Mold Inspections Blog

Toronto Apartment Building Re-Opens 3 Years After Mold Scare

Tara Valley (Toronto's Mold Inspection Expert) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:51:54 +0000

In late 2008, an independent contractor was working on a kitchen cupboard refurbishing project in The Beaches neighbourhood of Toronto’s east. Once he began the work, however, he got a nasty surprise – toxic black mold was rampant throughout the walls in virtually all of the building’s 27 units, and it was causing indoor air quality problems.

The building, near Queen Street East and Woodbine Avenue, was owned by Toronto Community Housing (TCH) which took action immediately. Within weeks, all the tenants were relocated with promises that they would be able to move back in once the building had been completely remediated. Just recently, after a three year wait, they finally started to move back into their renovated apartments.

Remediation = Reconstruction
The construction project itself took approximately 18 months and involved retaining the structure’s historic circa 1928 façade, while completely reconstructing the interior. While the ornate exterior is undoubtedly worth the effort it took to preserve it, the interior problems illustrate many of the construction issues typical of that era.

Old Problems
The building, as it originally existed, contained no insulation whatsoever, with old leaky windows. There was no ventilation system, and there was a dirt floor in the crawl space. A sump pump was used regularly to remove excess water caused by insufficient exterior waterproofing. All of these elements undoubtedly contributed to the build-up of moisture and encouraged mold growth. Among other innovations, the new window sills are furnished in manmade marble to prevent moisture build-up, and new fibreglass windows add energy efficiency along with keeping rain and other moisture out.

Old Buildings – and New
Some residents say they’re still feeling the effects of the toxic mold. While this happened to an older structure, new buildings aren’t immune from the hazards and risks of mold. You should know the common signs and symptoms of mold exposure, and be on the look out for moisture and mold in your dwelling. Mold can grow virtually anywhere, and you may not know that it’s there spreading in your floors and walls.

Watch for a persistent musty odour and symptoms such as irritation of the eyes, nose and skin, and chronic headaches. If you suspect the presence of mold in your home, get help from the experts at MoldInspections.ca. Please call us for a hassle-free quote today.

MoldInspections.ca is the trusted leader for mold-free homes and breathable indoor air spaces in Toronto, the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and beyond. Providing certified mold inspection, detection and testing since 2005, we service home owners, real-estate agents, landlords, property managers, insurance companies and businesses. Featured on CTV and recommended by contractors, we regularly serve as expert witnesses in court proceeding relating to Mold and Indoor Air Quality issues. Do you have mold? Call us today for a free quote at (416) 575-6111.

Mold High On List of Problem Landlord’s Issues

Tara Valley (Toronto's Mold Inspection Expert) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:51:39 +0000

Reports in the national news have uncovered a pretty shocking situation with the properties owned and managed by a large corporation operating under two company names and over six provinces.

The company holds 400 buildings in B.C., Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and collected a whopping 240 charges in Ontario alone for offenses ranging from failure to complete repairs to fire code violations. Despite all the violations, the company was still doing business as usual.

Many of the complaints and unresolved issues result from flooded basements, leaking walls and ceilings – water and moisture issues that have resulted in unhealthy mold growth.

While the sheer number of units involved is staggering in this case, the hard facts are this: in Canada, we live in a fairly damp climate, with fluctuations in temperature and conditions that routinely result in things like flooding, condensation and other water issues. Once water has gotten into a building, mold can follow close behind, and that’s something we all need to deal with – owner, landlord or tenant.

It means that you should know the common signs and symptoms of mold exposure, and be on the look out for moisture and mold anywhere in your dwelling. Mold can grow virtually anywhere, and you may not know that it’s there spreading in your floors and walls.

Watch for:

A persistent musty odour
Chronic headaches
Red eyes or nose irritation, again chronic and unexplained
Skin irritation or rash
May even include more serious symptoms like fever and difficulty breathing

If you suspect the presence of mold in your home, get help from the experts at MoldInspections.ca. Please call us for a hassle-free quote today.

Southern Ontario Health Clinic Closed After Mold Discovered

Tara Valley (Toronto's Mold Inspection Expert) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:15:14 +0000

Late last year, a Southern Ontario health clinic was closed after mold was found in the building. When a carpet was lifted for routine maintenance and repairs at a Wellington Dufferin Guelph Public Health Clinic, mold was discovered flourishing under it in some sections.

