"Normal. Normal is regular, average, medium. Normal is safe, familiar, warm and comfortable. Normal is the thing you know. It is what is. But, normal isn't great..." From Mini Cooper's "Not Normal" video, 2012.

I ran into that extended video-commercial again recently, and was reminded about the message it carried. It's all too easy to just be "one of the crowd" and conform to the status quo these days. Our society pushes us to take the safe route, and be "normal". Don't make waves, whatever you do!

I'm not saying that some sense of uniformity is a totally bad thing, or advocating a state of anarchy and chaos instead. But what if everyone played it safe? There would be no one to push the boundaries, to take the risks, to explore the possibilities. What fun would that be?

A little over a year ago I decided to step over the lines, from 25+ years as an indoor environmental consultant and contractor, to becoming an online multi-media publisher. But not just that, to push that new media format into places that were never before possible. A damn scary proposition for someone approaching the age of 54 at the time. Safe? Familiar? Warm and comfortable? Hardly--not by a long-shot! But, who would want to be normal?

Dare to be a risk-taker, to step outside of the box. Sure, failures are inevitable...they're part of the ride. Just remember, "Normal can never be amazing..."

Watch the 1:30 minute Mini Cooper video on YouTube at: http://youtu.be/6R_D4V-Ns3Y

 Bob Krell is Founder & Publisher of the free online digital publication, Healthy Indoors Magazine and the consumer/industry information site, IAQ.net.

Connect with Bob directly on LinkedIn & Twitter at:
www.linkedin.com/in/bobkrell/
https://twitter.com/IAQMAN

Check out IAQ.net's online information hub at http://HI.IAQ.net/h/. You can access Healthy Indoors Magazine, the IAQ.net web site, videos, social media and more there, and even get a FREE online subscription to the magazine!

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According to Alison Johnson, from her article in this month’s issue of Healthy Indoors Magazine, “In the last few decades, more and more people have been developing a newfound sensitivity to everyday chemicals, a condition that is now most commonly called multiple chemical sensitivity, or MCS.  Newspaper reporters often refer to multiple chemical sensitivity as a rare condition, but this is hardly the case. In 2009 Professors Stanley Caress and Anne Steinemann published in The Journal of Environmental Health the results of a national prevalence study for multiple chemical sensitivity that they had conducted. In their national phone survey, 3.2 percent of the respondents said that they had been medically diagnosed with MCS. This result suggests that over ten million Americans are suffering from multiple chemical sensitivity. That’s a number larger than the population of the state of Michigan in 2010. “

Read the full article at: http://hi.iaq.net/i/327414/17

Author Bob Krell is the Founder and Publisher of IAQ.net http://HI.IAQ.net/h/ a free consumer and industry information site about our indoor environments and sustainability issues, and the online digital magazine, Healthy Indoors http://hi.iaq.net/t/64619

Bob also moderates the LinkedIn group, "The Great INDOORS". Topics include indoor environmental issues and building performance with industry experts and end users like real estate, healthcare and facilities management professionals, as well as individual consumers with an interest. Join the discussion today!

Follow Bob Krell on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@IAQMAN

Connect with Bob Krell directly on LinkedIn at:
www.linkedin.com/in/bobkrell/

Funny thing about change. You don’t always have a say in its outcome.

Author Bob Krell is the Founder and Publisher of IAQ.net http://HI.IAQ.net/h/ a free consumer and industry information site about our indoor environments and sustainability issues, and the online digital magazine, Healthy Indoors http://hi.iaq.net/t/64619

Bob also moderates the LinkedIn group, "The Great INDOORS". Topics include indoor environmental issues and building performance with industry experts and end users like real estate, healthcare and facilities management professionals, as well as individual consumers with an interest. Join the discussion today!

Follow Bob Krell on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@IAQMAN

Connect with Bob Krell directly on LinkedIn at:
www.linkedin.com/in/bobkrell/

Author Bob Krell is the Founder and Publisher of IAQ.net http://HI.IAQ.net/h/ a free consumer and industry information site about our indoor environments and sustainability issues, and the online digital magazine, Healthy Indoors http://hi.iaq.net/t/64619

Bob also moderates the LinkedIn group, "The Great INDOORS". Topics include indoor environmental issues and building performance with industry experts and end users like real estate, healthcare and facilities management professionals, as well as individual consumers with an interest. Join the discussion today! Follow Bob Krell on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@IAQMAN

Author Bob Krell is the Founder and Publisher of the online digital magazine, Healthy Indoors http://hi.iaq.net/t/64619

Bob also moderates the LinkedIn group, "The Great INDOORS". Topics include indoor environmental issues and building performance with industry experts and end users like real estate, healthcare and facilities management professionals, as well as individual consumers with an interest. Join the discussion today! Follow Bob Krell on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@IAQMAN

I spent the recent Thanksgiving holiday in New Jersey with my extended family, and the hypocrisy of many of our consumer practices reminded me that we still have a long way to go.  The inevitable discussions about the new magazine I publish ensued, conversation shifted to the labeling of the products  we use in our daily lives, and their safety. What do the words “natural,” “green,” “organic” and “recycled” really mean, and are products brandishing these terms good for the environment and safer for us to use?

My one cousin is a teacher and an expectant mother who seems well-versed with product knowledge as it relates to undesirable chemical exposures from cleaners and items like baby diapers. She works in the public school system in an urban area whose aging infrastructure is fraught with   indoor environmental problems like visible mold from ongoing roof leaks, for example.  This same well-informed educator served Thanksgiving dinner on disposable plastic china-ware.

 Now, don’t get me wrong, I applaud her diligence with trying to select the best products for her kids.  What struck me was the disconnect between that heightened consumer product awareness and equally cavalier approach to single-use products that will spend the next 20,000 or so years in a landfill.

My intent here is not to chastise my family members, or to ensure that I will never be invited back for the holidays, either. I guess I’m just trying to illustrate the point that we still have a long way to go as consumers.  It’s really only taken us several generations as uber-consumers in the industrial chain to spiral our world into an unsustainable course.  We simply cannot continue down this road for the sake of our future generations. Common sense and a sense of stewardship for our planet has given way to consumer convenience and corporate profit.

Consider the Earth as a self-contained “craft” hurling through space with a limited amount of supplies on board. We have finite resources like air and water, food and fuel. Running out of necessities or contaminating our occupant space really isn’t an option if we’re to survive.  We’ve pretty much made a mess of things thus far, but the good news is that a good many of us are trying to do something about it, and even more are recognizing the need to.

There are indeed many “shades” of green in the marketplace, as many conscientious companies have moved to change for the better. Clearly some have embraced the green trend in marketing hype more than their actual practice, in an attempt to capitalize on an emerging consumer desire to live healthier, sustainable lives. This begs the question, “What is really green?”  While that answer may still be evolving in the world marketplace, one clear thing is that, despite our seemingly hell-bent course for self destruction over the past few centuries, we also hold the keys to reversing our unsustainable ways. The green seed was planted, has sprouted, and will continue to grow. And even pale green is better than not green at all.

Let's hear YOUR thoughts on it--join the discussion for this article on LinkedIn at: http://linkd.in/1bi1Xx2

Author Bob Krell is the Founder and Publisher of the online digital magazine, Healthy Indoors http://hi.iaq.net/t/64619

Bob also moderates the LinkedIn group, "The Great INDOORS". Topics include indoor environmental issues and building performance with industry experts and end users like real estate, healthcare and facilities management professionals, as well as individual consumers with an interest. Join the discussion today! Follow Bob Krell on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@IAQMAN

Let's hear YOUR thoughts on it--join the discussion for this article on LinkedIn at: http://linkd.in/1akFVKl

Author Bob Krell is the Founder and Publisher of the online digital magazine, Healthy Indoors http://hi.iaq.net/t/64619

Bob also moderates the LinkedIn group, "The Great INDOORS". Topics include indoor environmental issues and building performance with industry experts and end users like real estate, healthcare and facilities management professionals, as well as individual consumers with an interest. Join the discussion today! Follow Bob Krell on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@IAQMAN


The call comes in, you and your partner head to the pre-arranged location to meet the “voice” from the other end of the phone line, being careful not to be too conspicuous.  That “voice” turns out to be a nervous, secretive person, who, in a shaky voice asks,” Are you the police?”  Your reply (of course), “No ma’am, we’re IAQ investigators...”

