Indoor Air Quality Basics for Bay Area Homes
What affects indoor air quality in Bay Area homes — ventilation, humidity, VOCs, particulates and wildfire smoke — and how testing works.
This guide is general information, not medical advice. If you have health concerns, please consult a medical professional.
What indoor air quality means
Indoor air quality describes the air inside buildings. The EPA notes that indoor levels of some pollutants can be higher than outdoor levels, and most people spend the majority of their time indoors.
Key factors include ventilation, humidity, particulates (like PM2.5), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from products and materials, and biological sources such as mold.
Bay Area factors
Wildfire smoke seasons, damp foggy winters in coastal neighborhoods, older homes with limited ventilation, and newer tightly-sealed construction all affect indoor air differently.
Microclimates mean a home in the Sunset District and one in Walnut Creek can face very different conditions.
How testing works
Professional testing combines calibrated readings — humidity, temperature, particulates, and optional VOCs — with air sampling analyzed by a laboratory and an inspector's observations.
Repeat testing shows how your home changes across seasons, which a single snapshot cannot.
Want measured information about your home?
AirCare 365 provides indoor air quality and mold and indoor air quality testing across the Bay Area.
Sources
Serving San Francisco, San Mateo, Menlo Park, San Jose, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Oakland, Fremont and the rest of the Bay Area.