Will Your House Fail the Tissue Test?
What’s a tissue test? Does it have anything to do with the “white glove” treatment? Does the tissue test have anything to do with dust? Or is it something else altogether? The answer might surprise you.
It has nothing to do with dust, although it could be a related topic. The tissue test has to do with a component of air quality, as in moisture or humidity inside your home. How much humidity is in your home? Have you checked lately?
One component of comfort in our homes is indoor air quality. Our homes' indoor air quality can be more toxic than commercial buildings. Cooking odors, cleaning products, pet dander and other residual chemical odors can all contribute to poor indoor air quality.
Another little known component of indoor air quality is how our houses breathe. Is your home equipped to manage humidity produced from cooking, laundry or baths? Do you often feel as if you need to open windows during the middle of winter or summer when outside temperatures keep your doors and windows closed 99% of the time?
When was the last time you checked your exhaust fans for efficiency? Are they noisy? Are they older, discolored fans? Odds are your fans aren’t working as efficiently as they could be to expel some of that pent-up humidity from your indoor spaces.
Err goes the tissue test! The next time you’re bathroom or laundry room exhaust fan is on, hold a piece of tissue up in the air. If the tissue is not sucked toward the fan, your fan is not operating properly. If the fan is old chances are it’s not doing it’s job in removing indoor humidity.
Another culprit of poor indoor air quality is that your exhaust fan may be venting into your attic space where it can cause mildew and even mold. Exhaust fans should vent to the outside of your home to work properly, especially if you’ve sealed your attic with spray foam. Conditioned attic spaces that are sealed with exhaust fans venting into an attic don’t provide good exhaust avenues for humid air.
Check your fans and try the tissue test. You might just be surprised!
If you're looking for a realtor who cares about the air you breathe in your home, give me a call. Let's talk air!
