How we helped one Staffordshire family tackle the smokers next door
A FEW WEEKS ago we were contacted by a family in Stoke-on-Trent who wanted to ask us about indoor air quality testing.
They had a young baby and naturally they wanted to know that their semi-detached property wasn’t harbouring anything that could cause concern.
If a house is poorly ventilated, toxic chemicals can become trapped, building up over time and potentially causing problems in the future.
Smoke pollution from cigarettes, mould and even volatile organic compounds from everyday cleaning products can all pose a hazard to health.
And even though this family weren’t smokers themselves, they just wanted to make sure that everything was fresh, clean and healthy.
We undertook a thorough indoor air quality analysis, which involves testing for:
- Smoke pollution
- Combustion gases such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide
- Moulds and ‘hidden’ damp
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) or chemicals that are found in everyday household cleaning products, waxes, pesticides and building materials
Our tester was able to identify that, in fact, there were fairly significant levels of smoke pollution.
We were all a little puzzled. How could this be if both parents were non-smokers?
As it turns out, the young family lives next door to people who DO smoke and, on further inspection, we discovered an (up until that moment) unnoticed gap in between the two properties. It was this unsealed opening in the loft that was allowing cigarette fumes to seep in and pollute their own home.
Thankfully we were able to seal the gap and install filters to allow the circulation of good quality air throughout their house.
That’s because we can not only identify the presence of health-damaging indoor pollutants, but we also offer solutions when we find a problem.
Are you concerned about indoor air pollution in your terrace or semi-detached property? Ask us about air quality testing and solutions by calling the Noreus team on 01782 756995 or click here to request a call back.
