Environmental Issue & Sick Building Syndrome Blog

Risks for Mold in Your Home

• Roof leaks
• Plumbing leaks
• Leaking basement
• Finished basements
• Exposed soil in basements or crawl spaces
• Energy Star rated homes
• Interior french drains
• High humidity homes
• Oversized air conditioners
• Basements full of contents that can grow mold
• Under ventilated attics

More Contaminates than Mold can Affect Home Health

            All of the at high risk patient groups mentioned above can be affected by indoor contaminants. These include formaldehyde, chemicals used in hobbies, pesticides, previous drug activity, lead, radon and asbestos.

Keeping A Home Healthy When You Have "at Risk" Patients

• Test a home before bringing an immunosuppressed person into a home
• Test new homes before purchasing
• Immediately address any type of water leak
• Dry out any water leak as soon as possible
• Monitor humidity in the home
• Properly ventilate attics
• Have HVAC equipment properly sized and installed
• Add air to air exchangers in tight homes
• Upgrade to sealed interior french drain systems
• Provide weep holes for brick buildings
• Keep roof and surface water away for the home

            The amazing fact is that most organ transplant patients, and other immunosuppressed patients do not have their homes checked for mold and other contaminants that could be deadly. It is time for that to change.