The Global Hygiene Council – the same folks who taught us that the kitchen cloth is the dirtiest thing in a North American home – recently conducted a study in eight different countries to find what the dirtiest item was in homes across the globe.
As it turns out, it’s that grungy seal around the bathtub. A total of 39 per cent tested positive for various molds. As for bacterial contamination, they also rated higher than the inside of refrigerators and computer keyboards.
Bathrooms can be an attractive home for mold, which needs three things to establish itself – warmth, humidity and organic material to feed on. This criterion is easy to find in a bathroom, especially after a long hot shower.
Mold in the bathroom is also difficult to fully remove, because cleaners like bleach only kill the mold on the surface – not the roots. A professional mold inspection can help you determine if the mold in your home is dangerous or run-of-the-mill mildew. Meanwhile, there are a few other places that mold are likely to hide:
Inside of your air conditioner – Because of their moisture levels, most window-unit air conditioners are havens for mold – which then infiltrates the air in your home. When purchasing an air conditioner, ensure it’s a variety that can be effectively cleaned. If you have a central air conditioner mold can enter the duct joints if they’re not sealed properly and the same problem can arise, but this is far more difficult to detect on your own and requires a professional mold inspection.
In carpets and upholstery – Mold can settle in softer surfaces and be difficult to remove. The vacuuming or disturbing of these surfaces can release the mold, aggravating asthma and allergies.
Around or inside of appliances that use water – This can mean your refrigerator drip tray, under and around a leaky washing machine or inside of humidifiers that aren’t running properly.
Mold can be found in many more places than one might realize, and there are plenty of areas within a home that are hospitable to mold growth. This mold can be harmless and unsightly, or toxic and cause illness. However, the various species can’t be identified as either without professional mold testing, which is the first step to ensuring a mold-free home.
Know what you’re getting into. For professional Mold Inspsection Services in Toronto and Ontario, Contact Moldinspections.ca today. We can help.
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Lately, the media has been rife with stories of condominium developments, new homes and renovations gone awry because of moisture intrusion related to a form of synthetic stucco called exterior insulation finishing systems, or EIFS. Multi-million dollar projects have been halted mid-production or worse – home and condominium owners are homeless because their dwellings are so rotten and mold-infested that people cannot remain inside.
EIFS is essentially a three-layer system – a base coat intertwined with fiberglass meshing, a styrofoam-like board and an aesthetic top coat that resembles stucco. Knock on your wall. If it’s solid, it’s stucco. If it sounds hollow and is slightly soft to the touch – it’s EIFS.
The material itself is not problematic at all and tends to be a decent and functional wall cladding. It insulates effectively and sheds water properly like any siding or brick – but the liberties taken in its installation are a big issue. Many installers take it upon themselves to modify the application of the three-part system or mix-and-match components from different suppliers. Others may do a poor job of installing it by allowing the styrofoam board to meet the ground or even be buried partially underground, allowing moisture to seep in and create conditions that are perfect for toxic mold growth.
Worse yet, when the EIFS is installed in such a manner it voids any warranties put on the products by the manufacturer. This leaves the home, business or condo owner with zero recourse, and Toronto building codes are far too slow in catching up to begin regulating these practices.
Once moisture gets in, it becomes trapped within the EIFS because of the way it’s designed. Then, it easily penetrates areas like basements and the wooden components within a wall.
EIFS litigation lawyers are springing up across North America like nobody’s business because the mold issues are so difficult for the average homeowner to spot without a professional mold inspection – until it’s too late.
Because it offers a form of nice-looking and green exterior insulation, the use of EIFS is on the rise in many new homes, commercial buildings and condominiums in and around the Greater Toronto Area. To avoid the chain-reaction of issues caused by the moisture intrusion, get a mold inspection to ensure your home remains structurally intact and mold-free.
Know what you’re getting into. For Mold Inspsection Services in Toronto and Ontario, Contact Moldinspections.ca in Toronto @ 416.575.6111 or toll free @ 1.866.310.4219. We can help.
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