Every week I get at least several calls from people believing they have serious mold problems in their indoor environments.  These concerns range from the typical “mold in my basement” to healthcare facilities suspecting fungal contamination in their surgical operating rooms.  

Hyping the Hyphae

National media attention to “toxic molds” has generated its fair share of inquires from hysterical homeowners as well as those associated with commercial facilities.  This increased media coverage is a double-edged sword for the IAQ services community.  While such publicity certainly raises public awareness on the issues of microbial contamination in the indoor environment, sensationalism on the part of the media can create over reactions.  The unfortunate outcome can be a backlash effect that creates even more skepticism among building owners, facility managers, and insurance companies regarding IAQ.  What we don’t need as an industry are more “snake oil salesmen” labels.

Media's Mold Poster Child

For several months after the 48 Hours segment on the contaminated home in Texas aired many years back, we received dozens of calls from terrified homeowners wanting to know if they had the deadly Stachybotrys menace in their house.  That trend has continued to date. Don’t get me wrong here—I believe that Stachy exposure is a serious concern.  The problem is, the 48 Hours segment only stressed Stachybotrys (AKA “toxic black mold”).  In my experience, many indoor environmental problems, and subsequent occupant health issues, are a result of contamination from a host of other microbial outbreaks.  In other words, despite the (unintentional or uninformed) inference that there has to be Stachybotrys in your building to make you sick,  concentrations of Aspergillus, Penicillium, or a numerous list of other molds can cause real problems.

I’ve seen that last point illustrated over and over.  For example, shortly after the 48 Hours show aired, I spoke with an upstate New York homeowner who had concerns about visible mold in her home after watching the segment.  Her 4-year old was experiencing allergy-like symptoms, so she visited her pediatrician and explained the mold conditions in her home.  His response was no doubt tempered by numerous questions he had to field from patients who saw the CBS program. “You have no need to worry, Stachybotrys doesn’t grow in this part of the country…not like in the Cleveland area.” His reference to Cleveland suggests he, too, fell victim to the CDC’s knee-jerk reaction of blasting the Dr. Dearborn study which linked Stachybotrys to SIDS (can I get any more acronyms in a single sentence?).  Someone needs to tell the poor doctor that, “Yes Virginia there is a Stachybotrys in New York! “  A little information on either side of an important issue can prove dangerous.

We were involved with a multi-million dollar residence in New Jersey that had severe moisture problems. This unwanted moisture resulted in highly elevated indoor concentrations of Penicillium chrysogenum and Aspergillus versicolor, along with a host of others.  How high?  Only about 1000 times greater than concurrent outdoor samples.  The scary part is that on the initial walk through, there was only the smallest visual indication of a fungal problem in the building, just a persistent musty odor in the 8000 square ft. finished basement.  The initial assessment triggered an expanded investigation that resulted in a massive remediation project.  Active fungal growth was discovered in all the basement wall cavities.  The occupants had numerous health problems, which were later linked to fungal exposures from the home by a medical doctor.  Surprisingly absent from all but one small isolated location—Stachybotrys!  Well, maybe not so surprising, actually.  The house had a moisture intrusion problem through the slab and foundation walls, but only liquid water in one spot where some limited flooding occurred.  We later found a small plumbing leak in the same location, which was likely a constant source of a small amount of water on an on-going basis in the wall cavity. That was where the Stachy was found, as well.  This makes sense, since Stachybotrys is a hydrophilic fungi that will only grow in wet environments, with somewhat constant moisture sources.  

Stachybotrys is often difficult to detect in air samples.  Well, that’s not entirely true—it’s actually easy enough to detect it in spore trap air samples during direct microscopic lab analysis. But it usually never gets detected in cultured air samples (Anderson type)! It generally will not compete well on a broad spectrum agar plate vs. other fungi.  As a result, it is commonly missed during the analysis of cultured air samples.

Another factor is that Stachybotrys is a slimy, sticky fungi with relatively large size that is not easily made airborne while it is actively growing.  It can, however, be dislodged into the environment during aggressive disturbance such as the demolition of wallboard or other  contaminated materials, especially after is has dried out.   To be continued…

Bob moderates the LinkedIn group, "The Great INDOORS". Topics include indoor environmental issues and building performance with industry experts and end users like real estate, healthcare and facilities management professionals, as well as individual consumers with an interest. Join the discussion today!

Follow Bob Krell on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@IAQMAN

My Property Went Underwater...Now What?

If you were one of the unfortunate people that was flooded by Hurricane Sandy yesterday, here are a basic list of considerations for helping you get safely back on your feet:

1. Don't Go Back Into Your Property Until Emergency Officials Give the OK - As bad as things might seem, rushing back into a recently flooded building may be a significantly worse idea!  In addition to any damage to your contents, the water may have caused structural damage that could make it unsafe to enter your property.  Another concern is a potential electrical hazard. Once power is restored to your area, your electrical wiring may still be wet and dangerous!  It is best to have all potentially water-damaged electrical components checked by a professional electrician prior to any re-energizing or re-occupancy of the building to reduce the risks of electrical shock or electrical fires.
2. Contact Your Insurance Carrier - Begin the process of creating a claim for losses that are covered under your insurance policy. 
3. Document, Document, Document! - Take photos and video detailing the extent of the damage to both the structure and the contents. Hopefully you have pre-loss photos/video, as they can be helpful with establishing the extent of the damage. If not, definitely begin photo documentation ASAP! 
4. Get It Dry, Get it Clean - This may clearly be easier to say than actually achieve under the circumstances, but whatever you can do to get your building's structure and it's contents dry fast will help to minimize your subsequent damage. Try to salvage irreplaceable items like family photos, rare collectibles, etc, and get them to a safe place where they can be dried out. Gypsum board (AKA sheetrock) doesn't fare well when submerged, despite what some insurance adjusters would like you to believe. Once saturated, it can be structurally compromised, and very prone to subsequent mold growth. When in doubt, tear it out! The same goes for any wet fiberglass insulation, carpeting, or upholstered furniture, bedding and any unsealed food items. Floods are considered Category 3 (Black Water), since they are contaminated with sewage and other unsavory contents. For a period of time after a significant flood event, the risk of bacterial contamination is greatest, so protect yourself from exposure if you're going in (PPE or Personal Protective Equipment is strongly recommended, including respirator, gloves, eye protection at minimum).
5. And Then, There's Mold? - If all this wasn't bad enough, the fungal invaders may start appearing anywhere from a few days to several weeks after the flooding. Mold tends to attack processed wood products and leather goods quickly, but can colonize on virtually any surface with sufficient nutrients and moisture--so pretty much any dirty and damp material will do!  Let it suffice to say that I won't be warning of "Deadly toxic black mold", but rather offering a more objective viewpoint in lieu of the hysterical approach. Mold growing outdoors-normal. Mold growing indoors-NOT normal.  I really don't get into fungal racism; pretty much any species of mold growing indoors in quantity is undesirable, period. It needs to be addressed. And not with bleach! (I'll address this in more detail in a follow up video later this week).

We're running a comment thread on LinkedIn groups "The Great Indoors" and the "IAQ Professionals" that may offer some additional opinions on the subject, too.

Bob moderates the new LinkedIn group, "The Great INDOORS". Topics include indoor environmental issues and building performance with industry experts and end users like real estate, healthcare and facilities management professionals, as well as individual consumers with an interest. Join the discussion today!

Follow Bob Krell on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@IAQMAN

Save Your Brain!

The EPA is trying to reduce exposure to dangerous levels of lead through their Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) regulations. These regulations, passed in early 2010, set standards for any contractors doing work on homes or other buildings that may be contaminated with lead. The regulations also require training and certification for all contractors. These changes are to reduce the likelihood of lead poisoning resulting from renovations. For more information on what practices RRP certified contractors need to follow, visit the EPA's RRP information webpage.

