Easy DIY projects for a healthier home

(NC) Even in the winter, there are plenty of home improvement tasks you can do to give your home a boost. Try these quick and easy projects that will lead to a healthier indoor environment for you and your family.

Replace your filters. This is an easy and inexpensive way to make your home run more smoothly, efficiently and safely. Breathe cleaner air by changing your heating and air conditioner filters, and set a reminder to do this four times a year.

Maintain your chimney. Long nights and cold days mean you’re getting great use out of your wood-burning fireplace. To make sure it stays safe all season long, regularly inspect and clean the chimney. Install a chimney cap to prevent water damage and keep debris and animal nests from blocking the chimney and allowing carbon monoxide to flow into the house.

Check your detectors. Every home should have both a fire alarm and a carbon monoxide detector — at least one on each floor. With a fireplace and heaters running, winter is a good time to test them to make sure they are in good working order. Double check that the batteries aren’t expired and change them if they are.

Test for radon. A lesser known but very important risk in your home that everyone needs to know about is radon, a radioactive gas that is the leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. It comes from uranium in the ground and is in all homes in Canada. The only way to know if you have dangerous radon levels in your home is with a simple DIY test. It’s quick to set up and you should leave the test for three months.

Find a DIY radon test kit or professional at takeactiononradon.ca.