PAINT OR STAIN WOOD COMPONENTS

Even modern homes have wood components on the exterior. Many homes will have wood decks, patios, or trim somewhere around the house Keeping the wood sealed can not only help the appearance of your home, but it can also keep the thermal boundary of your home intact.

Wood that is around doors or windows can begin to deteriorate when it isn’t sealed properly with either paint or a stain Once the wood begins to deteriorate, which usually begins at the bottom where it gets the most contact with moisture, it continues and eventually ends up affecting larger parts of the wood until it must be replaced

Once wood begins to deteriorate around your home, it becomes a spot for insects and then animals to use as either a home or feeding ground Eventually, there can be spots in the wood trim that will allow moisture, rain, or insects to get behind your siding and affect the home’s barrier between the exterior and interior.

Simply painting or staining wood every few years can help keep a handle on these maintenance tasks

Create A Garage Workspace

If you’re like me, you might love a good repurposing or DIY project Often times we make space in our homes to do these projects, which can introduce solvents, glues with formaldehyde, and VOCs to our interior space

If you have the space, try making a work area in your garage to allow these chemicals to safely off-gas outdoors while you working, rather than getting trapped indoors If you have an area near a window, this can also be beneficial to send those chemicals outdoors Plus it’s better for you while you’re working on your project.

Having a workspace outdoors also helps with keeping any dust from your project (which can contain various VOCs from paints and stains) outdoors as well Once this dust enters your home, it can be really difficult to remove it quickly It often travels throughout our home and into our HVAC system, where it can get blown back through the house.

An outdoor workspace can also give you a space to let your projects dry and safely off-gas outdoors rather than having them in the home to do this It’s better for your indoor air quality and better for your short-term health.