Why Can't I Stop Sneezing When I Am At Home?

Have you noticed that your allergies are worse when you are at home? As much as you dust, sweep, and mop, the problem may be coming from your attic. There are multiple reasons that indoor allergens can thrive in a home's attic.

Let's start by understanding what at allergen is. An allergen is a substance that is foreign to the body and can trigger an allergic reaction. Symptoms of allergens include sneezing, watery eyes, runny nose, and post nasal drip.

The most common indoor allergens are particles and debris from dust mites. Dust mites grow by absorbing moisture in the air. So if your home is above 60% relative humidity, dust mites could be on your pillows, clothing, and furniture without you knowing. Another problem with a humid home is that mold can also grow. Mold growth would also trigger an allergic reaction, along with causing your home to have a musty odor. Other problems that come with homes that are not properly sealed include rodents, pollen, and cockroaches.

The key to keeping your home truly clean from these harmful allergens is to lower the relative humidity to 55% or less. A common problem that leads to in-home humidity is a leaky attic. Whether you see them or not, there are small openings between the ceiling and the attic all throughout a home. These openings are caused by wire holes, lighting fixtures, and anything that causes a penetration in the ceiling. Air sealing is the process of closing these gaps with zip foam.

Air sealing an attic works in two ways to prevent indoor allergens in your home: 

1. Air leaking into the attic from the home creates a vacuum, bringing humid, outside air into the home. Humid air in the home leads to dust mites, mold, and many other allergens. Air sealing the attic keeps conditioned air in the home and humid air out.

2. Small openings between the attic and ceiling allow rodents to enter your home from the attic. Sealing off these opening keeps pests from coming into your home through the attic, and creates a dry environment in the attic where pests cannot survive.

Simply put, all areas of your home need to be sealed from outside air to keep your home clean and comfortable. If you want to learn more about our attic insulation services, explore our website. If you want to have one of our System Designs Specialists come to your home for a free, no obligation attic inspection and estimate, call 1-888-756-5967. You can also click FREE ESTIMATE at the top of your screen.