Minimizing Dust Tips

The good news is there are ways to lessen the amount of dust. BobVila.com compiled 20 easy ways to keep the dust level in your house to a minimum. And in addition to the usual advice of keeping furnace/HVAC filters clean, vacuuming with HEPA filters, air purifiers, and wiping down surfaces, there are some other cleaning methods and ideas to keep the dust at bay. One of my favorites is limiting the number of textiles in your home. Like throw pillows. If your spouse or partner love a lot of pillows, that’s not the best thing to limit dust (approach this topic with caution! Ha!).

While the list of dust-limiting methods are quite useful, most only address the issue after the dust is inside the home. What about preventing dust from entering the home to begin with? For instance, having open windows may help bring in fresh air, it also allows dust in the form of pollen, spores, pollutants, etc., to enter the home.

Preventing Dust

One key to limiting dust in a log home is making sure your home is completely sealed. We know the amount of sealing a log home needs, based on the number of logs, sizes of log gaps, amount of windows and door frames and so on. However, there exists the chance that some nooks and crannies might get missed or damaged throughout time.

The quickest method to find where dust can enter the home is performing an energy audit. Infrared cameras can locate and identify areas where outside air can penetrate. Learn more about energy audits here.

The most likely areas of air gaps are the nooks and crannies of joints and building material transitions. For instance, doors and windows. Sometimes the seal isn’t as solid as one would hope. That’s where our Log Gap Cap pre-cut foam comes into play. Paired with Energy Seal or Perma-Chink sealant that matches your current sealant, this combo effectively closes up your home around doors and windows. Read more about Log Gap Caps here.

And finally, make sure vents and the foundation seams are sealed and properly finished. Not only will this help keep your home sealed from outside dust, but also keeps bugs and pests from infiltrating your home.

Dust will always be around, but there are ways to mitigate how much, which should give you more time to enjoy your home.