Naturally, officials at the health clinic were immediately concerned and decided to go beyond stipulated guidelines in an effort to protect health care workers and patients alike. They ordered the building closed for a period of about ten days until mold abatement and removal procedures could be completed. In addition air quality tests were performed to evaluate the level of risk.

Mold in the Carpet?
The incident illustrates the seriousness with which health officials consider the issue of mold infestation in the home. Mold can develop when moisture seeps in through walls or flooring, particularly more porous materials like concrete, or where there may have been plumbing leaks between floors, for example. Under the rug, in corners or other out of the way spots, it can grow undetected, affecting indoor air quality and exposing you and your family to potentially harmful effects.

It is difficult, if not impossible, to remove mold from permeable materials such as carpets, drywall or ceiling tiles, and in most cases the affected material will have to be completely removed and thrown away. Officials at the clinic took the next step in ordering professional testing and abatement services, just as concerned as you would be about the indoor air quality in your own home.

Mold can grow virtually anywhere, in any home. Where there is moisture, there is the potential for mold, and you may not know that it’s there spreading in your floors and walls until you notice a persistent musty odour, or experience the common symptoms of mold infestation, including headaches, eye irritation and more.

If you suspect the presence of mold in your home, get help from the experts at MoldInspections.ca. Please call us for a hassle-free quote today.

MoldInspections.ca is the trusted leader for mold-free homes and breathable indoor air spaces in Toronto, the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and beyond. Providing certified mold inspection, detection and testing since 2005, we service home owners, real-estate agents, landlords, property managers, insurance companies and businesses. Featured on CTV and Global TV, and recommended by contractors, we regularly serve as expert witnesses in court proceeding relating to Mold and Indoor Air Quality issues. Do you have mold? Call us today for a free quote at (416) 575-6111.

Environmental Law Study Leads to Mold Inspections

Tara Valley (Toronto's Mold Inspection Expert) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:12:45 +0000

Indoor air quality issues and the hidden mold epidemic are coming more and more to the forefront of environmental agencies, as illustrated by a recent project of the Canadian Environmental Law Association. The project, which looked to study the environment and legal issues, ended up with a focus on mold in lower income homes in Kenora, Ontario.

Kenora was one of six cities which were chosen to take part in a three-year project looking at the links between environmental law and health. As part of the study, they set up an office in Kenora with workers who took complaints and reports from local citizens.

Mold Complaints
The study, which just concluded, confirmed a link between economics and environmental health. Kenora is city with a population of 16,500 and while researchers in the other five cities chosen for the project dealt with problems like industrial hazards and contamination, it became clear that the focus in Kenora would be on mold and mildew issues. About 200 households approached the Legal Aid Clinic workers reporting of mold infestation in their homes, most of them low income or rental properties.

As the program draws to a close, there are plans to take the next step on a local level and test affected housing for mold exposure to determine the exact nature and extent of the problem

Even Celebrity Homes Battle Mold
Although the study focused on low income and rental housing, recent news headlines remind that the high end homes of celebrities like Mohammed Ali and the late Brittany Murphy aren’t immune from mold either. Mold can grow virtually anywhere, in any home. Where there is moisture, there is the potential for mold, and you may not know that it’s there spreading in your walls until you experience the common symptoms of mold infestation, including headaches, eye irritation and more, along with a persistent musty odour.

If you suspect the presence of mold in your home, get help from the experts at MoldInspections.ca. Please call us for a hassle-free quote today.

‘Tis the Season…for Mold?

Tara Valley (Toronto's Mold Inspection Expert) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:34:13 +0000

We really hate to put a damper on anyone’s holiday celebrations, but that iconic Christmas tree may just be worsening your indoor allergies.

After it’s been cut, an evergreen tree is dead – it seems like an obvious statement, but have you considered this: once dead, it becomes home to mold. The longer your tree has been sitting outside on the lot, cut and waiting to be purchased, the longer mold has had a chance to settle in. Once the tree is in your home, the mold can easily become airborne and seep throughout the whole house.

Even artificial trees aren’t immune to mold infestation. The first year after you purchase an artificial tree, it will be fine, but once it’s been stored in your damp, dark basement for a year or two or three, it too becomes prime real estate for mold growth.

