Protecting your Lehigh Valley home from wildfire smoke

Taking precautions to prevent smoke from entering your home is extremely important to your health. During wildfires, smoke makes the air outside unhealthful to breathe. But what if this contaminated air gets into your house through open spaces? When wildfire smoke is present outside, some people may recommend that you stay inside. You should keep in mind, however, that smoke enters your house, making it unhealthy to breathe the air inside too. Here are a few ways to help ensure that your indoor air stays clean and breathable, no matter the environment outside. 

Purchase a Portable Air Cleaner

If you want to enhance the quality of the air in your home, consider purchasing a portable air cleaner or a high-performance HVAC filter. If you decide to buy a portable cleaner, buy one that will fit the room in which you will use it. It is also important to ensure this portable cleaner does not produce any ozone. If you want to purchase a high-efficiency HVAC filter, select the one that has a minimum efficiency rating of 13 and a filter slot. For the best filter for your system, you should consult a professional HVAC technician.

Keep Smoke Out by Adjusting the Heat and Air Conditioning

Understanding your HVAC system will enable you to better prevent smoke from entering your home. The following tips will help you prevent smoke from entering your home.

• Check whether your central HVAC filter has a fresh air intake. The filter needs to be changed as recommended by the manufacturer if it is not in good condition.
• Evaporating coolers should not be used in smokey conditions because they may result in outside smoke being drawn in. 
• You can choose other options like window air conditioners or fans.
• Find out how to close the outdoor air damper on a window air conditioner.
• In smoky conditions, do not use a portable air conditioner with a single hose, as this may bring smoke into your home.

Close Windows and Doors

The best way to protect your interior from smoke is to close your windows and doors. When wildfires are nearby, you should close your windows and doors, especially if it gets smokey. Your home will be filled with more smoke and you will be more likely to develop respiratory diseases such as asthma if you keep them open. Nevertheless, you should make sure the windows are open to let fresh air in when possible.

Avoid Activities that Bring Smoke Particles Indoors

In addition to smoke from a wildfire, there are many other factors that can cause more smoke inside your house. Smoking cigarettes and using gas, propane, and wood-burning stoves and furnaces are some of these activities. Additionally, you can create more smoke particles indoors by spraying aerosol products, frying or boiling food, burning candles or incense, and vacuuming. You can protect your house from smoke by avoiding these activities.

Create a Cleanroom

Protecting your home from wildfire smoke requires the creation of a cleanroom. A cleanroom is a room designed to keep the level of smoke and other particles to a minimum. Cleanrooms should be free of activities such as smoking and cooking. Further, all windows and doors must be shut to keep smoke out of the house. A portable cleaner should also be placed in this room in order to remove smoke from the air and improve indoor air quality. In the event of a smoke event in your area, it is always advised to go to your cleanroom and stay indoors. By creating an effective cleanroom, you can avoid exposure to smoke.

Keeping your home's interior free from smoke is critical to your health. When wildfires break out, smoke clouds the air, making it unhealthy for people to breathe. The unhealthy air may pose a threat to your health, especially when it permeates some open spaces in your house.

These tips will help you protect the interior of your home from smoke. If there is smoke from wildfires, you may be advised to stay inside. However, you should keep in mind that smoke still enters your home, making the air inside unhealthy. It is therefore important to take measures to protect your home, and ultimately your health.

If your home has been effect by fire or smoke damage, contact Restoration 1 of Lehigh Valley.