Where Is All This Dust Coming From?

Homeowners are asking why is there so much dust build up in their home. Sometimes you will see a thin black line around the baseboard where the wall meets the floor. Some thought it was soot from a cracked furnace or heat exchanger. After cutting some fibers from the carpet and having them analyzed, it was found to be a mix of dirt, sheetrock dust and fiberglass shards. This led to looking in the attic for the culprit.

What was found was that dirt and insulation was coming down the wall cavity from the attic and picking up sheetrock dust and construction debris left inside the wall. Air would enter through holes in the attic and be pulled toward the baseboard. The carpet was acting like a filter collecting a portion of the dust and debris.

Unfortunately, bath fans, clothes dryer vents, kitchen hoods and air conditioning systems created a negative pressure causing the dust problem to be acclerated. Luckily, newer building codes require sealing the attic around all openings. To stop this leakage, seal and caulk around electrical outlets and a/c ducts. This lack of sealing also causes much of the heated and/or cooled air to be pulled in the attic, thereby, wasted.

This simple repair will save hundreds of dollars in wasted energy!