Venetian Plasters - Helping to Create a More Healthy (And Beautiful)

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Venetian Plasters - Helping to Create a More Healthy (And Beautiful)

Environment in Your Home

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December 15th, 2008 | Author: Garrison

Not only is real Venetian Plaster a great addition and upgrade–and a

green building product–it is absolutely beautiful. What many people

are unaware of, however, is that it is also quite environmentally-

friendly for use within a healthy home. Where other wall coverings

may harbor and encourage the growth of mold, for example, Venetian

Plaster does not.

Is Mold Even Necessary?

Molds are an essential part of the Earth's natural ecosystem.

Outdoors, that is, not indoors. Molds play an integral role in

nature by breaking down dead organic matter such as fallen leaves

and lifeless trees and is indeed necessary. Despite your best

efforts, you cannot keep mold completely out of your home. Mold

enters your home as tiny spores, invisible to the naked eye, and can

grow on almost any surface, including wood, wallpaper, paints,

carpet, and insulation. Unfortunately there is no way to get rid of

all molds and mold spores from your home, but you can certainly

control mold growth.

Why is Venetian Plaster Mold-Unfriendly?

There are many types of mold, and none of them will grow without

water or moisture. This is one of the most important aspects of mold

control.

And the short answer as to why Venetian plaster is truly mold-

resistant is that mold can only grow in an acidic and wet or damp

environment. Venetian plasters breathe and do not retain moisture.

Molds also require a food source and an acidic environment in which

to multiply. Most food preservatives stop the growth of mold, for

example, by changing the pH (acidity) of the food product, for

example.

As you may remember from your high school chemistry class, all

natural lime plasters are alkaline. Thus Venetian plaster walls are

not acidic.

A Short Lesson on pH

The Potential of Hydrogen of pH is a measure of the degree of the

acidity or the alkalinity of a solution as measured on a scale (pH

scale) of 0 to 14. The midpoint of 7.0 on the pH scale represents

neutrality. So, if a substance has a pH of 7.0 that means it is

neutral, and is neither acid nor alkaline. Pure water, for example,

has a pH of approximately 7.0. Numbers below 7.0 indicate acidity;

numbers greater than 7.0 indicate alkalinity. It is important to

understand that pH is a measure of intensity, and not capacity.

The primary ingredient of the Venetian Plaster we use is slaked lime

Ca(OH)2, produced from calcium carbonate that is mined and heated.

Again, lime is Alkaline in nature. If you grew up on a farm or are

an avid gardener you know that lime is used to raise the pH of your

soil if it is overly acid.

Since lime is alkaline, true Venetian Plasters, being composed

essentially of lime, are not only breathable, they are also quite

unfriendly to mold. I would like to emphasize that I am referring to

true plaster, not the faux " Venetian " art paint or skim product that

is available at major home improvement centers.

How Can Venetian Plaster Affect the Quality of Your Life?

As most of us are now well aware, molds have the potential to cause

serious health problems for some individuals. Molds produce

allergens (substances that can cause allergic reactions), irritants,

and in some cases, potentially toxic substances known as mycotoxins.

Inhaling or touching mold or mold spores may cause allergic

reactions in sensitive individuals and may cause asthma attacks in

asthmatics. In addition, mold exposure can irritate the eyes, skin,

nose, throat, and lungs of both mold-allergic and non-allergic

people.

The implications are obvious; however, let me add that many health

researchers claim that because of environmental issues our bodies

already produce too much acid. This acidity may also be causing

chronic health problems. Our food supply, drinking water, air and

soil are becoming increasingly contaminated with toxic chemicals and

we are already physically burdened beyond our natural capabilities

of detoxification.

The cells that make up the human body are slightly alkaline by

nature and must maintain alkalinity in order to function and remain

healthy. The body will go to great lengths to neutralize and

detoxify acids. The work of Nobel Prize winner Otto Warburg

correlates an acidic body environment with cancer.

What we eat and the environment we live in is directly related to

our health and the connection between our home environment and our

health is one that is often overlooked. Many of us have already

moved away from heavily processed foods, and are eating raw and

organic as much as possible, yet we still have lingering allergies

and undue fatigue. We suffer from recurring headaches and find that

we are more sensitive to certain things than we used to be and

wonder why. " My house hates me! " was a very succinct comment made by

one of my clients after we removed the paint in her bathroom. The

ceiling and walls were literally bubbling from all of the mold

colonizing underneath the paint. When tested, she found that she was

highly allergic to the type of mold that had been growing there.

Are Your Walls to Blame?

Have you suspected that maybe the wallpaper you have in your home is

partially responsible for your allergies? Mold loves a damp, warm

environment with something to eat-wallpaper provides just that. Do

you have patches of mold and mildew materializing under the paint in

your kitchen or bathrooms and find that no matter how many times you

scrap and repaint, the mold consistently reappears? If so, consider

this: Regular paint is not porous and the mold spores lurking in

your home are invisible until they colonize.

So, if mold or a healthier home environment is a concern for you,

real Venetian Plaster just may be the answer. Be certain to contact

a Venetian Plaster expert for the correct application in your home.

And yes, Venetian plaster can be applied over existing walls.

Tags: Acidic Environment, Chemistry Class, Dead Organic Matter, High

School Chemistry, Home Mold, Integral Role, Lime Plasters, Mold

Control, Mold Growth, Mold Spores, Ph Acidity, Ph Scale, Plaster

Mold, Potential Of Hydrogen, Tiny Spores, Types Of Mold, Venetian

Plaster Walls, Venetian Plasters, Wall Coverings, Wood Wallpaper

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