If you are completing your own home renovations, there are a few ways to protect yourself, and your family, from exposure. Be sure to clean regularly, removing any dust or debris while you are working. Cover openings to the room(s) you are working on, to prevent lead paint dust from contaminating the rest of the home. Turn off any forced air heating or cooling systems to prevent lead dust from spreading. Wear protective materials, including an air-filtering mask. Most importantly, especially if you are doing renovations in a home built before 1978, have your home tested for lead. You can either purchase a home test kit or hire a professional company, like IAQ, to test your home for lead contamination. If your home does have dangerous levels of lead, hire a lead abatement (removal) company to safely eliminate the lead from your home. For more information on how to keep your family safe during renovations, see the EPA's publication The Lead-Safe Certified Guide to Renovate Right.

Bob moderates the new LinkedIn group, "The Great INDOORS". Topics include indoor environmental issues and building performance with industry experts and end users like real estate, healthcare and facilities management professionals, as well as individual consumers with an interest. Join the discussion today!

Follow Bob Krell on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@IAQMAN

Check out Bob's FREE consumer mold educational webinar on Facebook at: http://a.pgtb.me/Qgk

Here’s Your “FREE” Lunch

My last air duct cleaning post sparked more comments and debate than my typical blog, so I just couldn’t resist going another round with this one! 

I have to admit, it was fueled by the following recent Groupon offer in my in box:

Maybe it’s just me, but I suspect that any “criminals hiding inside the ductwork” will be employees of this company, LOL!

I never planned on becoming an investigative journalist, but some of the marketing “stuff” I’m reading for some indoor environmental services just makes me laugh out loud!  Sometimes I just can’t sit idly by without commenting on how outrageous these claims and offers can be.  When you navigate down through this offer’s “fine print” it gets even more comical (although maybe NOT so comical if you’re the customer, perhaps).

Only $39 to clean my home’s air ducts AND they’ll rid them of all those horrid dust mites too? AND they’ll give me a free estimate for “optional recommended services? If you believe all that, I’ve got a fabulous air purifier pyramid scheme for you that you’re gonna love.  

Sorry About Santa, Virginia…

Duct tape is indeed lousy for repairing ductwork.  Dust mites don’t live in air ducts, only as 400X representations in some duct cleaner’s ads. A $39 fee probably won’t even cover the cost to drive their service truck to your house—so it will hardly cover the actual cost of a thorough air duct cleaning job.  Maybe they count on improving their bottom line for your cleaning job with some of their “optional recommendations”?

I’m old school on this next point.  If a company feels they have to lie in their marketing to attract me as a customer, I don’t have a warm and fuzzy feeling that I am going to get treated very well if I do become one. If dust mites don’t actually live in ducts, and a company couldn’t possibly clean a system for $39 while making a profit, what are they REALLY up to? Whenever an offer just seems “too good to be true”, it probably is.

Having That Titanic Feeling Again

Air duct cleaning hardly corners the market for product/services misrepresentation in the indoor environmental industry, though.  It could quite possibly just be the tip of the iceberg for scare tactics and snake oil.  Chemicals, air purifiers, mold services, and a host of other ways to “improve” your indoor living spaces are just a credit card charge away!  Some of them may even work, too!

By this I don’t mean to imply that everyone in the indoor environmental industry is a scam artist. In fact, I believe that a great number of consultants, contractors and manufacturers provide their clients with beneficial products and services every day. Herein lies the consumer dilemma: How does one choose the right product or service to address their needs?

To date there hasn’t been a central outlet that provides consumers with credible and timely information to help them address their indoor environmental issues.  The internet is fraught with data—some good, some not-so-good.  Filtering out the good from the bad online information can be a daunting task for an industry professional, let alone a lay person.

Get Smart

In absence of that “Mecca-like” central information source, consumers need to gather data so they can make informed decisions.  This may be more difficult than it sounds when you take into consideration that many indoor environmental problems are time-sensitive and potentially emotional things to deal with.  These steps are a good starting point, though:

• Research the specific area of interest so you can better know what questions to ask, and whether the answers you get add up. Don’t be swayed too much by vendor client testimonials as they can just be marketing fluff rather than fact (many people don’t know enough on indoor environmental issues to even know when they’ve been scammed).

• Ask potential providers a lot of planned questions regarding details on their product or service, specifics on how it works, independent supporting information, and delivery/pricing.

• Get multiple quotes from multiple providers (they will often vary greatly) and go back with follow-up questions to better understand what each potential provider is offering and why.

Remember, if the offer just seems “too good to be true”, it most likely is…

Bob moderates the new LinkedIn group, "The Great INDOORS". Topics include indoor environmental issues and building performance with industry experts and end users like real estate, healthcare and facilities management professionals, as well as individual consumers with an interest. Join the discussion today!

Follow Bob Krell on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@IAQMAN

Check out Bob's FREE consumer mold educational webinar on Facebook at: http://a.pgtb.me/Qgk

Does duct cleaning actually improve the indoor environment?

After 26 years working in the IAQ industry, my definitive answer is, “It depends.”  There are a ton of factors involved here, and I will touch on a couple of the key areas in this discussion.

Air duct cleaning is sort of a misnomer.  The term generally refers to cleaning mechanical  (HVAC) systems which, in addition to ductwork, also include air handling units with fans, coils and other components.  I started using the phrase “HVAC Hygiene” back in the early 90s in many of my articles and my work with NADCA, and that seemed to catch on as a more descriptive label, especially in the commercial sector. 

Caveat Emptor Ductus Maximus…

In 1996-98, I had the opportunity to serve as the project manager for the EPA/NADCA “Pilot Field Study to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Cleaning Residential Heating and Air-conditioning systems and the Impact on Indoor Air Quality and System Performance,  EPA -600/R-97-137” (only our federal government could come up with such a long name for this research, LOL).  We studied 9 residences both pre and post air duct cleaning and looked at the effect it had on indoor environmental parameters such as airborne particles.  The study found that while thorough system cleaning did remove dust & debris which could positively impact system performance, it did not appear to have a significant impact in the overall airborne particle loads in a building.  So, what did this mean?  Perhaps service companies marketing that air duct cleaning would be “the solution to your indoor pollution” were over stating their value just a bit. 

Other firms utilized super-magnified pictures of creepy little dust mites that might be “lurking in your ductwork” to entice cleaning service purchases. It was inflated marketing claims like these which led EPA to do a study to better inform the general public.

There seems to be distinctly different levels of service offered in the industry, ranging quite sophisticated mechanical cleaning utilizing remote video cameras and HEPA vacuum collection equipment, to somewhat primitive less-than-thorough practices.  There seems to be more of the latter in the residential service sector, although I’ve seem a fair amount of sub-standard practices with commercial projects over the years as an indoor environmental consultant.  This is truly a “buyer beware” industry, as much of the work performed is unseen by clients.  In absence of a major contractor flub with dust spewing out of the vents once the system is restarted, there’s no easy way for a consumer to tell if they got a good quality job performed.

To answer the initial question…

The EPA research findings aside, I have always felt that periodic HVAC hygiene inspections and subsequent professional cleaning services (when indicated) make sense, if they’re thoroughly performed in conjunction with good indoor environmental engineering control practices.  In other words, if a system’s dirty, clean it well and don’t blow a bunch of dust around in the process!  There’s a bunch of other variables like deterioration of internal fibrous liners and ductboard, inadequate or ineffective filtration, and moisture carry-over leading to microbial growth, to name a few.  I’m thinking that this topic can have more discussion in future blogs.

So, let’s hear some of your thoughts!  Comment below…

Bob moderates the new LinkedIn group, "The Great INDOORS". Topics include indoor environmental issues and building performance with industry experts and end users like real estate, healthcare and facilities management professionals, as well as individual consumers with an interest. Join the discussion today!

Follow Bob Krell on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@IAQMAN

Check out Bob's FREE consumer mold educational webinar on Facebook at: http://a.pgtb.me/Qgk

Such was the case for the construction industry. Much of the work was done by tradesmen who had their individual crafts handed down for generations. Many materials required hand finishing, and these tradesmen took pride in the fact that their work would last for generations to come. In the past forty or so years we’ve changed the way we build our indoor habitats in a “progressive” attempt to expedite the construction process and minimize initial costs. Energy conservation is a growing concern which dictates that we build tighter, but not (necessarily) smarter. Building components like wood composites and interior finishes have offered savings, but also introduced a host issues like chemical off-gassing and increased susceptibility to mold growth.

