came along.
I get plenty of exercise and my respiratory tract usually does just fine through the winter.
Even with the two cats.
This year I'm dying.
I swear pet allergies for the first time.
After a lifetime of having pets in the house.
Green matter coming out of the nose each morning for the past three weeks.
Sitting home for a couple house and I'm starting to need to crack a window, but there is a foot of snow on the ground and it's 25 degrees outside.
I'm not mandating to anyone that they should be wasting energy.
But what I am offering you.
Is if you plan to take advantage of the incentive money to do weatherization services on your house.
Make sure you're still going to have sufficient airflow for all the occupants inside the house.
If you do find that it's too tight, or runs the risk of becoming too tight.
Make sure you have a strategy to keep the fresh air flowing.
Whether it's a mechanical vent or fan, or even if it's a window that you can crack and it isn't going to impact your cost to heat too much.
I'm now thinking that fresh air keeps the green boogies away.
Source...