Take it from First Quality Roofing & Insulation: we know that when you're on a quest to improve your indoor air quality, it pays to search from top (your roof) to bottom (your basement).

But it's also smart to pay attention to everything in between – and even a simple solution that might surprise you, such as houseplants.

That's right: when your latest Las Vegas home maintenance project is focused on indoor air quality, something as simple as infusing your home with lush houseplants can make a considerable difference. Take it from First Quality Roofing & Insulation.

Rely on nature's air purifier

Like many homeowners, you may have explored air cleaners and air purifiers. But their effectiveness is decidedly mixed and warrant only a lukewarm endorsement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

That's not the case with a group of houseplants that have been studied by people who have a vested interested in preserving the air quality in small spaces: the scientists at NASA, who send astronauts into orbit.

Working in partnership with the Associated Landscape Contractors of America, NASA has identified a special group of houseplants as “air purifiers” because they absorb gases and pollutants from the air, cleansing it and also restoring equilibrium to indoor humidity levels.

Spreading these houseplants throughout your home should bring relief especially to allergy and asthma sufferers, people who are prone to upper respiratory ailments, the elderly and children, who the EPA points out are more susceptible to air pollution because they tend to breathe a greater amount of air relative to their body weight.

Flex your thumb

You shouldn't worry if your thumb isn't even faintly green. Most of the houseplants on NASA's “natural air purifier” list are easy to care for – and even resist insects. Found at nurseries and home improvement stores, some of these plants require more space than others. They are the:

• Areca Palm, also referred to as the Butterfly Palm, which can grow to 12 feet
• Bamboo Palm, an equally tall plant that thrives with less water
• Boston Fern, a natural for hanging baskets though it can grow up to 5 feet wide
• Dracaena, which can grow 3 feet wide and 10 feet tall
• Dwarf Date Palm, which can climb to 10 feet tall
• Ficus Alii, more of a tree with its sturdy bark and graceful limbs
• Lady Palm, which can reach 14 feet tall
• Peace Lily, a stout plant that can grow 2 feet wide and up to 3 feet tall
• Philodendron, which is known as “the climber” though some varieties spread wide
• Rubber plant, which can spread to 5 feet wide and grow 8 feet tall

First Quality champions Las Vegas home maintenance measures

When you're done decorating your home with houseplants and improving your indoor air, don't forget to turn to other Las Vegas home maintenance measures. To help you keep track of them, First Quality Roofing & Insulation has compiled a helpful list that you can import on your calendar.

At First Quality, we've got Las Vegas home maintenance measures covered from top to bottom, no matter what the color of your thumb.