Depending on the type of mold, exposure, duration and the individuals own auto-immune system depends on how mold will affect your health.

You can be exposed to mold by eating contaminated foods; mold spores can enter into a person’s sinuses and lungs through normal respiration or breathing in mold contaminated buildings. Touching mold contaminated surfaces and then touching other body parts, i.e. eyes, lips, nose etc… are documented as some of the direct causes to serious infections in the body.

Long term health effects of mold remain a topic of debate the fact remains that mold creates allergic reactions within the human body. Allergies can be deadly as many people are allergic to bee stings, adults and children with food allergies can become seriously ill, even die, the same can be said when a human is exposed to mold. The human body when exposed to toxins for short or long periods of time will no doubt react in some way.

Some milder symptoms of mold exposure are Sneezing, Itching Skin, Redness and Skin Irritation, Watery Eyes, Itching Eyes and Headache. People who are exposed more frequently and for longer periods to mold may find a list of health issues that include, Constant Headaches, Nose Bleeds, Feelings of Constant Fatigue, Breathing Disorders, Coughing up Blood or Black looking Debris, Nausea, Diarrhea, Vomiting, Loss of Appetite, Weight Loss, Hair Loss, Skin Rashes, Open Sores on the Skin, Memory Loss “Short Term”, Neurological & Nervous Disorders, Sexual Dysfunction, Swollen Glands in the Neck Area and under the Armpit, Sudden Asthma Attacks or Breathing Disorders, Ear Infections and Pain, Chronic Sinus Infections, Chronic Bronchitis, Pain in the Joints and Muscles.

The adverse health effects from mold to the human body can be devastating.
There are thousands of species of mold and while it seems mold can cause many symptoms one must remember that different species of mold can have a wide variety of reactions within different people.

If you have any symptoms noted above please consult a physician and get your home or business checked for Mold.

Denise Katryn Livotti, founder of Petits Chefs Academy realized her calling over a home-cooked bowl of stew. After 15 years in the logistics industry, Denise abandoned her career to pursue her passion: cooking good food while teaching others how to do the same. As an avid cook and gardener with a bias for fresh, quality ingredients, and mother of two young girls, Denise was acutely aware of the growing issue around childhood obesity and other health related issues stemming from the burgeoning processed food market and kids’ general lack of knowledge when it comes to food and cooking. In response, she opened Petits Chefs Academy in August 2011 with a hope to inspire children and parents to take back the kitchen and discover the fun, value and joy in healthy nutritional cooking. For more information on Petits Chefs Academy programs and services please view their website at www.PetitsChefsAcademy.com or call 289-553-4445.

3 reasons why those fans are very important:

1. Smell
2. Humidity
3. Indoor air flow

Nobody wants to open a window during winter or during the summer when it’s 33 degrees outside.

Most of my mold inspections in bathrooms are due the absence of a fan or inefficient or defective one.

There a thousands of model and brands to choose from so it is hard for me to tell you the best one to choose for your bathroom. But I can tell you that quiet and stronger is better. Fan exhaust capacity is rated in cubic feet per minute (cfm). The best fans have sound ratings of 0.5 sones (noise) or less, 80 cfm and over and consume about 20 watts.

Older houses with no air systems (ie. baseboard electric heating), definitely need one on each floor to help circulate air flow through the house.

You need to let the exhaust fan run for 30 minutes after a shower. This will help evacuate bad indoor air to the outside. Timers can also be installed so that the fan will shut off after the proper amount of time.

Vacuum weekly

Clean all your vent and air return monthly

Change your furnace filter every 2 months…max!

Too much you say?

The furnace is the lungs of the entire house! Imagine your furnace sucking dirty air day after day, getting harder and harder to breath! The consequence is losing efficiency as your furnace needs to work harder. This will shorten the life span!

Spending a few dollars on filter is better than the stress and very expensive cost of changing your furnace.

Install a filter inside each vent.

This will reduce the dust entering your rooms from the ducts.

Put a fabric softener sheets in each vent.

This will impress without spending a lot of money on air freshener products! Not everywhere but in strategic place like living room, basement hallway, etc!

Your home will thank you!

Where this is coming from? Who had this brilliant idea? “Mold is black and stinky so lets put something white and even more stinker on top. That should work!”

I was in the drive thru at McDonald’s today and a nice guys was looking at me …well, first my truck then at me and waved me hello. He asked if I had a business card and when might it be be possible to talk to me. I decided to pull over (coffee can wait) and decided to help the potential customer.

His story: He lives inside an old home, water came in a long time ago and the roof as been fixed, apparently. Mold appeared in the ceiling on the top floor, but different area than the first leak. Then told me that his wife as been washing the Black Mold with bleach every two the three weeks but it always comes back!!! I had to explain to him why bleach is not a Mold killer.

Bleach is dangerous on its own. The moment the bleach comes into contact with the visual Mold explodes and become airborne and mix with the bleach chemical.

Airborne means that the mold will stay in the air until it can find new moisture source or living organic source. Where is the first source you think of? Yes, you. And it goes into your eyes, skin and even worst inside your lungs.

Breathing even a small amount of chlorine for short periods of time adversely affects the human respiratory system. Effects range from coughing and chest pain, to water retention in the lungs. Chlorine irritates the skin, the eyes, and the respiratory system.

