Per the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans spend, on average, about 90% of their time indoors, whether they’re at work, relaxing at home, or out running errands. This statistic, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, brings the importance of safe indoor air quality top of mind for homebuyers and builders alike. That’s why with every luxury home constructed, Segal & Morel adheres to recommendations of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), which state that there are three essential elements for effectively preventing the proliferation of airborne viruses: air filtration, humidity control, and fresh air ventilation. Here’s a closer look at what you should know about these elements, which are standard features in our custom-built homes.

Air Filtration

Every home’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system contains an air filter, which is responsible for promoting clean air by eliminating airborne particulates, such as pollen, pet dander, smoke, dust, and other pollutants. However, not all air filters are made the same. To ensure our clients can achieve the best possible indoor air quality, we equip all furnaces with the Lennox Healthy Climate 5”-wide Carbon Clean MERV 16 Media Filter. MERV stands for minimum efficiency reporting value, a rating on a scale of 1-16 that tells how effectively the filter traps the pollutants you wouldn’t want circulating in the home. The higher a MERV rating, the more particles the filter traps, meaning these air filters are among the best available on the market.

Thanks to the Lennox Healthy Climate 5”-wide Carbon Clean MERV 16 Media Filter, our furnaces offer filtration levels akin to those found in hospital inpatient care or general surgery settings. Other health benefits include:

  • Removes over 95% of particles, even those as small as 0.3 micron
  • Removes over 90% of bioaerosols and microorganisms, even those as small as 0.01 micron
  • Produces no ozone emissions, a known lung irritant
  • Can reduce the home’s ground-level ozone by up to 50%

Humidity Control

Taking charge of your home’s humidity is another crucial aspect of maintaining healthy indoor air quality – and the Lennox Healthy Climate Whole House Humidifier does that work for you in a Segal & Morel custom-built home. We chose this humidifier because it’s been shown to lower the risk of cracks and other damage to a home’s woodwork and floorings, as well as belongings like paintings and musical instruments. Meanwhile, studies suggest that the right level of humidity within the home may support occupants’ health by decreasing the survival of certain viruses and their transmission rates.

Fresh Air Ventilation

Today’s building regulations require that homes are built tightly for energy efficiency, though doing so can restrict the amount of fresh air within the home and may even trap potentially hazardous air pollutants indoors, such as:

  • Dry air
  • Material off-gassing
  • Cleaning agents
  • Radon
  • Carbon monoxide
  • Carbon dioxide
  • Odors from household activities
  • And more…

Because these newer codes have increased the need for mechanical ventilation, Segal & Morel includes a Lennox Healthy Climate HRV (heat recovery ventilator) in each home. These systems exchange stale indoor air with fresh outdoor air to not only ensure absolute comfort but also capture heat from contaminated air before it’s moved outside. This process results in several health benefits when used in conjunction with the aforementioned filtration and humidification features, with the HRV completing the three essential elements of a healthy home air system.

Learn More about the Indoor Air Quality in Our Custom-Built Homes

Don’t risk poor indoor air quality when navigating the real estate market for your next home – build one that meets robust standards with Segal & Morel. Not only are these important indoor air quality features standard on every home we build, but our homes are also Energy Star-compliant and boast a host of other construction advantages. For more information, contact Segal & Morel today.