We spend almost 80% of our time indoors. If we’re going to continue to spend most of our time there, we need to make it the great indoors! Of course one could argue that our wounded economy necessitates control of “first costs” in all construction projects, but we should no longer let that be the primary focus. We need to look at total building life-cycle costs, rather than choose what’s cheap today without ever considering twenty, thirty, or more years down the line. We need to consider the quality of the indoor environments we are creating. And we need to greatly reduce the amount of energy we waste to heat and cool our buildings. It’s not going to be an easy endeavor, but the quality of our lives and the future of our world really do depend on it.

"Pay Me Now, or Pay Me Later"

Square foot costs seem to be the driving factor for new construction and renovation projects, but they typically don’t take into account a property’s life-cycle operating costs. Once you consider operations and maintenance, marketability, and the indoor environmental quality of a building (which directly affects occupant satisfaction and productivity), cutting corners during the design and construction phases makes little sense economically.

Energy costs continue to rise with dwindling fossil fuel reserves and world economic and political unrest. Add to that the concerns over accelerated global warming from our increased carbon emissions, and the need to make our buildings more energy efficient becomes paramount. Residential and commercial buildings in the U.S. account for more than 40% of our nation’s energy use, and much of that is currently being wasted. Over 67% of our electricity is generated through coal-fired plants, which are arguably the worst producers of carbon emissions and air pollution in America. Cutting our electrical use and dependence on fossil fuels is critical to our future. Smarter building design and operation, along with renewable energy sources offer an opportunity to make a notable impact in the not-too-distant future.

Bob moderates the new LinkedIn group, "The Great INDOORS". Topics include indoor environmental issues and building performance with industry experts and end users like real estate, healthcare and facilities management professionals, as well as individual consumers with an interest. Join the discussion today!

Follow Bob Krell on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@IAQMAN

Check out Bob's FREE consumer mold educational webinar on Facebook at: http://a.pgtb.me/Qgk

If you smell it, it’s probably there.
Musty odors happen for a reason. If you smell a mushroom-like odor in an indoor space, there’s a good chance that some microbial activity is going on. Does the space have a history of sustained moisture or some occurrence like a flood or ice damage? Is the space in question below grade? If so, are there indications of drainage issues? Be logical. Be thorough. Ask a lot of questions and consider all the answers. Many situations are not what they seem at first, so don’t be quick to rule any possibilities out. Other things like bacteria, vole nests and a bag of rotting potatoes in a closet smell musty—check for multiple sources of the phantom odor.

Jane hates Mold. Mold loves water.
If there’s an indoor mold problem in a space, there is likely some moisture issue that led
to it. Again, check the property’s history with water intrusion. Then bring out the
moisture diagnostic tools! Today’s mold investigations should include extensive surveys
for moisture. Thermal IR cameras allow for quick views of large surface areas. IR scans
show surface temperature differences that may indicate evaporative cooling from water.
Indicated areas then need to be confirmed with moisture meters. RF, pin probe, deep
probe, paddles—they all have their uses in an investigation. Interior water staining,
improper grading around foundations, insufficient drainage or any other signs of a
possible moisture problem need to be noted and documented.

Ok, if you establish the probable cause of moisture, mold testing might be your next step.
But understand the limitations of air sampling. Culture vs. non-culture, indoor conditions
vs. outdoor conditions, sample volume, sample time, number of collected samples, cross
contamination issues, analyst bias, interpretation, etc.

This Absolutely, Positively Means…?
Remember, a consultant taking a typical 5 minute spore trap collects 75 liters of air (out
of the thousands of liters in your sample area), and attempts to fling the small airborne
particles onto some clear “fly-paper” affixed to a glass slide. The slide is sent to a lab. A
lab technician takes the slide and looks at a portion of it under a microscope to count the
little specks.

Some of the little specks are tiny and round and
kinda look the same under a microscope, so they
get lumped together as, “tiny little round specks
that kinda look the same”. The number of specks
are then extrapolated into a value that is
supposed to represent the total number of each
of the types of little specks present in air for the
entire sampled space 24/7/365, and a “report” is
created. But wait, there’s more. The lab then
sends the report back to the consultant, who
interprets the “scientific” findings and bestows
his opinion of what’s going on in the space. Do you think that there just might be a possibility of unknown variance with this process of airborne mold testing?

Here’s the deal. The further the decimal place moves between the indoor air and outdoor
air control samples, and the more samples you collect, the more accurate the statistical
significance becomes. Never take a few samples at a site and start proclaiming absolutes.
Surface mold samples may also be valuable for investigative work, but they too have
some inherent limitations. Tape lifts give an accurate picture of what’s going on within
the area they lift—about a ½” square. You can see any vegetative growth, spores, debris,
mites, fibers, and a bunch of other stuff. They require no culturing, just affix the clear
tape to a glass slide and pop it under a brightfield microscope. But you can’t identify
species of Penicillium or Aspergillus (although you can delineate between them at genus
level if you capture entire structures), and you are only looking at small representative
areas with each lift. There’s really no way to be sure that your sample location accurately
represents what is globally going on in the environmental space.

Culture swabs can cover a broader surface area, and can be cultured in a lab to identify
actual mold species, but are also not without limitations. Since they are effectively a
smear of the test surface, you can’t see if what you collected was existing surface growth
or just settled spores, and there’s no accounting for fragments and non-viable spores.
There are other available mold test technologies such as Mycometer and PCR which offer
rapid turnaround capabilities, but they also have their constraints. Let if suffice to say
that virtually all mold testing can be subjective, so common sense is paramount for any
interpretations as to what the field samples represent regarding the actual indoor
environmental conditions.

SO?
In summation, I want to impress the importance of a fundamental understanding of
building science principles as the basis for any indoor mold investigation. Simply
running a sample pump to collect a couple of spore traps really doesn’t cut it.
Assessments should include moisture surveys, thorough visual inspections, and possibly
even pressure and building leakage diagnostics. Thermal imaging, blower doors, laser
particle counts, moisture probes and common sense all should precede air testing for
mold if the end desire is to accurately determine what is going on, and what corrective
actions (if any) are warranted. Pump jockey “consultants” who forego good building
science for standalone air tests probably should stick to sampling for airborne mineral
fibers…

Bob moderates the new LinkedIn group, "The Great INDOORS". Topics include indoor environmental issues and building performance with industry experts and end users like real estate, healthcare and facilities management professionals, as well as individual consumers with an interest. Join the discussion today!

Follow Bob Krell on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@IAQMAN

Check out Bob's FREE consumer mold educational webinar on Facebook at: http://a.pgtb.me/Qgk

Over 75% of the Earth is covered in water. That area shouldn't include your crawl spaces!

Crawl spaces can sometimes pose serious indoor environmental problems, resulting in excessive moisture seeping up into a building or other issues.  Crawl spaces are empty areas, typically two to four feet in height (but less than than the normal standing height for a room), that separate a structure from the ground it was built on. They are often ventilated to the outdoors and have exposed, damp soil. Although they are most commonly seen in the southern states, they are not uncommon in the north. Many smaller or newer homes, or additions to existing buildings, may have a crawl space instead of a full basement.

The problem with crawl space designs is that there is often nothing to seal, or protect, the underside of the building from the elements. Ventilation to the outdoors by way of louvers around the perimeter of the foundation is typically inneffective for moisture control, and often results in increased condensation during warmer, humid months.  As a result, moisture from precipitation, condesation or from a damp ground, is given easy access to the underside of the structure. This is where the support beams and underside of the floor framing is, and too much moisture can compromise their strength or cause warping. Excessive moisture can also lead to mold, which can compromise the indoor environment of the occupant spaces above.

Crawl spaces can also provide an easy entry point for soil gases to enter a building. Soil gases, like radon or methane (and other gases from man-made products), can be very dangerous if they are not detected and mitigated. Properties with dirt floor crawl spaces are at a higher risk for these types of contaminants than other structures with full foundations and concrete slabs may be.