How can you protect yourself while still enjoying the holidays in traditional style? Here are some tips:

- Select a freshly cut tree, or cut one yourself
- Shake the tree to remove dead needles and dislodge as much existing mold as possible
- Keep the tree’s water source covered up, since it too can be a source of mold contamination
- Both real and artificial trees can be hosed down with water before setting them up to help remove any contaminants, but remember to dry it thoroughly outside before you bring it in
- Don’t keep the tree up for too long; enjoy the holidays and then dispose of it as quickly as you can

Your Roof in the Winter

Of course, any issues you may have with your Christmas tree will vanish when the season’s over; not so for mold that’s infesting your home. Here in Canada, with our harsh winters, it’s especially important to keep an eye on your roofing, eavestrough and gutter systems. When there’s a heavy snow followed by a partial thaw that refreezes overnight, the combination of snow and ice build-up and thawing can route the melt off into unexpected paths – including right inside your flashing and into the walls.

It’s a good idea to keep tabs on your roofing and eavestrough all year round, to help ensure that your walls stay dry on the inside. Moisture can and often does lead to mold, and you may not know that it’s there spreading in your walls until you experience the common symptoms of mold infestation, including headaches, eye irritation and more.

If you suspect the presence of mold in your home, get help from the experts at MoldInspections.ca. Please call us for a hassle-free quote today and get a mold inspection from the specialists.

MoldInspections.ca is the trusted leader for mold-free homes and breathable indoor air spaces in Toronto, the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and beyond. Providing certified mold inspection, detection and testing since 2005, we service home owners, real-estate agents, landlords, property managers, insurance companies and businesses. Featured on CTV and recommended by contractors, we regularly serve as expert witnesses in court proceeding relating to Mold and Indoor Air Quality issues. Do you have mold? Call us today for a free quote at (416) 575-6111.

Mold Infestation Evacuates Montreal High Rise

Tara Valley (Toronto's Mold Inspection Expert) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 17:44:42 +0000

Upset tenants at a Montreal high rise were abruptly ordered to move from their homes without notice earlier this month. They were greeted at their doors by city inspectors who wore filtration masks donned to protect them from exposure to mold and other moisture issues that have plagued the building. The inspectors informed them of the city’s decision to evacuate the building until the mold and other maintenance issues were dealt with.

Police were on hand to keep the peace as the unhappy tenants were taken to a nearby YMCA. The move by city officials comes as a result of legal actions taken against the landlord, who’s apparently notorious for his neglect of rental units and has a history of non-compliance with city ordered repairs.

In Toronto, tenant associations and the councillor for the Jane and Finch corridor urged the city to make similar moves against poorly maintained buildings earlier this year. Mold and other moisture related issues are among several listed as being common to the area.

As the buildings in our big cities like Toronto and Montreal age and economic prospects continue to tighten, the issue of poorly maintained buildings comes more and more to the forefront. Water leaks from the outside or indoors via faulty plumbing can easily create pockets of moisture where unhealthy mold can flourish.

Whether you’re a tenant or a landlord, mold is a serious issue with well documented effects on human and animal health, and it needs to be addressed by the experts. A prevailing stale and musty odour and small black spots along a bathroom wall are often your first clues that you have a mold infestation in your home.

The only way to ensure peace of mind is to order a Mold Inspection from the experts at MoldInspections.ca. Please call us for a quote today.

Fire in Brampton Underscores Importance of Grow-Op Testing

Tara Valley (Toronto's Mold Inspection Expert) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 23:10:08 +0000

Despite tougher enforcement and legislative tools like increased sentences for Hydro theft, marijuana grow-ops continue to be a concern in the GTA.

When fire crews responded to a house fire on the evening of November 7 in Brampton, they found an apparent grow-op. Firefighters reported seeing marijuana plants on all floors of the building as they battled the blaze and police are investigating the alleged operation.

Typical to many illegal grow-ops, the home was vacant and it was neighbours who contacted the fire department after seeing smoke. The house had actually been uninhabited for years and the kids in the neighbourhood reportedly called it a “haunted house”.

It may not be home to ghosts and otherworldly spirits, but it’s almost certainly home to mold along with its illegal vegetation. Indoor marijuana cultivation requires levels of heat and humidity that produce condensation and make mold growth a near certainty.