Would you drink bleach? So why would you inhale it then? Bleach is made to wash your cloth only. Please read the label!! Would you try put together a full new IKEA kitchen with no instructions? I don’t think so…

To kill mold n a nonporous surface, you need the prosper non-toxic product that will incapsulate the mold.

For porous materials, such as ceiling tiles, carpet, drywall, wood panel and plaster, these may need to be thrown away if its moldy. Mold is so small it can grow on or fill in the empty spaces and crevices of porous materials, so the mold may be difficult or impossible to remove completely.

To be effective, Mold Control must make direct contact with the moldy surface. If you suspect the presence of hidden mold, you may need to open up wall cavities, remove wallpaper, lift carpeting or remove ceiling tiles. We recommend that to call a certified indoor air consultant mold specialist for investigation and they will direct you in the remediation process.

Moldy showers, moldy windows, mold on the wall or in a closet shouldn’t be cleaned with bleach. In an easy trip to Home Depot you can get proper mold cleaner. Read the label and instruction. You may have to repeat the process a few times and then should use regular house hold soap to clean it up. Make sure you dry it up properly right after. Don’t leave the surface wet.

Mold can be bad for you! Not only because it’s growing inside your home but because everybody thinks that mold is a small problem and that they can fix it themselves. With no training and experience, you’re just a jack of all trade and master of none and might not be getting to the root of the problem.

Protect your self and your family and call us We know what do do…

People who know me personally know that I am passionate about what I do and the service I offer to my customers. I’ve been in the renovation and construction industry for almost 2 decades now. I am a certified Inter Nachi home inspector, did my training and passed all my exams with high scores. Not bad for someone who’s first language isn’t English. I continued my training and am now an Indoor air quality consultant and Mold inspection and Mold assessment (analyze, test, investigate and provide proper scope of work for remediation company)

Mositure Meter

Full assessment inspection

I did a full assessment inspection. I spend most of my time outside, trying to find the source of the moisture in the basement. I checked for roof problems, gutter or downspout issues, window well depth and much more. Inside the house, I looking at ducts, vent,s windows, ceiling exhaust fans and signs of moisture. I found no signs of moisture or mold anywhere.

One issue that I had noticed was the exhaust fan in the laundry room was not in good working condition (as low efficiency) but still not a source of indoor air or mold problem.

I took a sampling of the living room air and a sample of the the outside sample for control.

Further investigation

But as a professional I was not satisfied about not finding the cause of the indoor air pollution. After analyzing all data from my customer, I realized the problem was not in the structure or event cause by a failure inside the building. I decided to investigate and analyze my customers’ habits and way they lived. They been living in this home for more than 10 years and are a very busy business family. In addition to the family members, they have a nanny who was responsible for doing their laundry and other chores around the house.

Bad Dryer Vent

I then decide to investigate the laundry room in the basement. A quickly realized those appliances had been there for more then 10 years.

The dryer had the common problem of the flexible duct and it was also punctured and was letting the lint and moisture escape inside the laundry room and the living room.

Even with this finding, I decide to investigate the washing machine. I first stared by removing the drain tube that ran to the drain. Then my heart stopped. The tube was cover of brown gluey stuff and smelly too. I quickly realize the inside of the front loader had the same stuff inside, all around the rubber gasket around the door and the inside of the washing machine. This was the only place in the entire house the plumbing was that bad. Inspecting the laundry area further, I realized that the laundry room is the floor was sloping down towards the drain.

Conslusion

Putting it all together, the source of the the problem was…

Ready for the this?

The washing machine was not level.

It had never totally drained for 10 years. The water was sitting in the bottom of the washing machine there for many many years.

Also, the live-in nanny had being doing the laundry for 10 years for the family and didn’t know that she was to clean the machine once a month. The washing machine had a cleaning cycle that had never been used.

The result of the lab prove my finding. We found the same mold spores in the air of the basement living room and in the washing machine. All this time they were washing their clothes in a machine that was contaminated with mold and bacteria and then the moisture and bacteria were getting into the air from the damaged vent behind the dryer.

This is what was making the youngest son sick.

I did test the little boy’s room and the mold spore was low. I also tested his clothing in his closet and drawers and it came positive for mold.

It is very important to do a full assessment and testing to prove the findings. You may not see mold and you may never know were is coming from, It may come from your washing machine.

By the way, the lady purchased a brand new washer and dryer, and the son’s symptom have cleared.

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By following the information noted here, you will learn about protecting your investment and how to help keep your home a safe and healthy place to live.

If you do not feel comfortable performing some of the home maintenance tasks listed below, or do not have the necessary equipment, for example a ladder, you may want to consider hiring a qualified handyperson to help you.

Seasonal Home Maintenance

Most home maintenance activities are seasonal. Fall is the time to get your home ready for the coming winter, which can be the most gruelling season for your home. During winter months, it is important to follow routine maintenance procedures, by checking your home carefully for any problems that may arise and taking corrective action as soon as possible. Spring is the time to assess winter damage, start repairs and prepare for warmer months. Over the summer, there are a number of indoor and outdoor maintenance tasks to look after, such as repairing walkways and steps, painting and checking your chimney and roof.

While most maintenance is seasonal, there are some things you should do on a frequent basis year-round:

Timing of the seasons varies not only from one area of Canada to another but also from year to year in a given area. For this reason, we have not identified the months for each season. The maintenance schedule presented here is, instead, a general guide for you to follow. The actual timing is left for you to decide, and you may want to further divide the list of items for each season into months.

FALL: