Mold, mildew or musty odors

Diagnosis:

A water leak or high humidity can lead to mold, mildew, or other biological growth. Depending on the severity, conditions can lead to rot, structural damage, premature paint failure, and a variety of health problems. Water can seep into your house from the outside through a leak in your roof, foundation, or small gaps around windows or doors. Water can also come from inside your house from a leaking water pipe, toilet, shower or bathtub. High indoor humidity caused by normal activities of everyday living such as showering, cooking, and drying clothes, can also be a source of mold, mildew or musty odors. Indoor humidity levels between 30% and 50% are ideal. For more information consult EPA’s Brief Guide to Mold in your home.

Prescription Checklist:

Where does the problem occur? Attic? Basement? Below a bathroom? Ceiling? Where the problem occurs can lead to what is causing the problem. If the problem is localized (a spot on the ceiling, wall or corner) it is possibly caused by a water leak. If the problem is in a large area like a whole wall, room or basement then it might be caused by high humidity.
Stop water leaks immediately to minimize the potential mold growth.

* If a leak is the source of your problem, have it fixed first.
* If the leak is in your roof hire a roofing contractor to repair the leak.
* If the leak is from a water pipe, toilet, bathtub or shower, hire a plumber to repair the leak.
* If the leak has caused substantial water damage or mold you will want to hire a contractor who specializes in mold remediation and water damage repairs.
* After repairing the water leak, dry out the area completely.

Reducing indoor humidity

* Do you have a crawlspace under your house? A dirt floor in a crawlspace should be covered with plastic (vapor barrier) to prevent moisture from the soil increasing humidity levels in your home. If there is standing water or the soil is wet, dry it out with fans before covering the floor.
* Use ventilation fans in kitchens and baths to control moisture. Check to make sure ventilation fans venting directly outside. In some cases the vent fan may have been installed to vent into the attic or become disconnected or blocked.
* Your clothes dryer should be vented directly to the outside. Inspect the vent duct. Make sure it is attached securely to the dryer. Check that it is clear of obstructions (e.g. lint). Check for holes that leak air. If vent duct is damaged replace it with a metal duct. The vent duct should be cleaned at least once a year. The Consumer Products Safety Commission additional safety tips for dryer vents Exit ENERGY STAR.
* Keep air conditioning drip pans clean and the drain lines unobstructed and flowing properly.
* Ask a heating and cooling contractor to check your heating and cooling system to make sure it is sized and operating properly to remove humidity. If you system is too big or the airflow incorrect your air conditioner will not remove humidity like it should. Also, ask the contractor to check your duct system for air leaks, and proper size and air flow to each room.
* Sealing air leaks (Home Sealing) and sealing duct air leaks can help to prevent high humidity levels in your home.

Mold, Mildew or Musty Odors Solutions is a post from: Green Healthy Home

Is your home cold, drafty, or uncomfortable? Do you have high energy bills? Ice dams? Peeling paint? Excessive dust? Addressing these types of home problems can make your home more comfortable, and at the same time improve its energy efficiency — saving you money on utility bills and helping to protect the environment too.

High Energy Bills

High utility bills in summer and winter can often be traced to air leaks in your home’s envelope, inefficient windows or inefficient or incorrectly installed heating and cooling equipment, or poorly sealed and insulated ducts.

Mold, Mildew or Musty Odors

Water leaks or high humidity can lead to mold and mildew. This can cause wood rot, structural damage, peeling paint, and a variety of health problems. Often, high humidity in homes with central air conditioners can be traced to improperly sized or installed air conditioners.

Damp Basement

A damp basement is commonly caused by moisture migrating through the foundation. As this moisture evaporates, it increases indoor humidity and can promote the growth of mold — resulting in an uncomfortable house.

Cold Floors in Winter

Some types of floor coverings (such as wood, stone, tile, or concrete) will naturally feel cold on bare feet. However, insufficient insulation or air infiltration can also cause cold floors.

Drafty Rooms

Cold air coming into or going out of your house, especially through leaks hidden in the attic and basement, can cause rooms to feel drafty and uncomfortable.

Dust

Increased dust could be a sign that it is time to change your air filter or that your ductwork is not well sealed.

Moisture on Windows

Inefficient windows or high indoor moisture levels from air leaks can result in condensation, frost, or pools of water on windows and sills.

