My Dream Home Turned Into a Toxic Mold Nightmare

By the end of November, after about 30 days in her new home, Rumberger was constantly exhausted — more than the usual fatigue that comes with working and raising two children. One night her chest hurt so badly that she went to the emergency room, convinced she was having a heart attack. 

Another time she rushed herself to the hospital when her limbs went completely numb. By January, she noticed troublesome changes in her daughters, too. Her eldest was acting depressed, complaining of an itchy scalp and had frequent nose bleeds. Her youngest had sinus problems for the first time in her life, along with acid reflux and recurring nightmares. READ MORE >>

Could your house have Toxic Home Syndrome?

They're our safe havens, but could our homes also be making us ill? We report on the alarmingly common Toxic Home Syndrome.

Home is where the heart is - but it may also be where the harm is.
It's estimated that 15.3 million households suffer from Toxic Home Syndrome, where occupants' health deteriorates as a result of poor indoor air quality. And while the most common effects are coughing, sneezing, watery eyes, fatigue, dizziness and headaches, a recent study found that exposure to indoor pollutants can also be linked to reduced life expectancy, and diseases including lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and asthma.

Cause for concern
A study backed by the electrotechnical industry body BEAMA, has been launched to draw attention to the problems caused by poor indoor air quality, and promote better home ventilation.

The initiative says 81% of people are at risk of suffering from a respiratory or dermatological condition because of poor air quality inside their home.




On average, we spend more than 90% of our time indoors, and indoor air can be up to 50 times more polluted than outdoor air, containing over 900 chemicals, particles, and biological materials. And as well as the common effects of inhaling these chemicals, like sneezing and headaches, there can sometimes be more severe results, including eye irritation, rhinitis, fever or chills, rashes, hearing loss, muscle pain, nosebleeds, and respiratory problems.

Better out than in
Indoor pollutants can be naturally occurring, such as mold spores from damp spots on walls and window frames, or even from decaying food. Mold is likely to cause more problems in homes with little or no ventilation, and 58% of people have experienced mold or condensation in their homes. 

"Perennial allergens, such as house dust mites and mold within the home, are a major contributor to diseases like asthma and eczema, and rhinitis," says Professor Howarth, Professor of allergy and respiratory medicine at Southampton University. 

"Surveys have shown a high percentage of homes have some evidence of visible mold, in rooms like the kitchen or bathroom, where there's the highest humidity, and the older the housing, the poorer the damp proof coursing, and the more likelihood for damp problems."

In addition, wet clothes dried indoors can increase moisture levels in the home, encouraging mold to grow.

Further indoor pollution may come from pollen brought in from outside either through open windows or on shoes and clothes, pet dander, or volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Chemical nation
VOCs can be found in many everyday cleaning products including air fresheners, carpet cleaners, polish and oven cleaners, and can trigger asthma.

"There are varying reports as to whether VOC levels are raised within the home or not," says Professor Howarth, "but certainly higher levels can give rise to non-specific symptoms such as headache, stuffiness, itchy skin and not feeling quite right.

"It's often things that aren't particularly striking - until you remove them and realize you haven't been quite so well." 

Certain gases can also pollute indoor air. Radon, a natural radioactive gas emanating from soil and rock, can enter through cracks and gaps in walls and floors, and via the water supply. Carbon monoxide is another pollutant that can be found in homes with faulty heating or cooking appliances and can build up from clogged chimneys and cigarette smoke.

Bricking it



Building materials can also adversely affect health - paint, for example, can contain lead and formaldehyde, which can lead to breathing difficulties, increased blood pressure and joint pain, among other things.

Asbestos, found in industrial or residential premises built before 2000, can become lodged in the lungs and cause serious problems.

"There's not much information available about the problem of indoor pollutants," says Professor Howarth, who stresses that good ventilation within the home is a vital part of tackling poor-quality indoor air.

"As new houses are built that are more insulated and airtight, there can be less air exchange within the rooms, so unless they're properly ventilated, humid rooms will build up condensation, which can be another source of mold within the home.

"As we move towards more energy-efficient homes and people are worried about their heating costs, the windows may be kept closed. But obviously, if you open the windows, you'll get good ventilation.

"I advise my patients to prioritize good household ventilation - assess the systems your home has in place and look to update them if they are faulty or out of date."

Top tips from Alternatives Organic 

• Use eco-friendly cleaning products, which spew fewer toxins and pollutants into the air.
• Make sure you have effective ventilation throughout your home.
• Use roll-on deodorant or eco-friendly beauty products, rather than aerosol cans.
• Consider wood flooring: carpets harbor dirt, dust mites, pet hair, fungus and other potentially harmful particles that can aggravate the lungs.
• Switch off all technological devices by the wall when they're not being used.
• Take your shoes off at the door so pollen, dirt, soil, etc from outdoors isn't spread around your home.
• If you notice your health deteriorating, make sure your home is radon-free by getting it tested.
• Make sure paint has properly dried before using a newly-painted room.
• Dry-washing outside, or make sure windows are open if you have to dry it inside.
• If you have a shower curtain, change it regularly. Avoid vinyl shower curtains, as the material harbors water and creates mold.

For more information and to schedule an appointment for a complete health evaluation for your home. Call us. 406-871-6282.

Living Green Solutions: Home Maintenance and Consulting

Our services provide a full range of property management maintenance specializing Green Home Makeover systems and caring for both second and full-time homeowners from house sitting to personal assistant and home concierge services.

