home improvement
Improve Your Home’s Air Quality
38% of employed individuals worked from home, emphasizing the importance of indoor air quality.
Last Updated on May 18, 2024 by Daily News Staff
(Family Features) The COVID-19 pandemic continues to change the way people spend time in their homes. From work to working out, more out-of-the-house activities have moved to the home.
In fact, according to the 2021 American Time Use Survey, 38% of employed people did some or all of their work from home. That means better indoor air quality at home is as important as ever.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air quality can be up to five times worse than outdoor air quality. With the average person taking about 22,000 breaths per day, installing smarter indoor air quality technology is key to healthier living year-round.
Improving your home’s air quality begins with recognizing what contributes to poor indoor air quality, the potentially harmful effects and how to address these problems.
Off-gassing
Off-gassing from construction materials, carpeting, adhesives and synthetic materials, as well as solvents from common household cleaners, can accumulate in even well-constructed homes. Continuous ventilation solutions can help reduce the harmful effects of off-gassing, such as headaches, nausea and irritation in your eyes, nose and throat.
Simple smart ventilation fans and good ventilation can help control off-gassing in your home. Other options for reducing the impact of off-gassing include shopping for products designed for low or no volatile organic compound emission and adding houseplants that naturally help filter and purify the air, though houseplants only offer a small amount of help.
Moisture
Moisture that is not properly ventilated can cause mildew and mold formation, which can potentially lead to structural problems and health issues. For most homes, the optimal humidity balance is 40-60%, but those levels can be hard to maintain in high-humidity spaces like bathrooms.
Antimicrobial light technology combined with powerful ventilation offers effective protection against bacteria, mold and fungi growth in your home. An option like the Broan SurfaceShield LED Exhaust Fan kills viruses and prevents mold, bacteria and fungi growth on surfaces in your bathroom or other humidity-prone environments. Featuring two lighting modes, an everyday white light perfect for task lighting and a continuous antimicrobial mode, the cover is also designed to stay cleaner longer with less louvers in which dust and dirt can get trapped.
Cooking effluents
Cooking effluents from food preparation can infiltrate the whole house in minutes. Grease, oils and aromas settle permanently into carpet, furniture, clothing and other surfaces. Kitchen ventilation solutions can help eliminate cooking effluents for a cleaner, more comfortable and healthier environment.
For example, the Broan Elite 21-Inch Custom Range Hood Power Pack offers a custom appearance while protecting cabinetry with stainless steel liners. Bright LED lighting enhances your cooking experience while the four-speed, back-lit, soft touch control and WiFi connectivity enabling voice control makes operating the hood easy. Automatic infrared sensing allows your range hood to adjust the speed of your fan based on your cooking style.
Pollutants
Stemming from sources like space heaters, gas stoves, woodstoves, indoor furnaces, dryers and fireplaces, combustion pollutants are gases or particles that come from burning materials. Examples include carbon monoxide – causing headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea and fatigue – and nitrogen dioxide – causing eye, nose and throat irritation; impaired lung function; and increased respiratory infections.
When possible use appliances that vent to the outside, ventilate rooms where fuel-burning appliances are in use and ensure these appliances are properly installed, used, adjusted and maintained.
Explore more ideas for improving air quality in your home at broan-nutone.com.
SOURCE:
Broan-NuTone
5 Ways to Make Moving Day Less Stressful
(Feature Impact) With the kids out of school, warmer weather and extended daylight, summer is an ideal time for families to relocate. In fact, more than 60% of moves in the United States occur between May and September, according to industry data compiled by moveBuddha. However, even with the most favorable conditions on your side, the process can quickly become overwhelming without a plan in place.
Whether you’re moving across town or across the country, a little preparation can make moving day easier, safer and less stressful. From packing and activating necessary services to securing your space and getting to know your family’s new surroundings, these tips from the experts at KeyMe Locksmiths can help you avoid common pitfalls and make the move as smooth as possible.
Pack Smart to Make Unpacking Less Daunting
Packing is typically one of the most time-consuming – and most dreaded – parts of any move, but creating an organization system from the get-go can save time and energy when it comes time to sort everything in your new home. Pack non-essential items such as decor, books, out-of-season clothing and seldom-used kitchenware and appliances first, even weeks in advance if lead time allows, and clearly label every box by its contents or the room it belongs in.
Be sure to keep toiletries, medications, oft-used electronics (and their chargers) and a few days’ worth of clothing accessible until moving day. Also keep important documents like birth certificates, passports, Social Security cards, medical records, insurance policies, moving contracts and receipts, and any other pertinent financial documents in a dedicated lockbox that stays with you rather than going on the moving truck.
Transfer or Set Up Utilities Ahead of Time
Arriving at your new home only to find the electricity, internet or water aren’t yet active can be a real setback. A couple weeks before moving day, schedule transfers or new service installations for necessary utilities, including electricity, water and sewer, gas, cable and internet, trash and recycling, home security and any other services your family needs, ensuring activation dates are a few days before the big move.
Tackle Home Security for Peace of Mind
An often-overlooked task when moving: changing the locks. Even if the previous owners or tenants returned their keys, it’s nearly impossible to know how many copies may still exist. Replacing or rekeying locks is an important first step to ensure you’re the only ones with access.
Beyond changing the locks, homeowners may also want to consider adding extra layers of protection such as video doorbells, exterior security cameras, motion-activated lighting, smart locks, window sensors or a monitored security system.
To connect with a professional locksmith for lock installation, rekeying and assistance with select home security upgrades, visit Key.Me to access KeyMe Locksmiths’ nationwide network of trusted local locksmiths. Once your new locks are installed, you can also conveniently create reliable spare keys at any of the more than 8,000 self-service KeyMe kiosks located in major retailers nationwide.
Prep Spaces Before Move-In Day
Before couches, chairs, beds, dressers and tables fill every room, take advantage of the empty space to give your new home a thorough cleaning. Focus on areas that may be harder to clean once the home is inhabited, such as floors, baseboards, cabinets and closets.
This is also an ideal time to paint, update flooring, swap out light fixtures or update existing cabinet hardware, allowing you to start with a clean space that matches your personal tastes.
Get to Know Your New Area
Settling into a new house involves more than just unpacking boxes and making it feel like home. Take some time to explore your new neighborhood and locate the nearest grocery stores, medical facilities, parks, restaurants, schools and more. Also introduce yourself to your neighbors and consider joining community groups to help build connections and learn more about the area.
With peak moving season underway, these tips can help you spend less time worrying about logistics and more time enjoying your new home.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock (family moving)
SOURCE: KeyMe Locksmiths
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(Sheeka Sanahori) There is always something: a leaky faucet, chipping paint, gutters full of leaves or a room that no longer works the way it used to. Homeownership comes with a permanent background hum of maintenance, repairs and decisions that can only be ignored for so long.
What homeowners do next depends a lot on where they live.
A new international study from Angi, a home services marketplace, found that Americans are among the world’s more proactive homeowners, with nearly half (49%) taking a preventative approach to maintenance, scheduling regular checks and staying on top of concerns before something breaks. South Korea leads the study at 56%. Japan sits at the other end: 60% of Japanese homeowners address issues only when they arise.
When it comes to DIY home repairs, France leads the study. Sixty-five percent of French homeowners say they handle most repairs themselves, the highest rate among the surveyed countries.
Home care, it turns out, looks fundamentally different depending on where people live and what they believe home is for. Cultural differences are also at play for homeowner behavior beyond the toolbox. In France, 2 out of 5 homeowners enforce a no-phones rule at the dinner table, the highest rate in the study, while Canadians and Japanese are nearly twice as likely as Americans to require shoes off at the door (69% vs. 37%).
Opinions vary from country to country, even for keeping a tidy home. A majority of Germans and Americans prefer to keep a “lived-in and comfortable” appearance. Forty percent of Brazilians believe a home should always be clean and tidy, more than any other country. Of all the countries surveyed, the Dutch were the most likely to respond with “home is for living, not impressing others.”