Ice Dams

Warm air inside your home leaks into the attic and will warm the underside of the roof causing snow and ice to melt and refreeze as it runs off your roof — forming icicles and ice dams.

Peeling Paint

Peeling or cracking paint on your home’s exterior may be a sign of a humidity problem or improper paint application.

Hot or Cold Rooms

Significant differences in temperature from one room to another could be caused by several factors, including inadequate insulation, air leakage, poor duct performance, and improperly installed heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.

Dry Indoor Air in Winter

Air leaks in your home allow warm humid air to escape and draw in drier colder air.

Common Home Problems and Solutions is a post from: Green Healthy Home

The massive impact of an ailing environment is already manifesting in many pressing issues and dilemmas the world is facing today. Global warming, climate change, air pollution, flood and the like are just few of the problems rooted from the destruction of the ecology. For home buyers and owners, there are viable alternatives for you to contribute in the protection of the environment through opting for green features incorporated in the design, renovation and construction of your home.

There are Eco-friendly or green means and approach you can use in order to assure that your activity and investment is making the most minimal impact on your surroundings. So what exactly are some green features to look for and utilize in a home?

One of the topmost alternatives for green houses is energy efficiency which is basically manifested in choosing efficient household appliances, high efficiency water heating system, air sealing and extra insulation and advanced framing technique.

Advanced framing and extra insulation is known to reduce the construction costs hence increase energy savings through minimizing lumber demands and production. Through proper water heating system, you also cut off the pipeline energy loss. Choosing household appliances and equipment especially with the labels that meet energy efficiency criteria helps you reduce the initial costs of your appliances as well as your electricity bills.

Ensuring the indoor air quality of your home is another viable feature of an Eco-friendly home. You can do this through the right choice on your carpet, ventilation and paints. It is important to choose carpets with less allergen-attracting components and low-pile features in order to improve the quality of air in your home interior. Use low-toxic and low-VOC paints and make sure that your home is well-ventilated to avoid potential air quality hazards. You can use quiet and automatic electric fans or through heat recovery ventilators.

Lastly, it is of utmost value and importance that you deliberately use materials and equipment for your home project that is amenable in conserving natural resources. For instance you may opt for plastic lumber, engineered wood, brick and fiber cement siding. Plastic lumber materials are actually preferred as reliable construction materials for houses and buildings. This is a good alternative in building benches, decking, docks and fences among others. For engineered wood, a good example is laminated veneer lumber that composes of raw materials with superior performance quality which are equally viable options to traditional items used.

Most importantly, consider recycled building materials which are still of high quality without the hefty price tags. It is also making sure that the demand for construction materials is reduced which eventually means that you are also lessening the demand for the production of needed items from the environment particularly trees.

Green alternatives and features are naturally integrated in modern day houses and establishment due to its incomparable benefits to both home owners and the ecology. Educate yourself of the different green choices you have which are advantageous in your investment as well as sound and wise choices to nature.

Tips For Home Investment – List of Green Features For Remarkable Homes is a post from: Green Healthy Home

Choosing the right floor is an important part of putting together a green home. It’s about more than just picking a floor that’s produced in a sustainable, responsible manner. You also need to pay attention to how your body reacts to the floors you walk and stand on. There are lots of options out there, but not all of them are healthy and good for use, as well as for the environment. Cork flooring is one option that’s both ecologically friendly and inviting.

Conventional flooring products are neither attractive, or eco-friendly. Most of them are also bad for our health. For instance – the majority of floor covering in the US is nylon carpet. This substance wears badly, and tends to off gas volatile organic compounds, which are hazardous to our health. Once nylon carpet is removed from a home, it’s disposed of in a landfill, since it’s not biodegradable.

Vinyl flooring, such as you’ll see in many bathrooms and kitchens, has similar problems. Phthalates found in this material have been blamed for problems in child development. Synthetic laminate woods aren’t much better. While they use recycled lumber waste, this mostly goes into them in the form of fiber board, a short lived product that contains a lot of formaldehyde. Hardwood floors are healthier and fully natural, but may not have been produced sustainably. You should also pay attention to the finish that’s used on any hardwood floors – most are petroleum based and bad for air quality.

