All it took was a different sort of HVAC air filter to change my house
When I moved into this house, I was well aware that it was an older home.
That was actually part of the charm for me.
This place just was so unique and had it’s own character. It for sure was a one off design and not some cookie cutter situation. However, like with most older homes, there was stuff to upgrade and change. The house sat empty for a long time. While it wasn’t totally neglected, it was caught up in a decades long inheritance dispute between two brothers. The place was cleaned and maintained periodically but, it wasn’t lived in for a long time. And it was old when it was shuttered. So when I got the place, it was like walking into a time capsule. From the HVAC equipment to the kitchen appliances, it was like a set straight out of the late 70’s. I started by replacing the HVAC unit and I was lucky that the ductwork was in great shape. All that was recommended by the home inspector was to have the ductwork resealing done. Well, I should have done the ductwork cleaning as well. Once I moved in, I was always sniffing or would get sinus problems. Turns out, it was the indoor air quality. I fixed that by getting the ductwork cleaning after all. But the big change was simple. I replaced the paper air filter for a HEPA filter that traps and removes more that 99 percent of airborne contaminants. The results were immediate. All those respiratory symptoms vanished and the house even felt and smelled cleaner. I highly recommend changing to a HEPA filter once the HVAC air ducts are clean.