Barbecue, a Clock Tower and Houses Older Than Central Air
Lockhart is known for two things: barbecue and its courthouse. The Caldwell County Courthouse and its tall clock tower anchor a square of old brick buildings, and around it run streets of historic homes, many built long before central air.
Those homes carry decades of living. Many had heat and air added years later, with ducts squeezed into attics or run under raised floors. Layers of paint, old wood floors, plaster walls and deep closets all hold dust and odor over time.
Newer neighborhoods on the edge of town have the opposite issue: tight houses hold in whatever smells and particles get inside. Either way, the house builds up a bio-load, the microscopic particles and microbes that collect in the air, on surfaces and inside the HVAC. The idea is laid out in What Is Your Home's Bio-Load?
Where Does an Older Lockhart Home Hold Odor?
The closets. Small, deep closets with no airflow give clothes and boxes a stale smell that spreads to whatever you hang there next.
The bathrooms. A small window or a weak exhaust fan leaves damp air hanging after every shower.
The kitchen. Years of cooking leave a film on cabinet tops, walls and the range hood. In a town that takes smoked brisket seriously, a little backyard smoker smell drifting inside comes with the address.
The drains. Sinks, tubs and floor drains that rarely run can let sewer smells in once their traps dry out. Our drains and dry traps guide explains the easy fix.
The ductwork. Ducts added decades ago may never have been cleaned out, and each time the AC runs it pushes that buildup back into your rooms.
For more places to check, see 10 Places Your Home's Air Gets Stale.
How Does Dry Fog Handle Tall Ceilings and Old Closets?
Pure Maintenance Austin uses the patented Pure Maintenance VaPURE dry fog system. First, a very fine dry fog of a hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid solution moves through every room, closet and the ductwork, helping reduce the bio-load and neutralize odors on hard, non-porous surfaces. The solution then breaks down into water, oxygen and vinegar. A surface protectant follows as a second fog.
The droplets are tiny, so they reach tall ceilings, built-in shelves and deep closets without soaking wood floors or antique furniture. Even a big two-story house is done in one day. Our dry fog treatment page has the full picture.
What Do We Ask About an Older House?
The consultation is free and happens by phone at a time you choose. Lockhart is a short drive down US 183 for our crew on treatment day.
A team member asks about what makes older homes different: the closets, the attic access, how the ducts were run and where the HVAC system sits. Afterward, a Comfort Advisor goes over the options with you and follows up with a written quote based on square footage.
Lockhart FAQ
Is the treatment gentle enough for an older home's finishes?
The fog is dry, so it doesn't soak wood floors, plaster or fabric. If you have a special piece, like an antique or a family quilt, point it out on the call and we'll talk it through.
Our house is on pier and beam. Does that matter?
It helps us to know. We treat the living space and the HVAC system. If the crawlspace under the house stays damp, fix that first.
Can you get barbecue smoke out of the house?
Everyday cooking and smoker smells are among the odors the treatment helps reduce. A heavy, years-deep smoke smell may also need cleaning and repainting, and if that's what we hear on the call, we'll say so.
Book Your Free Lockhart Consultation
Call 512-904-4646 or email IAQ@goldeagleservices.com. We're available Monday through Saturday, 7am to 7pm.