There were leaks and a lot of mold in this church. As in many churches, there were members with medical challenges and concerns about the health of the members that could be effected by the mold.
Nobody had looked to see WHY the roof leaked before we went there.
The focus was on the fact that the walls and ceiling were wet and mold had “found sanctuary” growing in the church. We don’t want mold growing where it can make people ill.
The fact that the blocked downspout is causing the roof leak is very important. If we ignore why mold is growing, the universal plan will take over and we will have mold growing again after treatment. Anywhere on earth where there is food and water, something will grow. We ran an experiment in this building and that “something” in this instance is mold growing on walls and ceilings.
The bottom line is to insist that your mold professional take the time to identify the underlying cause of mold and suggest solutions. Testing for the amount and type of mold is important in that investigation. Proper and professional Interpreting of the results can help identify the origins, underlying conditions, hidden sources and extent of the mold.
The hot water tank starts dripping from the overflow pipe. Could be a problem with the TPR valve, maybe it is too much pressure in the water system and a "pressure reducing valve" is required where the water comes into the home. The thought “plumbers can be expensive, and it is a small leak” creeps up to the very edge of your consciousness. (a dangerous place for ideas about expense versus maintenance to exist)
Then the furnace condensate pump leaks out of the top when it pumps water out of the pump. It starts as a few drops here and then a couple more there. Then it turns into a pencil lead size stream type of leak.
There is not any noise, or fanfare or sudden burst of water…..There is not any event that is noticeable.
The water leak slowly creeps and then stretches to the cardboard boxes and wooden shelves. Then it smells a little musty. Again, just a little musty.…. Nothing big happened to catch your attention.
Now you have mold! It is time to call someone who can clean the mold. You do not want your family and pets sick from the mold. You also probably do not want the damage that the mold and water leaks are doing to your home and stored possessions.
Many people do not know this, but the elevated humidity and moisture need corrected first to properly remediate mold. Most mold treatment systems are not effective at a high humidity.
Now you fix the dripping condensate line in the hot water tank and the leaking condensate pump for the furnace. It would be less expensive and less trouble to catch and repair the little leaks when they are little. If that doesn’t happen, we can deal with the mold too. We will help people with this problem today, and tomorrow and the next day from one end of the country to the other. It is better for you to fix the leaks when they happen.
On the other hand, human nature is funny. I don't change the oil in my car often enough....and land up wishing I had.
Avoiding Environmental Hazards, Our Health and “Figuring it Out”Click Here to Download a PDF Copy of this Article about Environmental Hazards.pdf
“Avoidance” is the overlooked treatment for health problems. By that, we simply mean getting away from things that negatively affect our health. Avoidance is actually a listed treatment in many physician treatment guidelines. However, the task of figuring out what to avoid “is complicated.”
We have gotten aware enough to understand the importance of “avoidance” when it comes to colds and flu. We have seen the world explode with recognition about avoiding diseases such as Ebola. We don’t often think about things like asthma triggers, chemical problems and carcinogens.
Our health care providers understand the role of our environment in our health, but can’t follow us around as we go through our daily lives. The fact is that becoming a part of each patient’s daily activities is not practical.
Why We Often Can’t Figure it out for Ourselves
Reactions to health and environmental problems occur in time delay. If we are exposed to carbon monoxide, mold, pet allergens or any other trigger, we do not usually react right away. It may be 6 hours, or it may be a day or even weeks before we react. Our brains are wired to react immediately to problems. We touch the hot stove we are immediately burned. We cut our fingers, it hurts. Reacting to time delay environmental effects is difficult.
Everyone can react differently. The best example that I have is that some children can eat a single peanut and become deadly ill. Most children could live on peanut butter and jelly. This can be confusing to the person that is not getting ill from an exposure.
Individual health histories make each of us different in our reactions. There are medications and illnesses that make us more sensitive to certain exposures. As an example, there is one common mold that can affect organ transplant patients on immune-suppressant drugs, and be of little consequence to most other persons.
Time of exposure can differ. One family member that is in an affected part of the home longer than the rest of the family can have more serious reactions. We use the words “time loading” to describe this factor. As an example, many municipal water systems actually have arsenic in their water. Our bodies can handle those small exposures. However, if I give you multiple exposures from several sources, you can become very ill. More exposure over more time can make one person ill, and not affect other family members.
We are affected by the sum total of our exposures. Homes, cars, schools, workplaces, grocery stores, places of worship are a part of most of our lives and one of those exposures can increase sensitivity to other exposures. As an example, medical facilities are a common source of exposure to environmental hazards.
We just do not know what substances are hazards. Who would think that a new foam mattress or a new furnace installation could cause us health problems? Well, these and many other common materials can be a source of problems. The wasp nest blocking the gas dryer vent could make us sick. The new interior french drain is often a source of mold and can allow gases previously trapped under the home to vent into the air we breathe.
We often don’t do anything about what could be affecting our health. Many times people will not have a home checked or hazardous items repaired for their own heath concerns. It is common for the action to come from concern for a child, spouse or a pet that has become ill.
Sometimes our solutions to environmental concerns make us sicker. Examples would be some of the fragrance “plug ins.” They can have formaldehyde as a vehicle to help the odor go into the air and often contain a class of chemicals called esters that can be irritants. One anti odor product that was being inhaled by a client contained Ethyl Alcohol, which can damage the nervous system when inhaled. Another example is the ozone generating air cleaners. These can damage lung tissue.