Archive for February, 2012
Mold Growth
Mold, its not just something that grows on your bread after sitting for to long or what grows on cheese. Mold is important in our world but only if its outside of our home. Mold can be found in many places and can grow virtually any were. Mold can be feed through many was but its main ingredients are moisture, heat (approximately Between 60-80 degrees). It doesn’t take long for it to grow, any where from 24-48 hours mold can grow. All mold isn’t bad, it is crucial for decomposition of many natural things in our world. Mold plays a role in our lives as a decomposer but its nice to have mold outside of your homes, instead of in your home. When Mold enters your home it can bring a laundry list of health problems. Its important to know that keeping your house mold safe can keep you and your family healthy.
Mold can grow in our homes on any surface. It can do this buy feeding from the moisture in the air and the temperature of your house. Molds like damp warm places. Such as bathrooms, kitchens, and basements. Attics can be effected to because of the exposer that they have to the environments. To keep humidity down in our homes its important to have good ventilation that vents to the outside of the home, in these “problem areas”. Mositure controle is the key to keeping molds from growing in our homes.
Molds can bring serious health risk in to your living areas. many homes these days have finished basements were the have play areas setup for there children. Symptoms of Mold can be the same as allergies or as a common cold. Such as follows running nose, itchy eyes, coughing, and wheezing. Though these symptoms may seem harmless what can be caused from long term exposure can be serious cause for alarm. Heavy exposure to some molds can cause asthma, short term memory loss, Shortness of breath, and head achs.
Mold may play a vital role in nature as a natural recyler, but its better to keep it out of our homes. Mold intrusion in your home can be costly and bring high health risk to you and your family. To learn about Mold and how it can get into your home and were it will grow. Go to http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldguide.html. Or click here to see mold intrusion video.
Lets Hear it for House Bill 12-1165
Today mark’s a day in the history of Colorado, and for Radon. A bill is being presented to the senate and the state of Colorado, to protect our Home sellers and buyers from Radon gases. Radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Its the Number 1 cause of lung cancer in non-smoking people. Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, gas which attacks your lungs. This bill will make Colorado a healthier state in that, our homes will be safer to live in. We can all benefit from the fact that our families will be protected from this silent killer. To have this bill pass, would be a huge step for Colorado, not only for our health but, for our State as a whole. This bill will make it so the Sellers and real estate agencies are responsible for testing a mitigating the Radon in the home. We can save lives just simply by testing and providing that information to the buyers. As well homes being built are to have Radon mitigation systems installed which will drop initial cost of the installation of the systems cheaper up front. So lets hope that House Bill 12-1165 makes it. Sue Shaffer is our representative for this house bill so email her to give her a thank you.(repschafer@comcast.net) Click here to see the short summary of the Bill.
Heavy Metal.
No I am not talking about Metallica or Slayer, this blog is about another type of heavy metal, Lead. I read an article recently about Lead in our homes. It got me thinking back to the lead scare. Lead was every where, it was in our paint, in our children’s toys, and in our air. But lately the lead topic has fallen on the way side of more pressing issues in the country, but I believe it is still very important that we urge homeowners and parents to have there house’s tested for this Heavy Metal. The use of Lead based paints was all banned during 1978. But parents and homeowners need to understand that lead can still be found in your home. The EPA stated that to reduce the amount of lead exposure, is to have your home checked, and have yoru children checked as well. The reason kids are such a main issue to lead, is the fact that there growign bodies absorbe everything, stuff they touch, drink eat. and breath.
Lead can enter your home through many different ways. Lead can be found in your water because the solder used by the plumbers has lead in it thus gettign into your water supply. Another way lead can be let into your home is if your bringing it in. I am not saying your bringing it in to your home on purpose, but if you work some where that may have lead dust in the air or deal with lead it can be trapt in your cloths. Also lead can be found in your dishes, porcleian can leak lead into your childrens food.
Lead is used still today in processing materials. Thus why it is still very important to take precautions in your home against lead. Get a water filter for your home water, if you do not already have one. It is a good idea to have your children teasted for lead through a blood sample. As well have your home tested because you don’t want Heavy Metal around your kids. Click here to learn more about Lead Poisoning
Radon Is a Killer, Respect It, Test For It.
