Some homes and climates require additional humidification (you read that right, not “de-humidification). But humidifiers have a host of dangers they introduce. To know whether humidification is best for you and your family, read here.
From Instagram, on-site during a home inspection:
Here’s a little post we did about basement bedrooms:
Often we get questions about airborne testing results. Here’s a sample:
Here we see that the exterior sample (#3) serves as the “control” value for the home, while the laundry room (#1) and the master bathroom (#2) are the “experimental” values.
With this understood, interpreting the tables becomes easier. The outdoor air has considerably more total spores (420 to 110 and 44), but the master bathroom air has the “water indicator” spore chaetomium, which indicates a more serious moisture issue in the walls, floor, and/or ceiling.
In addition to our many other certifications and honors, we recently received the Mold and general certifications from the International Association of Certified Indoor Air Consultants. Check out our mold inspection guidelines at IAC2.org .
We often tell clients and trainees, “Trust your nose.” If you like being in a home, it’s more likely to be safe. If you can’t stand the smell, it’s likely worth finding out why.
Allergens can be hidden, but often our sneezer finds them quickly. Those suffering from asthma also can sense air quality issues.
Certified home inspectors and other indoor air quality consultants can help you determine if you need testing and/or repairs in your home.
Controlling moisture is the only way to control indoor mold growth, and controlling it also helps with pests and other issues.
You may not know that the following activities and appliances add moisture to indoor air:
By watching your in-home use of these items, you can better monitor your indoor moisture.
Often clients are bewildered by the presence of mold. “How could this happen?!?” But truly, when we understand how mold grows, it actually happens very easily.
Our partner organization, InterNACHI, has a helpful paper on indoor mold. They explain:
It is impossible to get rid of all mold and mold spores indoors. Some mold spores will be found floating through the air and in house dust. Mold spores will not grow if moisture is not present.
