FAQs

Mold is a fungal growth that forms and spreads on various kinds of damp or decaying organic matter. There are many different mold species that come in many different colors. It can be found both indoors and outdoors in all climates, during all seasons of the year. Outdoors, mold survives by using plants and decaying organic matter such as fallen leaves as a source of nutrition. Indoors, mold needs moisture and a carbon source from building materials or building contents to grow.

1.  If you have been suffering any illnesses that wouldn’t go away like allergies, itchy eyes, sore throat, headaches, fatigue, etc., go see your doctor and explain that you have mold in your home. 

2. Have your home tested by a trained mold tester. It is important to know the type of mold you're dealing with, and how bad the problem is. 

3. Identify the cause of the mold. Make sure during the cleanup that it is fixed so that the mold will not return.   

4. Contact your insurance company and find out if mold removal is covered in your policy.

5. After getting your mold test results and speaking with the mold tester, decide if you are going to remove the mold yourself or hire a professional to do it.

6. Have the mold in your home removed. Mold removal is a much more complex process than most people realize. You don’t want to spread the mold to other parts of your home.

7. If you are going to hire a professional mold remediation company, make sure they are reputable and certified.

8. After the mold in your home has been removed, have the tester come back and air-test for mold. They will be able to tell you if the levels of mold are acceptable.

9. Be proactive in the future about mold prevention.

When a homeowner smells mold but visual clues are invisible to the naked eye, then mold testing can be performed by a professional to locate the colonies. A mold testing kit can also be inexpensively purchased from the local hardware store and utilized by the homeowner. While a homeowner will likely be unable to pinpoint mold based on smell alone, the place where the odors are strongest may lead to the location of the mold growth. Mold can spread rapidly, so curtailing the mold growth should be a homeowner’s priority.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral composed of flexible fibers that are resistant to heat, electricity and corrosion. These qualities make the mineral useful. However, asbestos exposure is highly toxic.

The mere presence of asbestos in a home or a building is not hazardous. The danger is that asbestos materials may become damaged over time. Damaged asbestos may release asbestos fibers and become a health hazard. Usually the best thing is to leave asbestos material that is in good condition alone. Generally, material in good condition will not release asbestos fibers. There is no danger unless fibers are released and inhaled into the lungs.

Check material regularly if you suspect it may contain asbestos. Don't touch it, but look for signs of wear or damage such as tears, abrasions, or water damage. Damaged material may release asbestos fibers. This is particularly true if you often disturb it by hitting, rubbing, or handling it, or if it is exposed to extreme vibration or air flow. If asbestos material is more than slightly damaged, or if you are going to make changes in your home that might disturb it, repair or removal by a professional is needed. Before you have your house remodeled, find out whether asbestos materials are present.

If asbestos material is more than slightly damaged, or if you are going to make changes in your home that might disturb it, repair or removal by a professional is needed. Before you have your house remodeled, find out whether asbestos materials are present.

Lead is a naturally occurring element found in small amounts in the earth’s crust. While it has some beneficial uses, it can be toxic to humans and animals, causing health effects. It can be found in the air, the soil, the water, and even inside our homes. Much of our exposure comes from human activities including the use of fossil fuels including past use of leaded gasoline, some types of industrial facilities and past use of lead-based paint in homes. Lead and lead compounds have been used in a wide variety of products found in and around our homes, including paint, ceramics, pipes and plumbing materials, solders, gasoline, batteries, ammunition and cosmetics.

Household dust can contain lead from cracked, chipped or peeling lead-based paint and tracked contaminated soil. Lead dust can also be created during home remodeling, renovation projects, or when lead-based paint is not removed safely. Lead is no longer in new paint, but it may still be found in older homes built before 1978. Very small amounts of dust containing lead can cause a child’s blood lead level to increase.

Because these symptoms may occur slowly or may be caused by other things, lead poisoning can be easily overlooked. Exposure to high levels of lead may cause anemia, weakness, and kidney and brain damage. Very high lead exposure can cause death.

Lead can cross the placental barrier, which means pregnant women who are exposed to lead also expose their unborn child. Lead can damage a developing baby’s nervous system. Even low-level lead exposures in developing babies have been found to affect behavior and intelligence. Lead exposure can cause miscarriage, stillbirths, and infertility (in both men and women).

Radon is a naturally-occurring radioactive gas that  is inert, colorless and odorless. Radon is naturally in the atmosphere in trace amounts. Outdoors, radon disperses rapidly and, generally, is not a health issue. Most radon exposure occurs inside homes, schools and workplaces. Radon gas becomes trapped indoors after it enters buildings through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Indoor radon can be controlled and managed with proven, cost-effective techniques.

Radon is a radioactive gas. It comes from the natural decay of uranium that is found in nearly all soils. It typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Your home traps radon inside, where it can build up. 

Radon gas decays into solid radioactive particles that can get trapped in your lungs when you inhale them.  As they break down further , these particles release small bursts of energy.  This can damage lung tissue and lead to lung cancer over the course of your lifetime.  Not everyone exposed to elevated levels of radon will develop lung cancer, and the amount of time between exposure and the onset of the disease may be many years.

Volatile organic compounds are compounds that have a high vapor pressure and low water solubility. Many VOCs are human-made chemicals that are used and produced in the manufacture of paints, pharmaceuticals, and refrigerants. VOCs typically are industrial solvents, such as trichloroethylene; fuel oxygenates, such as methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE); or by-products produced by chlorination in water treatment, such as chloroform. VOCs are often components of petroleum fuels, hydraulic fluids, paint thinners, and dry cleaning agents. VOCs are common ground-water contaminants.

VOCs are emitted by a wide array of products numbering in the thousands. Examples include: paints and lacquers, paint strippers, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials and furnishings, office equipment such as copiers and printers, correction fluids and carbonless copy paper, graphics and craft materials including glues and adhesives, permanent markers, and photographic solutions. Organic chemicals are widely used as ingredients in household products. Paints, varnishes, and wax all contain organic solvents, as do many cleaning, disinfecting, cosmetic, degreasing, and hobby products. Fuels are made up of organic chemicals. All of these products can release organic compounds while you are using them, and, to some degree, when they are stored.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors. 

Exposure to VOC vapors can cause a variety of health effects, including eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches and loss of coordination; nausea; and damage to the liver, kidneys, or central nervous system. Some VOCs are suspected or proven carcinogens.

VOCs in air pollution are also a concern because they contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone when they react with nitrogen oxides in the air.