Why Air Quality Testing is Essential After Renovations and Construction Projects

Posted in Air Quality, on January 24, 2025

The most significant cause of changes to home air quality is the things you do inside your home, and any project that requires demolition, construction, or painting will have quantifiable effects. At SafeAir, we often work with families or contractors before, during, or after renovations to perform air quality testing in Toronto. These tests detect pollutants like dust, volatile organic compounds, asbestos, lead and other contaminants disturbed or caused during construction. Home air quality testing is a safe and effective method for identifying contaminants that may pose a risk to your family’s health.

Common Contaminants After Renovation and Construction

Renovations, even minor ones like a new coat of paint, can significantly affect the health and safety of the indoor environment by releasing harmful substances. While some may have noticeable odours to alert you, that doesn’t mean everything will be detectable by the senses. SafeAir finds that the four most common contaminants are:

1. Dust and Debris: Between demolition, cutting, and sanding, many small particulates are released that can linger in the indoor air environment and be breathed in. 
2. Volatile Organic Compounds: AKA VOCs, these minute particles are found in hundreds of everyday household products like paints, solvents, and adhesives. These fumes can lead to headaches, dizziness and long-term complaints. 
3. Mold Spores and Mildew: Mold releases new spores as a safety mechanism when disturbed, which helps spread the colony and increase survival. To ensure safe remediation, you should always work with a mold professional and ensure that containment is reducing cross-contamination. 
4. Chemicals and Particles: Many renovation materials, like insulation, drywall, and wood, contain or off-gas chemicals like formaldehyde. Other materials, like asbestos, were commonly used in decades past and become dangerous when demolished or disturbed. 

Why Air Quality Testing is Essential After Construction

Home air quality testing can take place before, during, or after your renovation. At SafeAir, we often recommend clients with recently completed projects or who are moving into new builds test their air quality before settling in. This can help you determine if any health risks are present before your daily routines are set. Some of the common effects we see from construction include:

• Health effects from contaminants, like respiratory issues, allergic reactions, or increased long-term or chronic conditions like asthma or bronchitis. 
• Lingering pollutants. One of the most common reasons that pollutants linger in homes is because of poor ventilation and airflow. Air testing can determine if gasses or pollutants are sticking around long after work is complete. 
• Increased headaches, dry skin, and burning eyes. 

Benefits of Professional Air Quality Testing

Testing for air quality contaminants is the only way to know for sure what’s lingering in your home. Peace of mind is one of the most powerful effects of air quality testing — at SafeAir, we see how knowledge affects our clients every single week. Our professional, science-based testing results in trustworthy, targeted solutions based on your home’s unique issues. 

At SafeAir, our comprehensive testing measures levels of dust, VOCs, humidity, spores, and other particles that may go unnoticed in visual or general environment tests. Air quality tests can also measure the effectiveness of cleanup or changes highlighted in earlier testing, such as measuring the change in ventilation. Our tailored, customized solutions can help you solve ongoing problems around the home or in specific rooms that need a little help. 

How SafeAir Ensures Safe Air Quality After Your Renovation or Construction Project

Professional air quality testing is a thorough process that quantifies the factors that affect air quality through tests and sampling. At SafeAir, this means we take multiple readings from around your home and inspect the exterior, too — you’d be surprised how often exterior elements affect your indoor air quality! All samples are evaluated at a third-party lab, and readings are compared to industry standards and guidelines. 

Our comprehensive report will explain the significance of each finding and offer actionable steps for remediation and change, taking out any guesswork or uncertainty. We believe that breathing safe air at home isn’t optional — it’s the foundation for good health, rest, and overall wellness.

Testing your air quality after a renovation is a small step to safeguard your health and living environment. To learn more about air quality testing in Toronto or speak to the SafeAir team, reach out today!

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