Crawl space liners one of the best ways to retrofit an existing damp crawl space to prevent moisture damage and reduce soil gas entry. Quality liners are typically made out of a durable reinforced polyethylene that is also flame retardant, which is installed to provide a continuous sealed barrier. Rather than just poly on the ground the liner material on the ground, it should be sealed at all seams and securely fastened to the foundation. Not only does this type of liner system block moisture, it can be an important part of a soil gas mitigation strategy.

Air sealing can be another necessary step to dealing with damp crawl spaces. By sealing the prominent air penetrations between the crawl space areas and the conditioned spaces above, you can often reduce energy loss and improve the indoor environment in the living space.

In crawl spaces with severe moisture problems, such as standing water or continual moisture incursion, it may be necessary to use other methods to help get rid of the dampness. A customized sump-pump system can be set up to drain excess water from the area under the liner, and a supplemental dehumidifier may be beneficial in keeping moisture in check. Such measures can be used to keep even the most challenging crawl spaces dry when a liner and air sealing alone isn't quite enough. This strategy can be used to protect a property with a crawl space from serious moisture, and subsequent mold problems.

Bob moderates the new LinkedIn group, "The Great INDOORS". Topics include indoor environmental issues and building performance with industry experts and end users like real estate, healthcare and facilities management professionals, as well as individual consumers with an interest. Join the discussion today!

Follow Bob Krell on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@IAQMAN

Check out Bob's FREE consumer mold educational webinar on Facebook at: http://on.fb.me/zArtO6

 The Return of the Monster from the Green Lagoon

Now Bob, you might say, how can you compare mold and green buildings?  Aside from the obvious pun there, mold services are typically reactive in nature, and green construction is supposed to be proactive, right?  The eerie similarity is not the “what” but more the “how” in what we are seeing in the offerings that are appearing across the industry. Pick up a trade journal, look online, watch TV—green this, green that, green, green, GREEN ! In fact, everywhere you turn it seems someone is hawking the next “green” product or service you should be buying.  I know I’m sounding a little cynical here, but I just can’t get past some of the pseudo green hype.  The marketing strategy seems too familiar.

This new wave of green ads is a lot like all the mold ads we began to see in trade magazines near the end of 2000. That wave reached overload after a couple of years when it washed over into mainstream marketing to the general public. I’m not saying this is all bad, mind you…elevating consumer awareness and offering solutions to real problems can be a valuable, almost noble service!  The qualifier here is whether the provider is being responsible with their marketing and offerings.  The mold testing & remediation industry became fraught with far too many snake oil salesmen using scare tactics to force sales of (at best) questionable products and services.  Clients often never got what they thought they paid for, and reputable industry practitioners suffered the effects of the dark side’s price gouging and irresponsibility. 

Now we see a green marketing tsunami flooding the present day marketplace in the same fashion as the 2000 Mold Rush, and I feel compelled to ask, how green IS the green they’re selling?

The Lighter Shade of Pale (Green)

I probably need clarify my feelings on this issue, in case you’re getting the wrong impression about my intent. I am totally in favor of “greening” our world—in fact, I applaud it!  As a society and planet, we simply cannot continue down this road of waste and environmental destruction for much longer, at least not without the planet giving us an involuntary evolutionary realignment.  We owe it to our future generations to change the way we use (and abuse) all our natural resources.  I would have to say I’m a cynical realist that leans more toward “tree hugger” than capitalist.  After over 18 years in the indoor environmental consulting and services business, in 2008 we added a host of energy performance and green consulting services to our offerings. I recycle at home and in my business, have installed CFL or LED lights everywhere I can, and try to implement as many energy saving measures in my own life as possible. I do drive an SUV some of the time still since I live in one of the snowiest cities in America!  OK, so now you have my position—not perfect, but certainly aware and trying.

In the world of green practices, as with most everything in life (with exceptions for death and pregnancy), there are varying degrees, or in this case, shades.  When you’re considering the prospects of offering or utilizing a green product or service, you need to ask the question, “Just how green is it?” Sustainability, environmental, social and economic impacts, (and, hey does it even work?) need to be evaluated to be able to truthfully assign it a number on the green color chart.  I’m a realist here…even pale green is better than doomsday black! 

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is an organization that has grown exponentially in recent years, and has become a leading national voice for sustainability.  One of their principals is the “Triple Win”, a concept that for a green initiative to be successful, the client, the provider, and the environment all have to benefit. A simple concept perhaps, but it really makes perfect sense. Just do the right thing. If you can provide a valuable service at a fair price, that is favorable to sustaining our environment, you should be able to turn a profit.

Waiting for the Green Light

If you’re involved with the indoor environmental industry, you should have jumped on the green bandwagon awhile ago. Of course, it’s not too late to do so.  Indoor environmental quality is a key component to developing a successful green building plan.  You can be a part of this new industry wave, or be swept over by it—the choice is yours. 

My session at the 2012 IAQA Conference will highlight some of the key areas of interest and concern for successfully balancing green services/products/practices in the building environment.  I look forward to seeing some of you at the presentation next month in Las Vegas!

Bob moderates the new LinkedIn group, "The Great INDOORS". Topics include indoor environmental issues and building performance with industry experts and end users like real estate, healthcare and facilities management professionals, as well as individual consumers with an interest. Join the discussion today!

Follow Bob Krell on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@IAQMAN

Check out Bob's FREE consumer mold educational webinar on Facebook at: http://on.fb.me/zArtO6

(The debut post from 8/1/2010)

Does the world really need another blog?  
I really did ask myself that question, all joking aside. The only way I could say “Yes” to that was if it was something that was different—timely and informative, sure, but with a bit of an edge that would push the envelope on indoor environmental topics. That said, I don’t have any plans to play it safe here, so to the critics, “Sharpen your pencils,” and all the indoor environmental & building performance industry sacred cows, “Start getting nervous!” Welcome to The Great INDOORS…

I’ve spent the past 24 years dealing with indoor environmental issues via the school of hard knocks, or as an elder colleague of mine told me back in 1990, “You gotta buy your education, young man.”  What he forgot to mention is that you need to keep buying it.  The industry continues to change, as does the world we live in.  Think you know all the answers, embrace the status quo, dig your heels in, remain stagnant, and you too will be left behind.  Playing it safe typically ensures that you will never offend anybody. It also pretty much ensures that you’ll be droned-out by the din. My aim is to provoke thought and discussion on this blog. I’m not planning on any safety nets.

So I’m issuing a challenge to my readers in this inaugural post:  Like or dislike, agree or disagree with my points and opinions.  But either way, join in on the discussions. Post your thoughts and comments and become part of what I have a feeling is going to be a little like Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride!

Why call it “The Great Indoors”?  
You’ve likely heard it all before, but it bears repeating. We’ve gotten to the point where we spend almost 80% of our time indoors.  In the past 40 or so years we’ve changed the way we build these indoor habitats in a “progressive” attempt to expedite the construction process to minimize initial costs. Energy conservation is a steadily growing concern which dictates that we build tighter, but not (necessarily) smarter. Manufactured building components like wood composites and interior finishes have offered savings, but helped to introduce a host issues like chemical off-gassing and increased susceptibility to mold growth indoors.

If we’re going to spend most of our time there, we need to make it the great indoors! Of course one could argue that our wounded economy necessitates control of “first costs” in all construction projects, but we should no longer let that be the primary focus. We need to look at total building life-cycle costs, rather than choose what’s cheap today without ever considering 20, 30, or more years down the line. We need to consider the quality of the indoor environments we are creating. And we need to greatly reduce the amount of energy we waste to heat and cool our buildings.  It’s not going to be an easy endeavor, but the quality of our lives and the future of our world really does depend on it.

