When we think about mold we often think about how it can affect our health or how it can destroy our homes – but what about man’s best friend? How susceptible are our pets to mold? The first recorded case of a pet dying from toxic mold was in 2007. Two Himalayan cats were having a routine dental procedure when their vet noticed a frothy blood within the endotracheal tubes used to supply anesthesia to the two cat siblings. The...
Read MoreOut of all the questions people ask me about mold, the most important question to them is always, “How can I get rid of my mold?” Even though this is an important question, it’s not the question they should be asking, which is, “Why do I have mold?” In the past, we’ve discussed things that might contribute to mold growth in a home or building. Some of these factors were high humidity, organic building materials, and air-tight building structures. But...
Read MoreIt’s a common story: a burst pipe, a flooded basement, toxic mold, and an insurance company that refuses to honor its coverage. Carl and Mary Becker have been fighting the mold growing in their Michigan home for almost three years, but their fight against AutoOwners of Lansing has just begun. The Beckers were away on vacation when two pipes burst and flooded their basement for days. After a plumber fixed the leak, they moved back into their house thinking the...
Read MoreIs mold covered by your home owners or flood insurance? If you had to think about the answer to that question, then you could benefit from a better understanding of the specifics of your insurance coverage. The difference between knowing and not knowing could mean thousands if your home is attacked by mold. Because insurance claims on mold damage and removal has skyrocketed over the last decade, insurance companies are scrambling to rewrite their coverage policies. Make sure you have...
Read MoreIt’s cold season. The weather is hot, then the next day it’s freezing. You wake up with a headache, stuffiness, sore throat, and runny nose. Just great – you’ve caught a cold. Your doctor agrees with the diagnosis and prescribes you antibiotics for treatment. But what if you are both wrong? What if your symptoms are actually caused by mold? The common symptoms of an upper respiratory infection – or the common cold – include stuffiness, sore throat, headache, runny...
Read MoreAlzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and currently affects over 3 million senior citizens in America. Although it does not appear to run in my family, I am always saddened when I see someones grandmother or grandfather with Alzheimer’s. Early symptoms of the disease include confusion, loss of short-term memory, problems with attention and spatial orientation, changes in personality, language difficulties and unexplained mood swings. But these same exact symptoms have also been attributed to mycotoxicosis, or...
Read MoreFly-by-night mold remediators sometimes use encapsulation to simply paint over mold while charging gullible clients thousands for their unscrupulous services. Also called mold sealant or mold paint, encapsulation is the process of treating mold with a product that “glues” the mold in place so it cannot release any spores – rendering the mold powerless. This works to some extent, but encapsulation is not completely effective and should never be the sole means of remediation. Encapsulation is sometimes relied upon as...
Read MoreThere is an interesting debate in California right now involving Prop. 19 that will be voted upon this month. The bill would allow local jurisdictions to regulate their own taxation on production of marijuana, make marijuana legal for those aged 21 and over, and allow adults to grow pot in small plots in their homes. What does this have to do with mold remediation and mold removal? Opponents of Prop. 19 are now pointing to their own study analyzing the...
Read MoreNow that economic uncertainty has dropped housing prices, many new buyers are in the market to purchase used property. But what should you do if a property has mold? Considering all the bad things we say about mold, you might assume this is a deal breaker. But this isn't necessarily true. The issue of mold in a home can turn into a home buyer’s biggest nightmare, and yet it can also be their greatest fortune. When buying a property, you want to...
Read MoreWe’ve talked extensively about the numerous health effects that have been linked from toxic mold exposure – everything from skin rashes to brain damage. But can toxic mold exposure actually cause cancer? It’s a touchy subject; perhaps why we’ve avoided it for so long. But there are a lot of rumors and sketchy evidence floating around that say mold and exposure to certain mycotoxins can cause cancer. It’s time to separate myth from fact. Can mold cause cancer? Absolutely, yes....
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