Cork as a flooring is solid, sustainable, and long lasting. This material comes from the bark of the Mediterranean cork oak, harvested by hand about once every ten years. Cork grows back without harming the tree, and the tree itself can live for over two centuries. That makes cork one of the greenest possible options, since even the excess material gets used in bottle corks. You can get different colors and textures, depending on how the cork has been treated, and the material is naturally resistant to insect damage, moisture, and fire.

Cork also has many insulating problems, both for heat and sound. It’s gentle to walk on, sparing your back, knees, and feet. Just remember to pay attention to how your cork floor has been installed. Some urethane finishes may contain VOCs, much like other petroleum based products. Wax is a safer option, but it’s less durable. For cork, installation in a glue less tongue and groove style is recommended.

Since cork is a hypo allergenic material, it’s good for use in playrooms and kids’ bedrooms, as well as for people who suffer from allergies to other materials. Remember that cork isn’t a permanent type of flooring. It can be scratched, and needs to be replaced after about ten years. High traffic areas will wear faster, and lower traffic ones may last longer. Resealing your cork floor may also be necessary, but a well sealed floor can be mopped or cleaned with gentle, non abrasive cleansers.

Cork Flooring – One Green Option For Your Home is a post from: Green Healthy Home

A sustainable house is one which is ideally built without the use of building materials containing toxic, allergenic ingredients. A synthetic house is therefore a safer and healthier environment for your entire family and is less likely to cause allergic reactions than are homes built using conventional methods and materials.

A Sustainable House is Healthy:

A sustainable house has a smaller environmental impact and has a much higher level of air quality than do homes built with synthetic materials. A lot of furniture and building materials include the known carcinogen formaldehyde, which also can cause skin irritation and respiratory problems. A lot of fabrics (including upholstery) and plywood products contain this deadly chemical.

A sustainable house is made with organic products and has furniture made with non-toxic treatments and organic fabrics. In the last 30 years, asthma has more than doubled in most countries, which is largely due to the way that our homes are built and furnished. The result is that the air quality in our own homes is in many cases as much as 100 times more toxic than the air outside – even if you live in an area which is polluted.

A Sustainable House is Energy Efficient and Saves You Money:

The more recent models of appliances, water heaters and HVAC systems are much more energy efficient than are their older counterparts. Using as much as 80% less energy than incandescent bulbs, compact fluorescent bulbs are becoming very popular as a way to save on energy costs and reduce the environmental impact of one’s home. Many homeowners are also choosing to install programmable thermostats and seal windows and doors as a energy saving measure.

There are other easy steps you can take towards making your home a sustainable house such as installing low flow showerheads, insulating your water heater and making a habit of changing your furnace filters regularly. Insulating your attic well can also reduce your energy usage – and your energy bills!

A Sustainable House Uses Green Products:

People are increasingly interested in green building and there are more choices than ever before when it comes to green building materials. Non-toxic paints and finishes are widely available, as are sustainably harvested woods – bamboo flooring is particularly popular. For those who prefer carpet, there are wool carpets and even carpet which is manufactured from recycled materials.

A Sustainable House Uses Solar Energy For Additional Light And Heating:

You can make your house more of a sustainable house by taking advantage of solar energy. Even without installing solar panels on your home, you can use skylights and windows to increase the amount o flight and heat which come into your home.

Installing tinting on your windows in the warmer months can also reduce your cooling costs. You can find organic window treatments which can keep energy costs down and make your house a sustainable house.

There are simple steps you can take to make your house a more sustainable house and save a lot of money on your energy bills in the bargain, even as you help to protect the environment.

A Sustainable House Makes Good Sense! is a post from: Green Healthy Home

Traditional carpeting is present in most home in the United States. However, it’s not a safe or environmentally sustainable product. It also wears out quickly and can’t be recycled. If you’re concerned about your home’s ecological impact, avoiding this kind of carpeting is important. Instead of a traditional carpet, look for other options. There are healthier, greener carpets out there that will work just as well.

Conventional carpet is synthetic, made from nylon, acrylic, polyester, or polypropylene. It’s backed with PVC, polyurethane, or synthetic latex. These materials can be toxic, and contain a number of chemicals that may leach out of them over the years. They’re also treated with other chemicals, like dyes, fire retardants, antistatic treatments, fungicides and stain proof features. Installing a conventional carpet isn’t healthy or environmentally friendly, either. VOC (volatile organic compound) containing adhesives are dangerous, too.

