Re: Anabec, enzyme fog or something else?

[Guest guest]

Amy,

The best answer is " neither. " Killing mold doesn't stop the problem.

Keeping it dry will. Read the fine print for the Anabec and other

anti-microbial chemical warranties, including enzymes. It will say it

is guaranteed only for that incident and if it get wet later the

warranty is void. Removal of the mold is what is needed.

But first, do they need to remove the mold? If there is good

separation of attic air from indoor air you can have a zoo in the

attic just like you can have a zoo outside the walls. It won't get

inside. Also, was the mold on the wood when it was installed or did

it grow afterwards? If afterwards then changes need to be made in the

attic environment or more will grow again (Anabec or not).

Are your parents sick? If so, you first need to know it's mold and

not something else that is causing the complaints. The worst thing

you could do is unnecessarily spend money on what someone claims is

the " problem " but it isn't.

Which leads to the next question: Who determined the attic needs

remediated? The Anabec or enzyme salesman or someone else who will be

doing the work? It should be assessed by someone independant of the

remedy.

Carl Grimes

Healthy Habitats LLC

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> My parents need to have their attic remediated for mold and are

> considering Anabec or an enzyme fog. My understanding of Anabec is

> that the process kills the mold and also inhibits future growth, while

> the enzyme fog makes no claims to inhibit growth.

>

> Because my mother is chemically sensitive, she is concerned that she

> might react to Anabec. But I wonder if the enzyme fog would be

> effective. Their attic is unfinished wood surfaces.

>

> Any insights or experience would be greatly appreciated!

>

> Amy

>

>

>

> FAIR USE NOTICE:

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>

[Guest guest]

Carl,

Thank you so much for your reply. I can see I should have posted an

intro first! Sorry about that.

Here is the background info--my mother, who is in her 70s, is quite

sick. She is extremely mold sensitive and has MCS, with digestive,

immune and neurologic symptoms. Her symptoms were mild at first but

have been progressively getting worse for years. She was just

diagnosed this year and has been to the Environmental Health Center

in Dallas twice.

Jeff May and a biochemist whose name I don't have both determined

that mold in the attic was one of several issues in the house. One

suggested sealing off the attic, while the other recommended

rememdiation. My parents think they have addressed the moisture

issue. They have added a fan that turns on when the temp gets above

a certain point. Most importantly, however, they have stopped

overhumidifying the house (my mother has dry nose/eye/sinus

problems) and now are vigilant about ventilating the bathroom and

closing the bathroom door when they shower. (The attic is accessed

by stairs that pull down from the ceiling right outside the bathroom

and air flows directly up).

They considered sealing off the attic (there is nothing up there)

but they need to go up once in the spring to open a window and once

in the fall to close it to improve ventilation.

Another issue is that the biochemist found oil fumes coming up from

the basement into the kitchen. There was a tiny leak from the

furnace that has been repaired and the concrete floor cleaned. But

it is possible/probable that some oil seeped into the concrete.

They looked into several options for isolating the furnace/cleaning

basement air and ended up installing commercial air movers that

replace the basement air with fresh air every half hour. I believe

that this system mostly draws from outside but there is a little

flow of air downward from the kitchen. In short, given the basement

issues and my mother's high level of sensitivity, I'm not sure

if/how attic air could be contained adequately. Also, the attic

access is adjacent to their bedroom door.

My mother is not tolerating being in the house too well. If they

can't correct the problems in the house they will need to move or

build.

Any thoughts you have would be greatly appreciated! I just ordered

your book for them and they're looking forward to reading it as they

don't use the web.

Many thanks,

Amy