In North America, homeownership tends to be tied to investment. Americans and Canadians are the most likely of any country to renovate specifically to increase property value, while many European homeowners prioritize comfort and quality of life over resale potential. When a home no longer fits, the instinct varies just as sharply: More than three-quarters of German homeowners would renovate rather than move, the highest rate across all countries surveyed, while 41% of British homeowners would rather relocate. Americans take a more pragmatic middle path—37% say they would stay and make do.
Unexpected and emergency repairs remain a universal source of stress regardless of the country. The most maintenance-minded Americans are also the youngest: Gen Z and Millennial homeowners lead on proactive upkeep, with 51% preferring to check home systems before problems start and 55% using smart security technology compared with 19% of Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation.
A home is never just the structure itself. It reflects the routines, priorities and tradeoffs people make, from the repairs they tackle to the rituals that shape daily life. Around the world, home care is less about one right way to do it and more about what people believe a home is supposed to be.
Methodology
Angi, along with its international family of home service marketplaces, commissioned an online survey of 4,492 homeowners across 10 countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, Japan and Brazil. The U.S. sample included 1,237 homeowners. The margin of error for U.S. findings is plus or minus 2.8 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. Fieldwork was conducted between May 1 and May 19, 2026.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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(Feature Impact) Stretches of scorching summer days may leave you and your family feeling like you just can’t quite get (or stay) cool. If you find yourself resigned to cooler rooms or leaving ceiling fans on constantly, it might be time to check your air conditioner.
Extreme heat is no longer rare for many parts of the country. According to recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 13 million households reported being uncomfortably hot for an extended period.
Not all air conditioning systems perform the same when temperatures spike. While most systems can keep up on typical summer days, prolonged heat can expose performance gaps, leading to uneven cooling and higher energy use. The difference often comes down to how the system is designed.
To better understand whether your HVAC system can stand up to summer, consider this information from the experts at Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US (METUS), a world leader in residential air conditioning units with sophisticated, durable systems that deliver quiet operation and energy-efficient performance.
Why Some Homes Stay More Comfortable Than Others
Not every home experiences summer heat the same way. Factors such as home layout, sun exposure, insulation, and HVAC system design can all influence how effectively a home maintains comfort during prolonged periods of high temperatures.
For example, upstairs bedrooms, rooms with large windows, and spaces exposed to direct afternoon sun often have different cooling demands than other areas of the home. Systems that provide more precise temperature control and flexibility can help address these differences and deliver more consistent comfort throughout the house.
Signs Your System May Be Struggling
As summer temperatures rise, there are often clear signs that an HVAC system may be struggling to keep up with demand. One of the most common indicators is a system that seems to run constantly during the hottest parts of the day, yet fails to deliver the level of comfort homeowners expect.
Homeowners may also notice persistent warm spots in certain rooms, increased indoor humidity, or weaker airflow from vents. In some cases, increased noise from vents or equipment may signal the system is working harder than usual to maintain airflow and cooling performance.
Another warning sign often appears on monthly utility statements. A noticeable increase in energy use during peak summer months can indicate the system is consuming more power to maintain comfort under challenging conditions.
What Makes the Difference in Extreme Heat
Not all HVAC systems are built the same. Modern system design plays a critical role in how well a home stays comfortable during prolonged high temperatures. Zoned Comfort Solutions from Mitsubishi Electric include ducted and ductless options designed to deliver reliable comfort, efficiency, and control in demanding conditions like summer heat surges, along with important features like:
- Cooling performance designed to maintain comfort even during extreme outdoor temperatures
- Precise temperature control that helps deliver more consistent comfort throughout the home
- Quiet, efficient operation that delivers strong performance with less noise and energy use
- Flexible installation options for homes with existing ductwork and homes without ducts, plus room additions, garages, sunrooms, and other hard-to-cool spaces
Evaluating whether your current system is designed to handle sustained high temperatures can help prevent discomfort and avoid rushed decisions during the hottest days of the year. To learn more, visit MitsubishiComfort.com.
SOURCE:
Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US
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