You can improve standard carpet by installing it using a low VOC adhesive, or by installing modular carpet tiles, so that a single piece can be replaced instead of the entire floor. However, the resources used in making carpet are still non renewable and not the healthiest of options. Fortunately, there are some ecologically friendly alternatives available.

Carpets made from recycled materials are starting to appear. Made out of discarded soda bottles, wool, cotton, nylon, and even old carpet, these use less energy and keep items from going to the landfill. You can also get recycled carpet pads. Tacking your carpet to the floor instead of gluing it removes concerns about VOCs from adhesives, and the carpet remains attractive and soft.

Before the age of synthetics, carpeting was made from wool. You can still get carpet made from sheep or llama wool, which is biodegradable and renewable. This carpeting has a richer texture and lasts longer, as well as naturally being resistant to dirt, fire, static, and moisture. Conventional carpets all have to be chemically treated to have these properties. Wool carpet is also less hospitable to dust mites than synthetics. However, most wool carpeting is treated with an anti-moth chemical, which may off gas. Look for untreated wool carpet with a jute backing that is dyed with natural colors.

Wool carpets must be kept dry and vacuumed regularly. Clean it with natural cleansers and install it like recycled carpeting to reduce the impact it has on the environment and make it healthier. This material is more expensive than a synthetic, but it’ll last longer and feel better.

Plant fibers are another biodegradable, untreated, VOC free option. Sisal is the most popular, but sea grass carpeting and other plants and reeds are also a possibility. Jute carpeting, coconut fibers, and abaca are also popular. They’re usually backed with urethane or latex, and may be undyed. That’s because many plant fibers don’t dye well. If you like the natural greenish browns of sea grass and jute, however, they’re excellent and unique looking choices.

Healthier Carpets is a post from: Green Healthy Home

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Painting your home is one way to update it, and it’s vital if you’re doing renovations. Your local hardware store has hundreds of choices, but if you’re looking for more than just color, picking one can be tricky. It can be hard to find a dependable, durable paint that’s healthy to live around and ecologically friendly. You’ll need to know a bit about what paint is made of, and what those ingredients can do.

Airborne chemicals, called VOCs or volatile organic compounds, are released during painting, after paint is dry, and while it’s coming off the walls. These chemicals may be carcinogenic and are a big contributor to pollution of our indoor air. Paint related chemicals play a big role in the pollution levels in the typical house. The greatest quantity of VOCs is released while painting is going on, but they keep being released even afterward – sometimes for years.

Older natural paints have a bad reputation, since they weren’t durable and tended to fade. However, newer paints don’t have this problem – some are used for conservation and restoration. Increasing demand from consumers and tighter regulations mean that new paints have recently been developed which emit few to no VOCs. Using water as a base instead of solvents permits this, and these paints must have two hundred or fewer grams of volatile compound in a liter of paint. This is less than half the content of an ordinary paint.

Paints that bear the Green Seal have even fewer compounds in them – fifty grams or less. Zero VOC paints cost a bit more, but may have five grams or fewer of these compounds in a liter. Remember to look for acetone, ammonia, or formaldehyde, too. These can be a problem, but aren’t petroleum derived. Avoid anti mildew and anti fungal paints – they’re toxic and tend to off gas for years.

Natural paints will contain no heavy metals or VOCs, and are usually composed of waxes, oils, and dyes derived from plants. These products can be found as waxes, stains, sealers, finishes, paints and primers, but they can also be very expensive. Options include clay paints, lime washes and milk or casein paint. All of these products work best indoors, as they can be easily damaged by exposure to the weather.

Clay paints are made of minerals, and offer an earth, adobe look. Limewashes are made in the same way as traditional whitewash, and can be used outside, but need to be applied regularly. Lime is also corrosive, so gloves and goggles must be applied, though it’s safe once the material has cured. Milk paint is made from a natural protein found in cow’s milk, and is available in powder form. It must be used quickly after mixing, but forms a tough, durable indoor finish. Fewer options are available in natural exterior paints, but lower VOC paints are available. Many are lime based.