 
Coming Soon to a Blog Near You

Every week we field calls at my office about mold, radon, lead paint, moisture problems, saving energy, green buildings and a ton of other issues.  There seems to be an endless supply of questions from homeowners to facility managers about indoor environmental stuff.  My guess is that reader comments from The Great INDOORS Blog will spur on a host of additional topics.  Join me for the wild ride…

Flash Forward to February, 2012

After 18 months since its debut, The Great INDOORS Blog has gained a steady group of followers.  I launched The Great INDOORS Discussion Group on Linked In back in December 2011 to promote an active dialogue between indoor environmental industry experts, building professionals and consumers. With nearly 200 members in its first two months, this group is rapidly becoming one of the industry's leading discussion hubs. Check it out today at: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=4215693&trk=anet_ug_grppro, and become part of the group!

On March 1, 2012, I will begin hosting a new weekly online video show called, "Saving The Great INDOORS" on Blip.TV.  Informative, educational and entertaining content covering indoor environmental and building performance topics to offer consumers a place to learn more about IAQ, mold, radon, and more!  Stay tuned for more details! 

Bob moderates the new LinkedIn group, "The Great INDOORS". Topics include indoor environmental issues and building performance with industry experts and end users like real estate, healthcare and facilities management professionals, as well as individual consumers with an interest. Join the discussion today!

Follow Bob Krell on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@IAQMAN

Check out Bob's FREE consumer mold educational webinar on Facebook at: http://on.fb.me/zArtO6

I had some interesting reactions to part one of this blog which posted on numerous discussion groups—as always, there seems to be varied schools of thought regarding indoor mold.  I was reminded that my article had focused on a “Northern” perspective by discussing attic mold.  I have to admit that attic mold is mostly a problem found in colder climates. The reader commented that I should just rename the post, “Mold: The Real Estate Deal Killer”, instead. Point taken. Mold in other portions of a property can cause just as much unrest for a sale, too.

So, how do we address mold growth indoors? Assuming the moisture source(s) was/were properly identified and resolved, some remediation efforts will likely be necessary. Will professional assistance be required to correct the problem? There’s no easy answer to that one. Some key considerations when deciding if professional help (i.e. indoor environmental consultants, remediation contractors, lawyers, guns and money…) are warranted:

• What type of property is this? (home, office, public area, etc.)

• Where is the mold growth located?

• How much mold is there? (areas affected, types of surfaces, etc.)

• Is the current mold condition adversely affecting the occupants?

 There was significant debate in the various discussion groups over which removal method was the best in an attic environment?  Blasting with dry ice, baking soda, or another aggregate, versus chemical cleaning agents like hydrogen peroxide, or (gasp) bleach! Proponents of each cited their benefits over the others, but in the end, only one thing was apparent. There is no one right way to remediate mold.  

Whatever method you choose, however, needs to follow some basic parameters. You can opt for the biblical approach:

From Leviticus Chapter 14, verses 33-47 - On the seventh day the priest shall return to inspect the house.  If the mildew has spread on the walls, he is to order that the contaminated stones be torn out and thrown into an unclean place outside the town…

Or, I’ve been successful with the following principles:

From Bob, CMRS Training Module 7, 2000-present - The objective of any microbial remediation procedure is to eliminate the effects of the contamination on building occupants, contents, and structural materials, in such a fashion as to correct the problem and not subject them to further potential harm. There is no one right method…

Get ready to light up the preverbal internet “switchboard” with your comments everybody, ‘cause I’m going there now!

Every mold remediation needs indoor environmental engineering controls. Every worker needs personal protective equipment (PPE). Every project needs Design, Planning & Quality Control/Verification. The extent of the aforementioned is dependent on the earlier questions I posed.

Small projects may only require basic containment and control procedures. 3^rd party Design & Verification (while required in a few states) is a nice concept, but doesn’t always make economic sense for the end user, especially with minor projects. A “3^rd” party doesn’t necessarily ensure quality or unbiased honesty, despite what you’d like to believe, Virginia. Last time I checked, there wasn’t an industry certification or a state license for integrity. Bad people circumvent the rules, lie, cheat and steal. Good people don’t. Work with good people.

Mold remediation workers always need respiratory protection. And, not just N-95 dust masks like all the cognizant authorities continue to regurgitate in their inbred industry documents—P-100, HEPA-filtered masks! Sealed eye protection, gloves, and disposable hooded coveralls should also be part of the PPE package.

Final verification begins with a visual cleanliness inspection of the work area. It needs to pass the “white glove test” before anyone starts performing a bunch of expensive sampling procedures. Surface sampling of representative areas to determine the presence or (hopefully) absence of mold growth/mold particulate deposition is a good idea, since Superman vision is hard to come by, and these are micro-organisms. Such surface verification could include tape lifts, culture swabs, PCR, Mycometer, ATP, etc.  Air testing/sampling (laser particle counts, spore traps, culture samples, etc.) are a potential tool to evaluate post-project effectiveness, as well. In the case of any sampling protocols, the rules on what constitutes passing or failing need to be clearly defined for all parties involved prior to the commencement of the project, to avoid problems in the end.

OK, this should be enough editorial to spark a bit of online controversy and ignite some heated discussion, so my work is probably done here…for now!

Bob moderates the new LinkedIn group, "The Great INDOORS". Topics include indoor environmental issues and building performance with industry experts and end users like real estate, healthcare and facilities management professionals, as well as individual consumers with an interest. Join the discussion today!

Follow Bob Krell on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@IAQMAN

Check out Bob's FREE consumer mold educational webinar on Facebook at: http://on.fb.me/zArtO6

First, and perhaps most importantly, how did the mold end up growing there? Remember, unconditioned attics are typically ventilated to the outdoors by means of gable vents, or a combination of soffit and ridge vents, with the insulation on the floor of the attic (Hot decks, AKA ones with the insulation applied to the underside of the roof deck are a somewhat different animal, and not part of this discussion). The objective is to let the unconditioned attic equalize with the outdoors, allowing heat to dissipate rather than building up under the roof deck. This means a ventilated attic is effectively an outdoor space with a roof, so mold spores that are flying around outside on a given day are also likely flying around in the attics, too. Which answers the second question, where did the mold spores come from?

So, in reality most unconditioned attics have an ongoing source of mold spores and ample organic material to serve as a nutrient source. If that’s the case, why isn’t EVERY attic moldy? Quite simply, it all revolves around moisture. Get the attic space damp, and you’ll likely get mold.

In northern climates, it would be ideal for the temperature of the roof deck to remain the same as the outdoor temperature during winter months. This would eliminate excessive snow melt and refreeze at the eves, which can result in ice damming.  Of course, this is often exactly what does happen in many cases, with ice dams leading to water damage and subsequent mold problems.

Ask most roofers, and they will tell you that attic mold is the result of under ventilation. While that can be a problem, under ventilation is usually not the root cause of an attic mold condition. At the top of the list has to be improperly vented bathroom exhaust fans. As difficult as it is to believe, we still see builders and remodelers venting bath fans into attic spaces! Venting the exhaust into the attic can create serious moisture in the space, which can lead to mold, as well as deterioration of the roof sheathing. 

Another less obvious attic moisture source is air leakage from the conditioned space. Open penetrations from plumbing, electrical and HVAC, open top plates, and leaky access doors and hatches can all passage of moist occupant air into unconditioned spaces. Couple that with possible diffusion through surfaces with improper vapor barriers, and you can get a sufficient amount of resident attic moisture to start an involuntary terrarium in an attic. An interesting point here is that is a building has substantial air leakage between the condition space and the attic, adding more attic ventilation may serve to worsen the moisture problem by effectively pulling more moist air into the space.

These types of leakage problems can usually be identified via a blower door leakage test in conjunction with a thermal IR camera and tracer smoke. Pinpoint the major leak points, air seal them, and the moisture problem in the attic will often be corrected.

That still leaves the already identified attic mold.  What do you do with that? To be continued in part 2!

Bob moderates the new LinkedIn group, "The Great INDOORS". Topics include indoor environmental issues and building performance with industry experts and end users like real estate, healthcare and facilities management professionals, as well as individual consumers with an interest. Join the discussion today!

Follow Bob Krell on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@IAQMAN

Check out Bob's FREE consumer mold educational webinar on Facebook at: http://on.fb.me/zArtO6

I really don't know if this communication technology paradigm shift is all for the better, though. After all, online information is fundamentally unfiltered, a mix of the good, the bad, and the ugly.  As Dorothy said over 70 years ago, "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Toto."   The status quo, it is a-changin'...

