Mold is a major annoyance for any homeowner, and it can also be a health problem, especially for allergy sufferers. You're not helpless in the fight against mold, as the key to fighting mold growth is controlling moisture.

When should you consider having professional indoor air quality testing? Is it only when you discover bats are living in your attic or bees in your walls? Those are two extreme examples that could definitely impact your indoor air.

There are many undesirable particles floating through our air, such as pollution, cigarette smoke, pet dander, mold spores, dirt and even bacteria. For those of us who live in or near a city, such as the Greater Boston area, air conditions can often be even worse. And while you cannot control the air outside, you can help control the air in your home.

Whole house humidification systems solve much more than just static electricity problems. When you're able to control the humidity in your home, and maintain a healthy level between 30 and 55 percent, your home will be that much more comfortable.

Not only will airborne dust that has settled make your home look dirty, but it can also aggravate allergy conditions and cause various health issues, including sneezing, watery eyes and a scratchy throat.

The quality of your indoor air is important for your health and safety. Many of the products inside our homes lower the quality of the air, such as certain appliances and their byproducts. Your attached garage can also lower the air quality of your Massachusetts home by sending harmful garage emissions into your house, such as carbon monoxide, dangerous chemicals, emissions from gas-powered appliances and even mildew and mold spores.

Being locked inside our Massachusetts homes during summer heat and frigid winter temperatures means we're also locked up with indoor contaminants. Furnace filters can help to keep indoor air quality at acceptable levels, and it also keeps the furnace clean. To select an efficient furnace filter, you should know what efficiency ratings to look for:

Exposure to daily sources of pollution is nearly unavoidable. However, when it comes to indoor air pollution in your home there are ways to avoid getting more than your share. The first way to maintain good indoor air quality is to identify all the ways that your home may be compromising it. 

The health effects of exposure to high levels of lead are very dangerous, especially to babies and children, whose bodies absorb more lead and whose nervous systems are more sensitive to lead's negative effects. But lead is harmful to adults as well.

In many households, lead-based paint is the major danger. When paint is removed during a home renovation project, lead dust can be released into the air, onto surfaces and into soil. Breathing in or unwittingly consuming this dust can cause lead poisoning.

It's easy to become distracted by a busy schedule and forget to change your HVAC system's air filter. Many people are also unaware of the many problems dirty filters can cause for the system itself and for indoor air quality. You should put air filter replacement at the top of your list for monthly home maintenance. You might not need to change it every month, but if you get in the habit, you'll ensure system efficiency and quality indoor air.