Indoor Air Quality

Get a No-Cost Healthy Home Assessment

Boulder County Public Health’s (BCPH’s) Healthy Homes Program is a no-cost resource for all Boulder County residents. It focuses on households with respiratory illnesses and diseases and underserved and under-resourced communities. We focus on indoor health and safety and strive to inform residents to allow them to improve their health and quality of life by recommending no to mid-cost solutions. We have identified resources to which we can direct residents that may help to support and address their needs.

We are not service technicians and do not make repairs or diagnostics. We do not perform building code enforcement or home inspections and will not assess the structure or condition of your home. We will focus on providing education and information to improve indoor air quality (we touch on some outdoor as well) and safety within your home.

The assessment will take about 1.5 hours, and we will review the eight principles of a healthy home to keep your home:

• Dry
• Clean
• Pest-Free
• Well ventilated
• Safe
• Contaminant Free
• Maintained
• Thermally Controlled

Request a healthy home assessment

Do-it-Yourself Assessment

The do-it-yourself (DIY) assessment checklist is for residents interested in a Healthy Homes assessment but cannot commit the time for an in-person assessment. You can perform a DIY assessment by downloading the checklist and considering the following while conducting your assessment:

• What are you already doing well in and around your home?
• Are there any health or safety concerns in your home?
• Are there low to mid-cost solutions or repairs you can make?
• What resources may be available to address potential issues or concerns you may identify during the DIY assessment?

Once you’ve completed your assessment, you can email us to schedule a time to discuss your DIY assessment and potential solutions and direct you to relevant resources.

Please note that the DIY Healthy Homes assessment checklist is for informational and educational purposes only. If you have specific concerns about your home, please consult the appropriate service technician.

Do it Yourself Healthy Home Assessment Checklist

Indoor Air Quality Matters

• We spend 90% of our time indoors, and the air quality is often worse than the quality of air outdoors.
• Pollutants that can impact indoor air quality include radon, lead, asbestos, mold, tobacco smoke, and household chemicals (e.g., cleaning agents, pesticides, paints). Other factors include combustion appliances, ventilation systems, and cooking practices

Asthma is More Common in Colorado than the National Average

• There are communities across Boulder County with higher than state-average asthma hospitalization rates
• The percentage of Colorado residents with asthma is 9.6%, which compares to the national average of 7.8%
• Dry Air: Colorado’s high desert terrain produces an arid climate that can irritate mucus membranes and exacerbate asthma conditions
• Smoke: Any smoke – including marijuana, e-cigarettes (i.e., vaping), cigars, cigarettes, and campfires – can trigger asthma
• Air Pollution: Colorado’s highly wooded areas increase the risk of wildfires, and winds sweeping across the western United States can carry smoke for many miles.
• High Altitude: Higher altitudes tend to have cooler air temperatures and reduced oxygen, which can worsen asthma.

Radon

Homes in Boulder County have elevated radon levels.

• One out of every two homes in Boulder County has elevated radon levels.
• Radon breaks down into radioactive particles that can cause cancer when inhaled. These radioactive particles can damage the cells in our lungs and increase the risk of lung cancer.
• Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.

Aging homes across Boulder County

• Just over 40% of housing units in Boulder County were constructed before 1978, when lead was most prevalent.
• Approximately 56% of homes across the county were built before 1988 when asbestos-containing materials were more commonly used.

Health and safety concerns in the home extend beyond air quality and include:

• Poisoning
• Carbon monoxide
• Expired medications
• Harsh chemicals
• Fires and burns
• Drowning, choking, suffocation, and strangulation
• Electrocution
• Firearms

What to Expect During a Healthy Home Assessment

A healthy home assessment will take about 1.5 hours, where we will review the eight principles of a healthy home. For the assessment, staff will conduct a walk-through with residents and provide a detailed report with any health and safety concerns found, actions residents can take to address them, and resources that may assist them. Residents will be offered CO/Smoke detectors and fire extinguishers if needed. The assessment process typically looks like this:

• Resident submits a healthy home request form
• Staff will reach out to the resident typically within two business days to conduct a phone screening
• Resident completes a pre-assessment survey, and terms and conditions form
• Staff conduct a walk-through of the home with the resident(s) to identify potential health and safety concerns
• Staff will provide a follow-up report with actions residents can take and resources that may assist them
• The resident completes a post-assessment survey about four weeks after the assessment