Radon, It is know as the silent killer and for a good reason. Its a odorless, colorless, radioactive gas that can enter into your home. Radon is produced through the break down of uranium in the soil which most of the time si located under homes foundations. It as well is the secound leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. Home owners and homebuyers should always test there homes for Radon. Studies do shows that most of Colorado’s counties are potential areas for high Radon. The EPA’s zone map of Colorado shows most of the counties in the Zone 1 levels. Which is the zone that the EPA recomends the homeowners to take action. Click here to go to the EPA’s Map of Colorado.
Because radon levels are influenced by a variety of factors—soil type and moisture, how “tight” the home is, type of heating and ventilation system, movement of air and groundwater, air pressure, and lifestyle behavior of the occupants—the only way to know if a home has elevated levels of radon is to test it. This table was pulled from an Artical about Radon In the Home Click here to go there.
Table 1: Radon risk if you have never smoked (Developed by the EPA). Radon
LevelIf 1,000 people who never smoked were exposed to this level over a lifetime
The risk of cancer from radon exposure compares to WHAT TO DO 20 pCi/L* about 36 people could get lung cancer 35 times the risk of drowning Fix your home. 10 pCi/L* about 18 people could get lung cancer 20 times the risk of dying in a home fire Fix your home. 8 pCi/L* about 15 people could get lung cancer 4 times the risk of dying ina fall Fix your home. 4 pCi/L* about 7 people could get lung cancer The risk of dying in a car crash. Fix your home. 2 pCi/L* about 4 people could get lung cancer The risk of dying of poison. Consider fixing between 2 and 4 pCi/L 1.3 pCi/L* about 2 people could get lung cancer Average indoor radon level. (Reducing radon levels below
2 pCi/L is difficult.)0.4 pCi/L* Average outdoor radon level. (Reducing radon levels below
2 pCi/L is difficult.)*pCi/L: picocuries of radon per liter of air
NOTE: If you are a former smoker, your risk may be higher.Mold Attack!
Mold is attacking! It’s on the loose running rampant and intruding into homes with the help of moisture and water. It’s about that time when water damage to homes can happen. With the snow/ water run off, and the dropping temptres. It can lead to broken pipes in walls and basements that have become flooded. So this is a perfect time for a blog about Mold. Water is a very trick thing to contain because often times people don’t notice they have a leak until their standing inwater up to their ankles. Water flows to the path of least resistance so it goes down which is were most of our basements are located. And when it flows it flows! Whether its from a frozen pipe or a flow of outside water, water intrusion can be costly and lead to indoor health hazards.
When water finds its way into your home it is best to call a professional right away to take care of the problem, whether it is the broken pipe, or the 6 inches of water in your basement. Most water restoration contractors have direct lines to a plumber so if you call them, they will most likely dispatch someone to your home to assess the leak and fix it. Now, with the water in your basement how do you get rid of it? The water restoration companies will most likely look at what type of water came into the home, because different water can have different types of clean up. If its’ water from a pipe such as a clean water source chances of it containing bacteria is very low. But you don’t want to let it sit for longer then 24 hours. Now if it’s a broken sewage pipe or its outside brown water IE( flood water, snow run off) it needs to be cleaned up immediately and most of the contacted area’s will need to be removed due to possible bacteria exposure.
Mold can cause a host of many different health hazards for you and your family. Headaches, bleeding from your nose, shortness of breathe, or hard time getting enough oxygen. Mold spores don’t get flung into the air unless they are disturbed. That’s why its very important to not handle mold, move or touch it because doing so can contaminate more areas of your home. When mold is present in the air it will be breathed in by anyone around the contaimneated area and can lead to problems with your lungs. One known mold called Aspergillus Niger can cause webbing in your lung which can lead to suffocation.
Mold is more common then most homeowners would like to beileive so its very crucial to your family’s health and your own health to take the right percautions and ether have it professionally removed. If you are unsure if a water intrusion has caused an indoor air quality problem hire a mold professional to have the indoor air of your home tested. Don’t be a victim of a mold attack.
Click here to find out more about mold and water damage.
