Guest guest Posted October 12, 2010 Report Share Posted October 12, 2010 Anyway you could afford removing carpet? > > Has anyone had success with successfully remediating their home? What testing could be done to measure whether the home would be safe to live in? We are prepared to sell but would rather not given flat housing market and the fact we like our current location and home. > > Any advice is appreciated. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 12, 2010 Report Share Posted October 12, 2010 JDM Im kind of in the same situation as my house has been remdediated for mold in the a/c coils and it's still causing the same symptoms your experiencing. I dont know if its the cool weather or if Im actually starting to feel better but I dont feel nearly as bad as I did 2 weeks ago as a matter of fact it's almost tolerable now. I've noticed that when I get out of the sauna my headaches are more intense and Im a little more dizzy than usual by the time I get home the headaches are pretty bad so I have to take something for them. I was told that I could be suffering from heat intolerance which is more than likely true. I've been going out every day looking for safe affordable housing and it's not easy especially finding something in my price range. Just about every place I've looked at has had water damage or mold at some point in time so regrettably I had to keep looking. When I do find something Im going to have to make a decision as to whats more important clothes or furniture, I cant afford both. I considered buying furniture off craigslist but whose to say there's not mold in the house that I'm buying it from? I wish there was a hard concrete answer to your question but Im afraid the only way to find out if your house is safe or not is to move back in and see how you feel. I dont know if you bought new clothes when you moved into your friends house but if you did I would definitely leave them there, there's no point in taking them to the remdediated house and taking the chance of possibility contaminating them as well > When this work first began the impact on my health was extreme - excrutiating headache, blurred vision, dizziness, body aches etc. confirming my suspicion that my home was not healthy for me. I have been living with a friend since and now that the work is done I fear returning to my home. > > Has anyone had success with successfully remediating their home? What testing could be done to measure whether the home would be safe to live in? We are prepared to sell but would rather not given flat housing market and the fact we like our current location and home. > > Any advice is appreciated. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 12, 2010 Report Share Posted October 12, 2010 It's more likely that fabric things will contain spores and other pariticles and cannot be cleaned so if you could get rid of fabric things and clean the other, sometimes that will make a big difference. Ultimately an indoor air expert here, Carl, points out it is if you react or not that tells you whether there is still a problem. If you don't feel well there. Do you feel better where you are now? > > > > > Has anyone had success with successfully remediating their home? What testing could be done to measure whether the home would be safe to live in? We are prepared to sell but would rather not given flat housing market and the fact we like our current location and home. > > > > Any advice is appreciated. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 12, 2010 Report Share Posted October 12, 2010 jgm826, I hope what I provide below will help you in assessing whether your home is habitable or not. First I answered your questions and then I provided additional information on topics you mentioned. Your questions: Has anyone had success with successfully remediating their home? -Yes. It happens thousands of times across the country every day. For the general public. Which means if you are especially susceptible to low levels of the effluents from water damaged buildings and the impact it great then general procedures may not be sufficient. Customized protocols need to be used. What testing could be done to measure whether the home would be safe to live in? -There is no test for a " safe home " whether mold or chemicals or anything else. There are hundreds of tests available but none provide the answer of " safe " or " not safe " for you. As Barb indicated in an earlier post the most effective " test " is to re-enter the building. Carefully. If you react you need to determine whether it is from the building or something else so you can decide whether to continue in the building or to leave. Possible issues with your situation: 1. The Odorox hydroxyl generating system is a fancy marketing name for ozone. The ozone will break down to regular oxygen rather quickly but the byproducts can be incredibly persistent. Ozone can also alter the chemistry of some materials creating objectionable odors or inflammatory irritants. 