Our property management service is customized and we tailor our responsibilities to each individual client's needs. As well as our own services, we have a reliable and responsive group of contractors with whom we work. We are experienced in second home set-up and all the various details involved in property management and services.

We understand the constraints of distance and time in caring for a second home and strive to help you fully enjoy your investment and vacation time by offering a full range of services to care for your property.

Services

• Weekly or bi-weekly security checks
• Open and closing for arrival and departure
• Airport shuttle
• Personal services, mail pickup, bill paying,
• House Sitting
• Snow and Ice Removal
• Building Interior
• Landscape Maintenance
• Construction, new, remodel or repair

Maintenance

• Window cleaning
• Carpet cleaning
• Housekeeping
• Power washing
• Painting
• Special log home maintenance
• Spring and fall cleanup

Private Concierge and Home Party Planning

• Guest shuttle pickup and delivery
• Live entertainment
• Photo and video services
• T-shirt design custom printing and embroidery
• Promotional services, print and electronic
• Tents, canopies, tables/chairs, banners and signage

If you have a specific request, let us know! If we can't provide the service we will find reliable vendors, contractors and specialized companies that can. Request Visit for Free Estimate. Call 406-871-6282

LIVING GREEN at Home. We can Help!

Doing your part by Living Green at home is easier than you might think and the results are far-reaching. The more energy efficient your home is, the more money you'll save and the bigger your positive impact on the environment.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), minor changes in energy usage by Americans in 2017 resulted in a savings of $22 billion and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the amount created by 29 million cars.

Make a few changes in the following areas, and you can reap the economic, health and safety benefits of going green. Read these eco-friendly living tips and learn what going green can mean for you.

ENERGY EFFICIENT HOMES

Audit - To be successful in saving energy at home, start by having a home energy audit conducted by professional Home Energy Auditor. Such a procedure involves having your home professionally inspected to see how efficiently it uses energy and to identify areas in the home where improvements can be made. According to the EPA, such improvements can save significantly on monthly energy bills

Cooling and heating - About half of your energy costs go toward heating and cooling. It's simple to reduce your energy footprint and improve air quality, which is good for your health.

• Change your filter every three months 
• Have your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC system) tuned up yearly 
• Seal your heating and cooling ducts and check your roof insulation. 
• Install a programmable thermostat

Limit lighting - Considering that lighting accounts for about 15% of your home's electric use, making changes in this area can result in substantial energy savings.

• Replace incandescent bulbs with energy-efficient ENERGY STAR® compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs,which last up to 10 times longer and use 75% less electricity. 
• Consider occupancy sensors that turn lights off when you leave a room to save energy. 
• Outdoor motion-sensor lighting also saves energy and improves safety. 
• Windows - According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Building Envelope and Windows 
• R&D Programs, windows in the United States cost consumers approximately $35 billion per year in energy. Today's energy-efficient, insulated windows could cut that total by half.

WATER

Stop leaky faucets - A dripping faucet may seem harmless, but you'd be surprised at how much water is lost. According to the U.S. Geological Survey's Water Science School, one faucet that drips 4 drips per minute wastes 138 gallons of water a year.

Replace old toilets - Toilets manufactured before 1994 use up to five gallons per flush compared to 1.6 gallons for newer toilets. According to Savingwater.org, replacing an old toilet can save up to 10,500.

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Study Finds New Homes Are Toxic

Sources of Formaldehyde: Home purifier expert

A year ago we complained that energy efficiency was obviously a good thing, but not at the cost of air quality and the health of occupants. 

Energy-efficient houses are built to be as airtight as possible, filled with materials and cleaning products that release all kinds of hazardous chemicals, and yet there is no legal requirement for heat recovery ventilators.

Now Linda Kincaid at Green Building Elements points us to a new study (pdf here) from the California Environmental Protection Agency's Air Resources Board that finds that 67% of new homes do not meet the minimum California standard for air changes; it seems that nobody opens their windows or runs their kitchen exhaust fans enough to adequately ventilate their homes.

And to nobody's surprise, "nearly all homes had formaldehyde concentrations that exceeded guidelines for cancer and chronic irritation, while 59 percent exceeded guidelines for acute irritation."

67% of homes don't meet the minimum code standard.

The abstract concludes:
New single-family detached homes are built relatively airtight, can have very low outdoor air exchange rates, and can often exceed exposure guidelines for air contaminants with indoor sources, such as formaldehyde and some other volatile organic compounds. Mechanical ventilation systems are needed to provide a dependable, continuous supply of outdoor air to new homes, and reductions of various indoor formaldehyde sources are also needed.

60% exceed levels of formaldehyde high enough to cause significant irritation and cancer risk.

That's why we have said that we need to ban formaldehyde and put a heat recovery ventilator in every green home. But the results of the California study show that it isn't enough; heat recovery ventilators should be mandatory in every new home. 

There is an inherent contradiction-the greener the home is from an energy point of view, the worse it is from an air quality point of view. That is why it is so important to use building materials that don't out-gas, to avoid cheap particle board or other materials that give off formaldehyde, to use green cleaning supplies, and if your windows are closed for most of the year, to install a heat recovery ventilator.

The California study makes it very clear: Every new house needs an HRV. It should be the law.

More on Air Quality in Houses
Big Steps In Building: Ban Formaldehyde

Get a Heat Recovery Ventilator if You Seal Your House Up Tight

https://www.statrestore.com/