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hidden mold / elusive air quality issues


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  • 4 weeks later...

Hey guys - thought you might like an update. In the short term, I just kept on cleaning, airing out the house and so on. Allergies persist, although improved. I simply wasn't convinced I didn't have mold - although I didn't think I had serious mold. So I got a guy to do air testing (I know you're going to groan), but also to do a thorough inspection, visually. Lo and behold - he found mold. But, it was in two spots, not out of hand and I cleaned them up myself (he didn't try to sell me on it). The counts were not high, not only comparable to outside, but in general. Yet, I'm not crazy - these allergies are still with me and they are still, definitely house-induced.

Part of me thinks this could be the super dry humidity in winter / higher humidity now, bugging me. I.e., the house isn't circulating the air correctly and so on.

Which leads me to the question. Is there any credence in the idea that the envelope needs to be more correctly sealed? Lots of guys sell that service, of course. It would certainly help with energy bills - but does it matter otherwise?

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  • 1 month later...

It could be some type of voc. You might consider having a test done. I Had a conversation with a mold inspector I know about something similar to this. He went to do the mold inspection and also did a voc test. Came back Negitive for mold but voc was off the charts. Turns out it was paint stored in the garage that was making her sick.

Michael

www.allyturnkey.com

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  • 9 years later...

Consider adding fresh air makeup to the HVAC system with an intelligent controller, if it isn't already there. The result is that indoor pollutants will be washed away and humidity will be moderated. One drawback is bringing allergens inside during hay fever season, so make sure you know where the override switch is. It's part of the ventilation system.

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  • 2 months later...

Sorry to necro but I wanted to add some things having read through this thread.

Have you considered that you and your son may have a sensitivity rather than an allergy. Allergies are detected using a black or white process. Whereas sensitivities are not easilt detected by western medicine. 

Building materials are often made with profit in mind first, and people's health last. Formaldehyde is still being used to coat wood, in spite of numerous studies showing links to it being cancer-causing.

Personally, I believe we are all susceptible to these chemicals, no one is immune, it's just that some people are tougher than others.

There is no current established cure for chemical sensitivities sadly so one thing you may want to consider is building a natural room in your backyard, made using only untreated materials such as mud bricks, which are easy and inexpensive to make. 

I've also purchased a bed and bedding that are chemical-free and it has helped me immensely. Note there is often a big difference between chemical-free and "organic".

The fact that there are toxic chemicals in our foods and water, that we try our best to avoid; means I am unsurprised there would be chemicals in our indoor houses as well. Companies will try to get away with as much as they can to make a quick buck.

Best wishes

 

 

 

 

 

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