Remember to store low VOC paints in a stable environment, since they can go bad if they freeze or are chilled for too long. Store your cans upside down to make sure lids are on tight, and use separate brushes for oil and water based paints. Shop carefully to find the best non toxic, natural paints for your home, and experience healthier indoor air and a less damaging lifestyle.

Eco Friendly Paint – Why It’s Superior To Traditional Options is a post from: Green Healthy Home

In the New Era of Green Conscientiousness, Indoor Pollutants will be on the Rise

While I am certainly grateful to the eco-friendly save-the-planet green conscientious era we are in, there is a flip side to a greener home or office; tightly sealed homes and commercial buildings cannot easily release pollutants back into the atmosphere, thus concentrations are higher indoors than out. The best way to begin the process of making a green home is to conduct indoor air quality testing.

Indoor pollution is potentially a far greater pollutant creator than the outdoor pollution at even the most industrialized cities across the planet. It is true that many pollutant levels from individual sources are not a serious health risk and they will not have a significant and detrimental impact all by themselves. But the cumulative effect of those pollutants can pose a real health risk. Immediate and future health risk is greatest for infants and children as well as chronically ill people and the elderly population.

So, with the many foreseeable changes in how we live our lives in relation to the planet and lessening our carbon footprint, there will also be a significant shift in how we build all future buildings, including our homes. With the New Age of Responsibility comes the responsibility of protecting our natural resources while repairing our planet healthier. We cannot lose sight of the fact that old structures around the world need our attention – all things must be constructed with new sustainable practices and guidelines as well as updating of the old.

Healthy indoor environments are equally as important as energy conservation. Indoor air quality testing is just a step in the process of protecting our resources and adding to the world’s conservation plight.

Indoor Air Quality Testing is a post from: Green Healthy Home

Can be More Polluted Than the Biggest Cities of the World

Scientific evidence shows us that that the indoor air quality of our homes and other buildings can be more unhealthy than the polluted outdoor air of the largest and most industrialized cities on our planet. Research demonstrates that we spend an average of 90 percent of our time indoors, whether it is home, office or other building. Health risks may be far more substantial than given thought due to chronic exposure to indoor air pollution indoors. The first step in resolving any air quality issues in your home is to conduct an air quality test by either purchasing an indoor air quality test for homes or hiring a professional to evaluate your home air-quality.

Indoor air pollution comes from many sources in the home and can be a health risk to anyone in the home, whether it is a multi-million dollar mansion or a small condo off Main Street, USA. Negative health effects might be fairly immediate, as in a toxic reaction, chronic allergies, or even unexplained headaches and fatigue. In addition, detrimental health effects might not show up for many years, long after the initial exposure and manifest as chronic fatigue, cancers and respiratory diseases.

Some of the most common indoor air quality busters are sources of combustion (oil, wood, kerosene, tobacco), building materials and furnishings, out-dated asbestos insulation, household cleaning products, central heating and cooling systems as well as outdoor sources such as radon and pesticides.

The first step is to evaluate your home for pollutants. Once you have feedback from the indoor air quality test for homes evaluation, changes can be made. If you have a substantial amount of pollutants, there are citywide agencies to help eliminate an air pollution problem in your home.

Indoor Air Quality is a post from: Green Healthy Home

Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning is lethal and is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in our country, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association. Today, CO poisoning in your home does not have to be a threat. Simply go to any home improvement retailer or large household merchandise store and you can purchase carbon monoxide detectors for your home or office.

CO detectors are easy to install taking about 7 minutes if you include the time it takes to remove it from the packaging and read the simple mounting instructions. Even less time is involved if you can find the CO detector that has a battery back up and primarily plugs directly into any grounded outlet inside your home.

CO is a tasteless, colorless and odorless gas that is lethal in a fairly short amount of time, within minutes even if the concentration is only moderate. Low levels of CO exposure over a long period is also a serious health risk and results in permanent neurological damage

CO results from the combustion of flame-fueled devices such fireplaces, ovens, furnaces, wall-heaters, clothes dryers, grills, to name a few. If there is not enough proper ventilation or the device is damaged, deadly amounts of CO can accumulate in the air and you will not know that you are breathing the deadly gas.

Carbon monoxide detectors save lives. They do have some limitations in terms of placement and usage so it is important to read carefully when choosing the right CO detector for your home or office.

Prevention of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning is Simple is a post from: Green Healthy Home