In the 1980s, personal computers with printers (remember those noisy dot matrix ones?) and fax machines became the state-of-the-art for "instant communication!  No longer did we have to use a typewriter and put a stamp on an envelope to transmit some info--Just type it, print it, AND FAX it anywhere with a phone call. And speaking of phone calls, in 1986 I got me one of those cellular "portable" bag phones.  It was SO handy! Why, at a mere 3 pounds you could take it anywhere with it's convenient carrying handle. Calls could get a little pricey at 45 cents a minute, though!

I was working for a firm that sold personal computer systems to small businesses in 1984, and one of my co-worker geeks had me come over to his work area to check something REALLY cool out.  He had his 8-bit IBM PC with a monochrome monitor, this R2D2-sounding thing called a modem, and he was sending what he called an "e-mail" to some dude across the country. After 5-10 minutes, he got a reply typed back.  He told me there was this whole network of computers linked together in a virtual community on the "World Wide Web". He was SO excited! "Really Ethan, the WWW?", I thought.  Why would anyone in the real world want anything to do with this stupidity? After all, I already had the ability to communicate with anyone, anytime, on my bag phone.

The 1990s gave us the actual rise of the internet (even though Al Gore or my buddy Ethan had invented it long before then, LOL).  Web sites filled with information, PCs now affordable at less than $2000, and cell phones now were about the size of a small block of cheese and could even be held in your hand. Just don't break that damn retractable antenna off or the thing won't work! The prophets of doom fore-casted that our entire civilization would come crashing down as we partied at the end of 1999--thanks to computer algorithms' inabilities to adapt from 1900s to 2000. Um, it didn't. And in the new millennium, anyone who was "anyone" would have a cell phone.

Fast forward to 2012.  Old media forms are dying like the dinosaurs (When Is the last time you bought a newspaper?). TV ads gets forwarded over with digital/on demand features, radio ads are unnecessary with MP3 players and online virtual radio stations like Pandora. Even static web sites are passé now--if they don't interact with the user, the user bounces.

Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE has a cell phone. And not just a cell phone, a digital "smart" phone! You can now make video phone calls from your hand--for FREE? In fact, Google estimates that over 40% of online connectivity on their searches originates from mobile devices. By the end of this year, 85+% of the cell phones in the U.S will be smart phones with connection to the internet.  Not into the new Social Media thing? That's OK. Someone's got to fall into this era's "tar pits" to fuel the future. Evolution or extinction--there's always options for you. The times they are a-changin'...again.

Bob moderates the new LinkedIn group, "The Great INDOORS". Topics include indoor environmental issues and building performance with industry experts and end users like real estate, healthcare and facilities management professionals, as well as individual consumers with an interest. Join the discussion today!

Follow Bob Krell on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@IAQMAN

Check out Bob's FREE consumer mold educational webinar on Facebook at: http://on.fb.me/zArtO6

Aside from the real concerns about adverse health effects from exposure to mold indoors, there is the issue of property loss, which can be staggering. Consider the loss of property, either at home or in a commercial space and its contents. Add to that the cost of relocating for the time it takes to successfully assess, remediate, reconstruct and refurbish all the damaged property, and it’s clear why some owners have had to walk away from their properties, taking huge losses.

Insurance companies are refusing to pay for remediation, and in some cases not issuing policies at all, due to huge settlements and judgments against them. Even if you can pay to fix the problem, don’t forget the stigma associated with a property that has had a significant microbial loss — potential buyers and lenders aren’t enthusiastic about a moldy building.

It's the Moisture, Stupid!

Spores are everywhere, in building materials, in our furnishings, on indoor surfaces, and even in the air. Our dwellings and their contents are potential food sources for these microbes because they are largely comprised of organic materials. Fungi and bacteria do not grow in the air; they grow on environmental surfaces. These are universal truths. Why then, you may ask, do only some buildings become infested with mold or other microbial contaminants? The obvious answer is, of course, moisture. Keep your indoor environment dry, and these microorganisms cannot germinate and grow. Attempt to clean up a microbial problem and neglect an underlying moisture problem that promoted the growth, and (in time) your best efforts will fail.

The obvious moisture problem in a building occurs as a result of a sudden water episode, such as a flood or other catastrophic weather events that bring massive amounts of water into buildings, and result in microbial contamination.  In such cases, unless all the affected porous and semi-porous building materials and contents are addressed immediately, contamination will likely occur in short order.

Also consider the nature of the water that came into the building. Clean water from a potable source, like a broken supply plumbing line, doesn’t usually pose an immediate microbial health risk to occupants. In most cases if the affected wetted building materials and contents are addressed (removed/replaced or rapidly cleaned & dried to normal state), mold problems will be prevented or at least greatly minimized.  Floods from ground water or sewage systems may contain serious microbial agents such (as bacteria and viruses) that pose an immediate hazard to human exposure. Good practice typically dictates that, in these cases, all porous materials that have come in direct contact with this type of water loss should be discarded and replaced.

UN-Wanted, Dead or Alive

A common public misconception is that only “toxic” or pathogenic fungus such as the infamous Stachybotrys chatatrum is a problem for us. This, in fact, is not the case. Exposures to elevated levels of what are generally considered non-toxic / non-pathogenic organisms, like Cladosporium (one of the most commonly found molds outdoors) can lead to hypersensitivity reactions in people.  For the most part, exposures to either viable (live) spores or non-viable (dead, damaged) spores create the same allergic or toxic effects in our bodies. These effects may also result from exposures to fragments of spores or fungal structures. The solution is to remove materials with colonized fungal growth from the indoor environment, correct the source(s) of moisture that led to the problem, and restore the indoor environment to levels that are somewhat parallel outdoor fungal conditions.

Is it realistic to completely rid our indoor environments of all fungal spores? Unless we all decide to take up full-time residence in pharmaceutical clean rooms, the answer is, probably not. And, except for extreme immune-compromised health cases, it’s not warranted.  It is reasonable to find similar levels and rank orders of fungal spores indoors with those concurrently found outdoors, period. Ideally we would like to see lower levels of the same organisms inside, but even moderately higher levels of the same organisms indoors at a specific point in time is usually no cause for alarm.

Ultimately, the best advice for limiting mold problems in your building is to keep them dry. If the property is subjected to a sudden moisture event or an ongoing moisture problem, correct it now, or you’ll probably have to pay dearly later.

View links to more mold information: http://www.iaq.net/residential/indoor/mold/

Bob moderates the new LinkedIn group, "The Great INDOORS". Topics include indoor environmental issues and building performance with industry experts and end users like real estate, healthcare and facilities management professionals, as well as individual consumers with an interest. Join the discussion today!

Follow Bob Krell on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@IAQMAN

Check out Bob's FREE consumer mold educational webinar on Facebook at: http://on.fb.me/zArtO6

Bring up the subject of "indoor mold" in a group conversation, and you're liable to get a bunch of polarized responses! Not unlike our two-party political system, the mold debate seems to have vastly oposing opinions. One of the larger obstacles regarding effectively addressing mold issues I see here in the U.S. is that there is a faction of contractors & consultants that employ scare tactics to over-state and sell, and another faction of consultants and insurance adjusters that understates the severity to limit their losses.

There needs to be a common sense approach taken. Mold (mould) can cause adverse health affects. These affects vary with individuals. Outside the target population of mold-susceptible people (asthmatics, immune-compromised, etc.) we can't accurately predict who will suffer from mold exposure, or to what extent. Much is still unknown, hence the opportunity for misinformation on both ends of the spectrum.

Mold exposure is clearly not a good thing, though. Severity of human reaction also seems to be linked to amount and duration of exposure, so more is typically worse. Elevated indoor mold levels are generally linked directly to elevated moisture. Many of the commonly used building materials here in North America (like paper-faced gypsum board, OSB, and MDF) are especially prone to supporting indoor mold growth, given sufficient moisture conditions. Simply put, "We build paper houses, and then are surprised to find they aren't very durable."

