The effects of indoor air quality impact the health of human beings in ways that often go unsuspected.  Houses are built to be airtight to reduce energy costs, and as a result, indoor air can actually be polluted in many ways because there’s no means for bad air to escape.  Chemicals, dust mites, hazardous particles, bacteria, smoke and many other pollutants can render household air unhealthy.

Everyone spends a lot of time indoors and the quality of the air is important.  The effects of indoor air quality on a person’s health can be severe, especially if they have breathing problems already.  For example, people with asthma, bronchial inflammations, respiratory illness or allergies can be sensitive to air quality.

The indoor air can be polluted in a number of ways.  Just breathing alone can contaminate air with bacteria and carbon monoxide, but there are plenty of other ways too.  When you spray a can of hairspray, re-paint a chair, smoke a cigarette, open a window or take a shower various chemicals and bacteria are released into the air.

Effects of Indoor Air Quality

If the house is energy efficient, that usually means the stale or polluted air has no means of escape unless there’s an air exchanger or air cleaner on the system.  But even your heating and cooling system itself can pollute your home’s air if the filters are not changed regularly or if it’s an older system no longer working efficiently.

The effects of indoor air quality can include difficulty breathing, an increase in mold and bacteria growth within the house, worsening of respiratory problems, increased amount of dust mites affecting allergies, headaches and even skin problems.   Pollutants in the air can be serious if exposure is prolonged which is the case when they exist in your home.

There are also natural pollutants that can affect air quality.  Radon gas is plentiful in certain parts of the country and is a naturally occurring environmental pollutant.  One of the effects of indoor air quality impacted by radon gas is increased chances of developing cancer.

The effects of indoor air quality should be taken seriously.  Air pollutants include floating particles, volatile organic compounds, dust, gasses and chemicals like pesticides or glues.  But air pollution inside your house also comes from gas appliances that aren’t working efficiently, improper venting of the furnace, deteriorating house materials like fiberglass insulation and humidifiers that aren’t cleaned regularly.

In other words, you should look for sources of indoor air pollution in every room in your house.  The effects of indoor air quality on your health are potentially severe and should be addressed quickly.  Of course, the best course of action is to prevent the buildup of toxic pollutants in the first place.

The idea of window boxes for many people brings up images of quaint cottage homes in towns in the Swiss Alps.  We see wooden boxes attached to the windows with all kinds of colorful flowers popping out.  If this image of home appeals to you, you will be pleased to learn that window boxes can be a good addition to the exterior of any home.  As a matter of fact, window boxes can even be used on the inside of the house, but more on that later.  Many home designs lend themselves quite well to the option of window box installation.  All you need to do is find yourself a good contractor, do some research on what kind of window box you want, and get ready to enjoy your own piece of the Swiss Alps right in whatever region of the world you live in.

Window Boxes

Just because it is the common stereotype when it comes to window boxes doesn’t mean that the charming wooden boxes of TV and movies are the only ones out there.  You and your house have a lot more choices than that.  Wooden boxes, some with carving and without, are by far the most recognized type of window boxes.  However, you can get creative with this home décor element and have boxes made from CPV pipe, rustic wood planks, or even heavy metal wiring that can be made into any shape, including your window box.  These are especially nice on a house you wouldn’t think of for window boxes.  The sight of the plant life as well as the earth it is growing in is pretty unique.

Earlier we mentioned using window boxes on the interior of the house. Those homeowners with arched, glassless windows leading from the kitchen to the dining room or some other combination could simply use window boxes for storage of everyday items.  A window box placed near the dining room table could be a one of a kind place to put your napkins, silverware, and other odds and ends for easy accessibility during dining.  With window boxes, you only have to limited by your imagination.