Top 10 Tips to Look for Water Damage and Mold in Buildings Every year the rains return, soil dampens, leaks pop up, and mold in buildings becomes much more prevalent than during dry times. This winter’s forecast “El Niño” may bring more rain and possible flooding than California has seen in a decade. Many of

Mold, Moisture and El Nino  Now that the days are shorter and a few rain storms have come through the region, we can’t help but feel that winter is officially here. With all this talk about El Nino, some people are left wondering where is it? Mold, moisture and El Nino go together. Is your

How Effective is Your Bathroom Exhaust Fan? For obvious reasons, bathrooms can be major sources of moisture in homes. And where there is moisture, there is the possibility of growing mold. A bathroom exhaust fan is essential in removing excess moisture and keeping bathrooms ventilated, but how do we know if our exhaust fans are

It’s Raining, It’s Pouring,   Is Mold Growing While I’m Snoring?   Drought stricken California is getting some significant rain for the first time in over a year. As of today Oakland, California has received 3.22 inches of rain so far THIS MONTH, and 7.31 inches this season. If this continues, California’s drought woes should

Buying a New Home?   There are so many details to pay attention to when you and your family are looking for a new home.  Is the neighborhood safe?  Are there good schools?  Is the house big enough? Have you ever thought to ask “Is this home (and neighborhood) going to be a healthy environment

Most of this blog on how to clean up mold is from the “Help Yourself to a Healthy Home” guide from HUD. We generally suggest hiring an established remediation company with professionals certified by the IICRC… but many cannot afford to pay for that service or don’t feel it’s necessary. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for

Mold in the Home – What to do? What to do about mold in the home, how to avoid it, how to clean it up, is mold testing a good idea? etc. This blog focuses on residential mold tips. Many of these best practices are drawn from the following government-sponsored resources on healthy homes: Help

Asthma and Buildings – California and US Trends in Asthma Buildings are too often neglected in the asthma equation. Asthma is sometimes defined as a symptom of poor indoor air quality, and other times defined as a Building Related Illness. This blog references the recently released report, “Asthma in California: A Surveillance Report,” compiled by

Mold Testing Air Quality Lab Interpretation People with asthma and mold allergies are the first to ask about mold testing. Since their symptoms are primarily respiratory, it is only logical they ask for “air quality testing.” Other individuals looking for peace of mind or suffering much more severe symptoms sometimes also ask for mold testing air

Every building inspection should include a minimum scan for these Top-10 common environmental problems. These factors are simple to evaluate, often only involving using your nose and eyes, and can literally save lives. This building inspector environmental checklist is adapted from the Building Biologist’s Healthy Home Standard. There is no reason every home inspector cannot