Because your home is the place your family spends the most time, handling a few aspects that contribute to its safety, health wise, can be of great importance, especially if you have small children around. Sometimes, parents neglect certain home improvements that can in fact cause health concerns, and later discover that their kids confront themselves with illnesses and issues that could have been easily prevented. If you have decided to make some changes in this department, and handle every project necessary to ensure the complete health safety of your home, receiving a few guidelines on the subject might help you out. Here are a few house improvement projects you can handle in order to obtain a healthy, child-friendly home environment:

Insulation replacement

Although you might not have thought about it, the insulation of your home can have a role in the health maintenance of your dear ones. A home that has not been insulated properly or has an old and faulty insulation will deal with unbalanced temperature, not to mention drafts and air leakages. By installing the right insulation material, your entire home will be enveloped sealed, resolving uncomfortable air drafts and unpleasant indoor temperature. The experts at Great Northern Insulation, for example, say that the best material option is spray foam. An insulation replacement will be beneficial not only for temperature improvement but for the prevention of mould growth as well. A building that is not insulated by the book can deal with dampness, which is the main trigger of mould appearance. Living in an environment where mould is present can affect tremendously a person’s health, starting with simple headaches, and even up to asthma attacks and severe skin irritations. Reinsulating will combat any mould growth concerns, and will also prevent vermin, insects or bugs from entering the house. Besides the health benefits the right insulation provides you with, there are also financial advantages involved. With the high R-value of spray foam for example, the indoor temperature can be maintained throughout the entire year, and reducing cooling and heating costs will be a normal outcome. The amount of energy lost due to the improper seal of gaps and cracks usually leads to high energy costs, so noticing a lower amount on your bills will happen as soon as you reinsulate your property.

Replace your old windows

Another source of draft, which affect the temperature of a household and leads to the common colds, or even more severe illnesses are old windows. If you have not replaced your windows in a long time, regardless of how great your insulation might be, or if you might be using your heating system to the maximum capacity, the indoor temperature will never be a comfortable one. Because children are more sensitive when it comes to the common cold, a simple draft can cause them health issues. During harsh days of winter, having problems with your windows can be quite inconvenient, so finding a solution is recommended. A window replacement might seem like an expensive project, but the investment will be worth it if you take the health of your family into consideration. The home temperature obtained after an insulation and window replacement will be the perfect one, so think about this option carefully through.

Air quality testing and the installation of air purifiers

Without any visible signs to notice, the poor air quality of your home might trigger various conditions, such as allergies and asthma. Assessing just how pure the air in your house actually is should be one of your priorities, when handling the improvement of your home for health reasons. While you and your partner might not be subjected to any health repercussions, the little ones are more prone to face respiratory problems or allergies caused by indoor air germs. Resorting to a team of specialist for a through inspection is recommended. This way you can find out if there are any red flags you should be worried about, and the necessary steps that need to be made in the eventuality of a particular problem being detected. Also, if you do not want to take any risks, and wish to be as precautious as possible, the installation of an air purifier can also be a wise idea. This type of appliance will prevent your kids from dealing with any respiratory distress, asthma, lung infections, skin allergies and many other serious issues of this sort. Moreover, an air purifier is not an expensive purchase, so you should not worry about the costs.

Install a water filter

If your family is used to drinking tap water, you should be well aware of the issues that this might be causing from a health pint of view. The water could be easily contaminated, with either pesticides, lead or chlorine. Installing a water filter to your faucet can be an easy way of making tap water completely safe to drink, and this type of small home addition is an affordable option for your household.

Combating light pollution

Being unable to rest peacefully at night can impact in a negative way the immune system of your child. Once you start researching the topic you can learn the sleep problems can lead to serious repercussions in the long run, such as obesity or memory loss. You would be surprised to find out that one of the things that can interfere with sleep quality is light pollution. To deal with light pollution efficiently and to make sure this aspect is not affecting your children’s sleep in any way, think about installing window shades. These items will create the perfect ambiance for your family at night and even during the day, when your kids are taking a nap. Moreover, installing window shades can be considered a home improvement project, because it can also increase the appeal of your interior design.

As a parent, you probably want to provide your children with a home environment that does not present any health concerns. These are the few things you can do to achieve the healthy, child-friendly home environment you desire to have.