Many of the mold guidelines & standards in the U.S. seem to somewhat miss the boat when it comes to truly limiting occupant and worker exposures to mold, or actually correcting a real mold problem. The insurance industry seems to still exert a lot of influence on the indoor environmental industry, and the government bodies enacting any regulations over it. I'm not sure the consumers' best interests are being served...

Bob moderates the new LinkedIn group, "The Great INDOORS". Topics include indoor environmental issues and building performance with industry experts and end users like real estate, healthcare and facilities management professionals, as well as individual consumers with an interest. Join the discussion today!

Follow Bob Krell on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@IAQMAN

Check out Bob's FREE consumer mold educational webinar on Facebook at: http://on.fb.me/zArtO6

Radon is an invisible, but dangerous, gas. You can't smell, taste or see it, but that doesn't mean your home is safe. Radon is responsible for more than 20,000 deaths a year (the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers), and testing is easy, so there's no reason to not test.

The EPA is recommending home owners take four simple steps this month in recognition of Radon Action Month. First, get your building  tested. If there is a dangerous amount of radon in your home or office, hire a professional radon removal company to fix the problem. Second, attend a National Radon Action Month event in your area, to learn more about Radon and the dangers it presents. Third, help to spread the word about Radon. Tell friends, family and neighbors about the risks, and encourage them to test their homes as well (these free publications from the EPA can help). Finally, if you are considering a new home purchase this year, learn about radon resistant homes. These new homes are built using radon-resistant materials, preventing radon poisoning and helping to keep your family safe.

Radon removal is easy when you're working with a certified company. One of the most common methods is sub-slab depressurization, which uses a small fan and vent system to remove radon gas from your indoor space and disperse it to the outdoors. This system can remove as much as 99% of the radon in your building. You will also need to have any cracks or other structural gaps corrected, as they can allow more radon to enter your building. Structures with dirt crawl spaces may need to be have special liners installed to prevent radon from entering from those areas.

Bob moderates the new LinkedIn group, "The Great INDOORS". Topics include indoor environmental issues and building performance with industry experts and end users like real estate, healthcare and facilities management professionals, as well as individual consumers with an interest. Join the discussion today!

Follow Bob Krell on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@IAQMAN

Check out Bob's FREE consumer mold educational webinar on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/iaq.technologies?sk=app_317245438292730

There are dozens of small steps, and big steps, you can take to make your business more environmentally friendly. Start by looking for the obvious changes. If your business isn't already recycling, start now. Use double-sided printing when possible, and only print when absolutely essential. Eliminate waste wherever possible.

Switch to CFL light bulbs, and turn off computers and other electronics when they're not in use. Unplug things when you can; even electronics that are turned off use some power. Lower the thermostat a degree, and turn it way down before you close up for the evening. Use Energy Star or other energy efficient products when possible. Also, don't waste water. Install low-flow toilets, or install a device in your existing toilets that will improve their efficiency, and repair dripping faucets as quickly as possible.

Sometimes, going green requires you to make bigger changes. One of the best investments you can make is to make your office as energy efficient as possible by protecting your indoor air quality. Stop air leaks to keep your heated air (or conditioned air, in the summer) from escaping, and put an end to drafts, by having a team of professionals analyze your workplace. Building leakage testing and other similar tests, help to pinpoint the exact location of the leaks, and then air sealing to repairs the leaks, cutting down on energy use. Installing efficient heating appliances, or even just keeping your current devices running optimally, can also reduce usage.

Consider alternative energy sources. Place PV solar panels along the roof of your building. Even a small solar panel array can cut down on energy consumption and carbon emissions in a big way. If you're replacing your heating/cooling system this year, consider upgrading to a ground-source geothermal system. Geothermal heaters take the residual heat from deep in the ground and use it to heat and/or cool your building.

These are just a few of the steps your business can take to make your resolution of a greener business a reality in 2012. Challenge yourself to make one permanent change a month, until your business is operating in an eco-friendly way.

Bob moderates the new LinkedIn group, "The Great INDOORS". Join the discussion today!

Follow Bob Krell on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@IAQMAN

Check out Bob's FREE consumer mold educational webinar on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/iaq.technologies?sk=app_317245438292730

New York State Weighed in on Mold

The article came on the heels of the recent report from the New York State Toxic Mold Task Force, which did have a bunch of solid information in it. A few key points from the executive summary included:

• Existing evidence, although limited, suggests approaches directed toward correcting moisture problems and removing mold exposure sources can help reduce occupant respiratory symptoms.
• Written mold and water-damage assessment and remediation guidelines developed by many organizations provide practical guidance focused on identifying and repairing water damage in buildings and removing mold source materials. This approach to building mitigation is health protective because its goal is elimination of exposure sources. It is also less complicated to implement than mitigation based on attaining a numerical clearance criterion, since its main mitigation goal is that the building be returned to a clean and dry condition.
• If water sources are properly corrected and existing sources of mold growth are eliminated, further treatment with disinfectants may not provide significant additional value in preventing further mold growth or exposure. Disinfectants may be useful for controlling mold in certain situations (e.g., circumstances where permanently correcting dampness conditions is not feasible such as poorly ventilated bathrooms).

Toxic Black Mold Fever

Can someone write a mold article without saying "deadly toxic black mold", please? (Damn--Now I'VE done it too, LOL)

Since 2000, the various media have focused the bulk of their mold attention on Stachybotrys. In doing so, these information outlets may have misdirected the general public. The presence (or lack) of Stachybotrys in a home or office is not a Litmus test for whether or not the indoor environment is "healthy". A home may test free from any Stachybotrys, yet be overrun with other types of fungi or bacteria that necessitate a drastic response. Conversely, a Stachybotrys spore on a random surface sample alone does not, for example, warrant the immediate evacuation of a school.

This is not to minimize occupant concerns with exposure to Stachybotrys. But there are a host of other molds that can adversely affect our indoor environments, in fact, most molds (in quantity) can do just that! Various molds are typically flying all over our outdoor and (as a result of air movement) our indoor environments. For the most part, we've been able to adjust to those exposures as a species. Problems occur when mold finds a sufficiently moist place to grow indoors, which can lead to unusually high occupant exposure levels. When that happens, the moisture source needs to be addressed and the mold growth mitigated. Immune-compromised individuals, infants, and elderly are probably at greatest risk from mold exposure—although anyone can suffer a host of adverse reactions to mold. It really comes down to this: Control indoor moisture, stop mold. If mold occurs indoors, fix the moisture source, clean up the mold. I know, putting it that way isn't as spectacular as referring to the "deadly toxic black mold"...Just saying.

Some Key Considerations

Clorox, (aka bleach or sodium hypochlorite) is NOT an effective chemical to eliminate mold on indoor surfaces because:

• It doesn't effectively kill mold spores or remove their potentially allergic and/or toxic properties.
• Dead or alive, elevated levels of indoor mold can cause adverse health effects.
• The stuff is often more toxic than the mold you're trying to get rid of!

If you can already SEE mold growing on indoor surfaces, there is often really no need to waste money testing to see what kind it is, etc (unless you just GOTTA know if it's the "deadly toxic" type). Just get rid of it! Mold can generally be cleaned off non-porous surfaces quite readily (tile, metal, glass), and sometimes off semi-porous surfaces (plastics, finished wood, etc.) and not so well off porous surfaces (gypsum board, upholstered furniture, bedding). In cases where you CAN'T actually see any mold, but can smell musty odors, testing to confirm the presence of mold probably does make economic sense. Check out consumer tips from the U.S. EPA and IAQ Technologies for dealing with indoor mold at: http://www.iaq.net/residential/indoor/mold/what-to-do-about-mold/.  Also, there's some interesting sidebar chatter from our ASK IAQMAN Forum on "Toxic Mold"  and several questions/comments on "Why Bleach is a Bad Idea for Mold"

Bob moderates the new LinkedIn group, "The Great INDOORS". Topics include indoor environmental issues and building performance with industry experts and end users like real estate, healthcare and facilities management professionals, as well as individual consumers with an interest. Join the discussion today!

Follow Bob Krell on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@IAQMAN

Check out Bob's FREE consumer mold educational webinar on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/iaq.technologies?sk=app_317245438292730