Sacramento’s Construction Boom is Threatening Your Home’s Air Quality – Here’s How to Fight Back
Sacramento is experiencing an unprecedented construction boom that’s reshaping the region’s landscape, but this growth comes with hidden consequences for your home’s indoor air quality. With construction starts projected to reach $8.9 billion in 2024 and the Sacramento region building 12,500 homes in 2024 – marking the highest housing production year since 2005, residents across the area are finding themselves surrounded by dust, debris, and airborne contaminants that can seriously compromise their indoor environment.
The Scale of Sacramento’s Construction Surge
California’s capital has seen dramatic population growth over the past decade, driven by new opportunities and relative affordability compared with other California cities, with the six counties surrounding Sacramento County experiencing 16% growth in population between 2010 to 2022. This growth has triggered massive construction projects throughout the region, from West Sacramento’s 3,000-home development that could translate to a population increase of 7,000 to 10,000 people to over 3,000 residential units under construction and 3,000+ proposed central city residential units in downtown Sacramento alone.
Major infrastructure projects are also contributing to the dust and debris problem. The $3.7 billion UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, California represents just one of many large-scale developments that are generating significant amounts of airborne particulates throughout the construction process.
How Construction Dust Threatens Your Indoor Air Quality
Activities on construction sites inevitably generate large amounts of dust, which can pose a significant threat to air quality and public health, with construction dust contributing a significant proportion of airborne particulate matter, affecting the health of its surrounding environment and population.
One major source of construction-related pollution comes from the dust produced during construction and demolition activities – including excavation, loading and unloading, preparing raw materials, and road construction. This dust contains particulate matter and volatile organic compounds that can be spread around the construction area and surrounding neighborhood via wind.
The health implications are serious. The most immediate health risk from inhaling construction dust is respiratory problems. The fine particles can penetrate deep into the lungs, leading to conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchitis, and asthma. Unlike larger particles, which are expelled from the respiratory system through coughing or sneezing, fine particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream, causing inflammation, infections, and chronic illnesses.
Protecting Your HVAC System During Construction
Your home’s HVAC system is particularly vulnerable during nearby construction activities. Your HVAC system needs extra protection because of the amount of dirt, debris, drywall dust, and contaminants that a renovation can stir up, with construction dust and debris, particularly the large particles that renovations can kick up, having a negative effect on your furnace and air conditioner.
Construction dust in HVAC systems can cause a host of expensive problems for your home as well, including a dirty cooling/evaporator coil, icing of the coils, blower issues, and general reduced air flow. To protect your system, experts recommend several key strategies:
- Section off the area of your home where the work is taking place by hanging plastic sheets over doors to contain dust, and cover the vents in the construction zone using plastic sheets to prevent dust from entering into your ducts and circulating throughout your home
- If permanently installed HVAC system must be used during construction, install filtration to protect the return (negative pressure) side of the system
- When work is going on in your home, you should turn your furnace or air conditioner off. This will help prevent excess dirt and debris from potentially damaging your home heating and cooling systems
The Importance of Professional Air Duct Cleaning
Even with preventive measures, construction dust can infiltrate your home’s air system. The distribution of construction dust in an occupied structure causes short- or even long-term allergy and sinus problems for occupants depending on their sensitivity. It also can become a food source for various micro-organisms if the right amount of moisture is present.
This is where professional Air Duct Cleaning in Sacramento, CA becomes essential. Cleaning your ducts after your home renovation is one of the best ways to protect your HVAC, ensuring that harmful contaminants don’t continue circulating through your home long after construction ends.
Sacramento’s Trusted Partner for Clean Indoor Air
HomeSafe Air Duct & Dryer Vent Cleaning has been serving Sacramento residents for over 8 years, understanding the unique challenges that the region’s construction boom presents to homeowners. Home Safe Air Duct & Dryer Vent Cleaning is your dedicated partner in maintaining optimal air quality in your home or business in Sacramento, concentrating on thorough vent cleaning services designed to enhance the efficiency of your air systems and safeguard your environment to be safe and pollutant-free.
The company’s commitment goes beyond just cleaning. What sets us apart is our deep commitment to customer satisfaction, extensive local knowledge, and dedication to using the latest equipment in the field. We’re not just duct cleaning experts but experienced professionals who understand the importance of breathable air. We respect your home and office as if they were our own, applying careful methods to ensure high-quality results.
With years of industry experience, their skilled technicians use state-of-the-art equipment and proven techniques to ensure your home’s air quality is safe and clean. Their thorough cleaning services, which leave no corner untouched, help reduce allergens, improve HVAC efficiency, and prevent potential fire hazards from clogged dryer vents.
Taking Action to Protect Your Family
As Sacramento’s construction boom continues, proactive homeowners are taking steps to protect their indoor air quality. Professional HVAC cleaning can dramatically improve your home’s indoor air quality by reducing dust and allergens, enhance HVAC system performance, saving on energy costs, and ensure cleaner, fresher air for your family’s health and comfort.
To properly manage your building’s indoor air quality, preventive maintenance and regular air quality tests should be incorporated into your building operations plan and completed by trained staff or an outside contractor. If you have challenges controlling temperatures, humidity, or dust in your building, or notice chemical odors or signs of mold growth, consider working with a qualified contractor to upgrade your building envelope and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
Don’t let Sacramento’s construction boom compromise your family’s health and comfort. With proper preventive measures and professional air duct cleaning services, you can maintain excellent indoor air quality regardless of the construction activity surrounding your home. The investment in clean air today will pay dividends in your family’s health and your HVAC system’s longevity for years to come.