Breathe Easy - Clean Your Ducts

Here, in Wisconsin, summer is all too fleeting. October is just around the corner, and the cool, crisp air of autumn is soon to follow. It won’t be long before we seal up our homes and settle in for the long winter ahead.

Since many of us will soon forego fresh air for forced air, it’s important for those of us living with air ducts in our homes to have them inspected and cleaned. Improving your indoor air quality can go a long way toward improving your overall health. If you’re not breathing well, you’re not living well.

It’s recommended that air duct systems be cleaned no less than once every two years. If you smoke, suffer from allergies, have pets that shed hair or dander, or live in a high-traffic, high-pollution, or high-dust area, it’s recommended that you have your HVAC (heating ventilation air condition) system cleaned annually.

It’s also a good idea to have your system inspected and cleaned if you’ve just purchased a previously-occupied home, or your home is newly constructed or recently remodeled. Construction creates a great deal of dust, and it’s a bit unseemly to think of the dust, hair, & dander from previous owners being blown throughout your home and becoming the air you breathe.

When researching air duct cleaning companies, be sure to compare their scope of services. Some companies only clean the ductwork, which is only part of the system.

Pay attention to certifications, accreditations, and affiliations. You should be able to learn a great deal from their websites, regarding experience, training, services, processes, and answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs).

Many companies provide you with the opportunity to see what your ducts look like before and after cleaning, which may be an alarming, but helpful, visual. Service quotes should be free, and are typically available via phone or email.

Be sure to shop around, and ask friends, family, or co-workers for possible referrals. Here are a few links to various area service providers, to help get you started:

DUCTZ
Dirty Ducts Cleaning
SERVPRO
Stanley Steemer

Home Inspection: A Guide for Active Homeowners

So, you want to prioritize home repairs this year, but don’t know where to begin. If you’ve recently purchased your home, chances are good that you had a professional home inspection completed prior to purchase. You should have received a written inspection report at that time, which would specifically note the repair recommendations for your home. If you cannot locate the report, contact either the home inspector or your real estate agent for a copy.

Many buyers simply file away the inspection report after receiving it, but it is meant to be an active resource for homeowners. If you don’t take action and repair certain items mentioned in the report, those same items could become obstacles for you when you later try to sell your home. If neglected, some smaller repairs could also become bigger fixes. And bigger fixes often come with bigger price tags. So, it’s best to keep your home inspection report handy as a reference guide for repairs.

If you’ve owned your home for many years, you may never have had a professional home inspection completed. Only in more recent years have home inspections become a standard practice for buyers, prior to purchase. Whether preparing to sell, or just trying to keep up with maintenance needs, it’s worthwhile for current homeowners to consider a professional inspection of their property.

In south central Wisconsin, home inspections typically run between $250-300.00 and are 2 to 3 hours long. Properties with greater square footage may run higher and longer. Seek service quotes ahead of time, so you’ll know what you will be charged. Payment is generally due immediately, once the inspection is completed.

For reputable home inspectors in your area, seek a variety of referrals from friends/family/colleagues, mortgage lenders, and/or real estate agents. Home inspector associations can also be a good source, but they may not always have members in your specific area.