2. Concrobium is not a sealant and can be a source of exposure itself. The good news is they actually identify an EPA registration number. The not so good news is no product on the market continues the warranty if the structure gets wet again. But if it stays dry then no more mold will grow anyway. Also, Concrobium touts its ability to kill mold. But dead mold and live mold have the same effect on people. Also, EPA requires that surfaces be cleaned before the application of any anti-fungal or anti-microbial product. So I've never understood the appeal for products like these except for unusual situations where removal isn't sufficient or for sewage. If you continue to fear re-entering the house then your fears will be fullfilled. It is better to identify what your reactions are (which you have done) and then carefully re-enter while being mindful of your experience. Differentiate between mild reactions and strong reactions. Leave when uncomfortable. But before you do note as much information as possible as a guide for deciding what to do next. 3. ERMI is no longer recommeded as a diagnostic tool on its own without another context such as medical or by a skilled professional or for research. EPA funded development of ERMI and last June announced the above decision on their part. The DNA analysis part can be very useful but the index number has multiple weaknesses. Do you know what guidance documents or standards the remediator used? NYC Dept of Health? California? EPA guidance? ANSI-IICRC S520? Carl Grimes Healthy Habitats LLC ----- I was finally able to locate water damage in my home (despite ERMI test results showing my home to be safe -2.5 index). Bathroom vents were not vented to the outside causing mold build up in the attic-The attic was put under negative pressure, dry ice blasted, all insulation removed and replaced, sealed with concrobium and hepa vacuumed. Damp cement block basement walls were dried, sealed with concrobium and painted with dry lock. Also leaky toilet ring and associated mold have been remediated. The company doing the work also utilized the Odorox hydroxyl generating system to purify the air and finally will steam clean all wall to wall carpeting in the house. When this work first began the impact on my health was extreme - excrutiating headache, blurred vision, dizziness, body aches etc. confirming my suspicion that my home was not healthy for me. I have been living with a friend since and now that the work is done I fear returning to my home. Has anyone had success with successfully remediating their home? What testing could be done to measure whether the home would be safe to live in? We are prepared to sell but would rather not given flat housing market and the fact we like our current location and home. Any advice is appreciated. ---------- The following section of this message contains a file attachment prepared for transmission using the Internet MIME message format. If you are using Pegasus Mail, or any other MIME-compliant system, you should be able to save it or view it from within your mailer. If you cannot, please ask your system administrator for assistance. ---- File information ----------- File: DEFAULT.BMP Date: 16 Jun 2009, 0:10 Size: 358 bytes. Type: Unknown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 13, 2010 Report Share Posted October 13, 2010 I have successfully remediated. Although you should know that I am always vigilant now for leaks, humidity, etc so the issue is always there as a possibility. I needed to gut my basement completely-along the way I realized the new insulation was killing me and removed it, I realized I needed to toss everything I owned that had been in the basement (pool table, sofas, books) because everything was moldy, etc, things like that where you do one thing and then, great...something else bothers you. So the basement is down to its cement core with 2 humidifiers running and a Humidex at 40% humidity, which I'm told is good. The water sources are all eliminated-new driveway, paved all around the house (cost me thousands of dollars but no more water!), new windows, kept closed all the time. Then I redid a shower stall in a bathroom-moldy-and the construction was a nightmare of dust and now 3 years later I can't use that bathroom. But no mold! Also a closet where a pipe had leaked behind the wall. These were the big issues. Since then I have been vigilant. A window upstairs was left open and the rain made some sheetrock moldy so I cut it away and replaced it. That window never gets opened now! Things like that. It's hard and scary and expensive but I can live in my house, thank god. > > I was finally able to locate water damage in my home (despite ERMI test results showing my home to be safe -2.5 index). Bathroom vents were not vented to the outside causing mold build up in the attic-The attic was put under negative pressure, dry ice blasted, all insulation removed and replaced, sealed with concrobium and hepa vacuumed. Damp cement block basement walls were dried, sealed with concrobium and painted with dry lock. Also leaky toilet ring and associated mold have been remediated. The company doing the work also utilized the Odorox hydroxyl generating system to purify the air and finally will steam clean all wall to wall carpeting in the house. > > When this work first began the impact on my health was extreme - excrutiating headache, blurred vision, dizziness, body aches etc. confirming my suspicion that my home was not healthy for me. I have been living with a friend since and now that the work is done I fear returning to my home. > > Has anyone had success with successfully remediating their home? What testing could be done to measure whether the home would be safe to live in? We are prepared to sell but would rather not given flat housing market and the fact we like our current location and home. > > Any advice is appreciated. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 13, 2010 Report Share Posted October 13, 2010 I was guilty of leaving windows open. House and car windows! > A window upstairs was left open and the rain made some sheetrock moldy so I cut it away and replaced it. That window never gets opened now! Things like that. It's hard and scary and expensive but I can live in my house, thank god. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 14, 2010 Report Share Posted October 14, 2010 Isn't it crazy we have to worry about leaving a window open? Should we be so afraid of nature? It seems to me the problem is building materials, bad construction, and general ignorance. I've seen gorgeous rock homes here in the hill country of Texas (where I don't think we are staying because the pollen allergies are *bad*!!!). They were built from rock around here, and people will use cedar from their property for the beams. The walls are rock, inside and out. Saltillo tile floors. Metal roofs. Now tell me how THAT is going to mold? I guess anything can grow a coating of mold given a chance, but some materials are very hardy and resistant and last forever. > > > A window upstairs was left open and the rain made some sheetrock moldy so I cut it away and replaced it. That window never gets opened now! Things like that. It's hard and scary and expensive but I can live in my house, thank god. > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 14, 2010 Report Share Posted October 14, 2010 Ah well, I agree and I've always daydreamed about what I would build if I could build myself a safe house. But it is what it is and I'm in a conventional house with sheetrock. Truth is, the sheetrock was really just fine for my husband-barely stained at all-it must have gotten wet just one time but I felt it. Who knows how long the mold took to grow till I felt it? And I love the windows open! But like I said I have to be very vigilant about it. Doesn't everybody here feel the same way? --- In , " cocopollyphenol " <cocopollyphenol@...> wrote: > > Isn't it crazy we have to worry about leaving a window open? Should we be so afraid of nature? > > It seems to me the problem is building materials, bad construction, and general ignorance. I've seen gorgeous rock homes here in the hill country of Texas (where I don't think we are staying because the pollen allergies are *bad*!!!). They were built from rock around here, and people will use cedar from their property for the beams. The walls are rock, inside and out. Saltillo tile floors. Metal roofs. Now tell me how THAT is going to mold? I guess anything can grow a coating of mold given a chance, but some materials are very hardy and resistant and last forever. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 14, 2010 Report Share Posted October 14, 2010 sometimes I cannot bare the air outside. Even worse than inside. I know it is moldly air cause I can taste it. YUK  God Bless !! dragonflymcs Mayleen ________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 14, 2010 Report Share Posted October 14, 2010 I never saw paper houses until I came to US. Solid concrete strucrures with poured cement roofs. lasts and last  What were they thinking or NOT God Bless !! dragonflymcs Mayleen ________________________________ From: cocopollyphenol <cocopollyphenol@...> Sent: Thu, October 14, 2010 11:02:16 AM Subject: [] Re: Remediation questions  Isn't it crazy we have to worry about leaving a window open? Should we be so afraid of nature? It seems to me the problem is building materials, bad construction, and general ignorance. I've seen gorgeous rock homes here in the hill country of Texas (where I don't think we are staying because the pollen allergies are *bad*!!!). They were built from rock around here, and people will use cedar from their property for the beams. The walls are rock, inside and out. Saltillo tile floors. Metal roofs. Now tell me how THAT is going to mold? I guess anything can grow a coating of mold given a chance, but some materials are very hardy and resistant and last forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 14, 2010 Report Share Posted October 14, 2010 Outdoor air bothers me on hot humid days and spring/fall allergies but actually what I was referring to is that I have a bad habit of leaving windows open, and then it can *rain in. I like the windows open but used to forget to close them, didn't worry about mold at one time. I guess no wonder I got sick. I don't know many people though who give much thought to mold either, so I had a lot of company. > And I love the windows open! But like I said I have to be very vigilant about it. Doesn't everybody here feel the same way? > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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