The Importance of a Warm and Healthy Home

Making your home warmer and more comfortable is more important than you might think. This may sound obvious, but we need to live in an environment where there is consistent warm temperatures, good ventilation and natural light, all essential for maintaining good health.

It is well known that mouldy, damp environments can cause a range of health problems such as; nasal congestion, sore throat, wheezing or cough, sore eyes and skin irritation.

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More seriously, those with immune system problems can experience bad infections, particularly in the lungs when they suffer exposure to damp and mouldy conditions.

Furthermore, the Institute of Medicine’s research has found strong evidence between indoor damp and mould exposure as a contributing factor to cough and wheeze in otherwise healthy people, as well as aggravating the symptoms of asthma sufferers.

Respiratory issues affect nearly 13 million people in the UK with 8 million people suffering from asthma. Although not all of these cases relate to the environment, there is little doubt that improving living conditions can improve your health, or at least maintain good health.

Such adverse health issues can be prevented if your home is enhanced with modern construction materials, standard installation and a sensible approach to how you use energy and how you live in your home. For example, if your home has modern energy-saving windows and doors, it must also have adequate ventilation – this stops moisture from becoming trapped in the atmosphere and gathering condensation from which mould can grow. For Glaziers Bristol, visit a site like Roman Glass, a leading Glaziers Bristol company.

It is clear that health could be affected if a house has inefficient glazing. Up to 24% of heat energy has the potential to leave the house through poor quality windows and doors. It could well be time to replace old, inefficient windows to not only reduce fuel bills and increase property values, but to improve or maintain health.

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Homeowners clearly listen to the experts. In a recent poll, it was evident that one third of all homeowners replaced windows or doors because their homes were windy or wet. Over four in ten replaced windows and doors to increase the energy efficiency of their homes to make their homes warmer.

One of the most usual concerns that people raise is with energy bills. Inefficient UK homes mean that people could find it hard to manage their bills while maintaining warmth and comfort in their homes. For those who are disadvantaged, this can have a real impact, with the threat of fuel poverty and health risks very real.

This concern is shared not only by the owner of the house, but by many professionals in the energy, construction and health sector. The government may have set a target to reduce carbon emissions in the UK, but will it pay enough attention to the more pressing problems that affect homeowners?

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