Mold Sickness or Building Toxicity
We test nundreds of home and offices throughout the year for potential mold problems. As an Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) specialist, there are a few basics that we test to find out why there is a health concern in a building. First is humidity. The normal range is humidity is 40% to 60%. If the humidity is above 70%, the opportunity for mold, mildew, bacteria, and odors will increase.
We use a particle meter for to test for dust in the are and mold spores. The meter dispays two readings. Dust is larger than mold spores, so the meter can sample for both concerns. When mold is active and growing, it produces millions and billions of mold spores. A high reading on the meter will help us determine if there is an active mold problem and a need for futher investigation.
Third, we test for toxicity. A house or office is a closed environment where air is constantly recirculated. And the EPA reports that homes can be 3 to 4 time more polluted than the outside air. Building toxicity is usually discovered when a customer says that they feel worse at home than they do elsewhere. This is a big clue that a mold or toxity issue is possible. So, we test for both concerns, in addition to humidity.
We find that about 30% of our mold inspections show high VOC readings, meaning the level of toxicity from chemical residue. You cannot see or smell VOCs, but the VOC meter gives us a new look into the potential cause of home or office sickness.
VOCs are volatile organic compounds that are brought into the building by cleaning products, pesticides, sprays, solvents, and even dry cleaned clothes. In addition, many building products, furniture, paints, glues, and aerosols add to the toxic mix. We bring these products into our home .... but they never leave.
As chemicals evaporate or dry, they go from liquid to gas. That gas constantly circulates until it crystalizes on to surfaces, dust particles, and coat the air ducts.
Building toxicity creates a constant attack on our senses and wellbeing. The experience is like walking barefoot on sharp gravel. If we replace the gravel with grass, life gets better. We call this "Decontamination and Detoxification" (D&D).
Decon Five is a biodegradable, no offensive product that leaves no toxic residue. In fact, this product was developed for the military to safely handle many types of toxic threats. When applied by a professional misting treatment, the customers feel an immediate relief, sleep better, and enjoy their homes without nagging headache, tiredness, and respiratory stress. In additon, Decon Five kills germs and mold as well, so the home is greatly improved in one treatment.
The Decontamination and Detoxification is quick done and is quite affordable.