Residents of the Brampton street are said to be taken completely by surprise by the presence of the alleged grow-op in their midst, but that’s often the point. In contrast to what many think of as back alley and slum condition illegal drug operations, traffickers often find upper middle class neighbourhoods like the Brampton area ideal. The houses and lots tend to be larger, meaning neighbours have less direct contact and there are fewer opportunities for passersby to see inside a building. The economic downturn of recent years means that vacant homes in those types of neighbourhoods aren’t uncommon and often attract little attention.

If you’re planning on purchasing a home, the realtor is obligated to let you know if it was used as a marijuana grow-op, however that fact may have gone unnoticed. While some, like the Brampton home, involve vacant homes where the entire building is used and it’s eventually uncovered, many other, smaller operations can exist in sections of an inhabited home – operations that are never discovered and brought to light, with the inherent problems, including mold and poor air quality issues, simply passed on to the next, unsuspecting buyer.

The only way to ensure peace of mind is to order grow-op testing from the experts at MoldInspections.ca. If you have any suspicions that a prospective or current property has been used as a grow-op, please call us for a quote today.

Air Purifiers and Mold in Your Home

Tara Valley (Toronto's Mold Inspection Expert) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 22:59:00 +0000

Air Purifiers and Mold in Your Home

There are various types of air purification systems out there designed for use in your home. They use a number of different types of technology and not all are created equal, as it turns out. You may be under the impression that mold spores are among the list of problems that they are touted to ameliorate, but in some cases, you’d actually be wrong.

Here’s a look at three of the most common types on the market.

Hepa Air Filters
Hepa Air Filtration systems were developed by the military during the Second World War for use in cleaning radioactive dust out of the air – so you can be sure they work well when designed and manufactured properly by a reputable manufacturer.

-          They’re 99.7% effective at removing particles from the air as tiny as 0.3 microns.
-          The technology captures the particles and they’re permanently removed from the air.
-          They remove mold spores along with many other allergens, including dust mites and pollens, and are popular with allergy sufferers as a result.
-          One caveat – the micro-organisms it collects can actually live and reproduce in the filter.
-          Air has to actually pass through the filter for it to work, so you have to consider the size of the room and placement of the filtration system.

Air Ionizers
Air Ionizing systems create negative ions that magnetically attract airborne particles. Basically what happens is that the particles collect and become too large to circulate in the air, so they drop to the ground or collect as dust on furniture and walls.

-          They can remove particles as small at 0.1 microns from circulation in your home.
-          They will circulate the air so that one unit can work through a larger space.
-          They may freshen the air while they’re in operation, but don’t do much about mold – they don’t permanently collect or remove particles from the air and don’t kill mold or other fungi.

Activated Carbon Air Filters
Activated Carbon Air Filters are essentially a form of carbon (sometimes charcoal) that has been processed to be very porous. The pores are extremely absorbent, and will attract fumes, gases, smoke and odours.

- They do not re-release collected materials back into the air, so they can be effective at “freshening” the air.
- This type of system doesn’t do anything about mold spores or other micro-organisms.

While Hepa Filters do present a viable, if limited, solution for removing mold spores from the air in your home, it’s important to remember that they are at best a bandaid solution. If mold spores are an issue, then your only effective solution is to have your home tested for mold and then take remediation action if it’s found.

If you suspect mold in your home, do yourself a favour and call Mold Inspections for a quote today.

Buyer Beware – A Mold Inspection Keeps Your Dream Home from turning into a Money Pit

Tara Valley (Toronto's Mold Inspection Expert) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 02:26:49 +0000

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is – that’s the saying, and when it comes to buying a home, the majority of buyers know enough to get suspicious when the price is lower than market value and previous owners seem overly eager to close the deal. But a higher price and seemingly good condition don’t always guarantee a better deal.

Boxing legend Mohammad Ali and his wife are suing the previous owners of the home they bought for a cool $1.87 million about five years ago. The lawsuit alleges that the home presented with a number of serious problems they claim were covered up and misrepresented by the original owners, including roof and chimney leaks, defective waterline connections and – not at all surprisingly given those issues – mold.

Relatively new homes can also be subject to mold infestation, even toxic black mold. Kim Daniello of Flint Michigan thought she’d found the house of her dreams. It featured brand new flooring, a completely finished basement and even a newly renovated kitchen. Once she and her daughter moved in, however, they began to experience alarming mold symptoms like difficulty breathing and sinus headaches. She pulled up the carpet in the basement and sadly her suspicions were confirmed – she found mold.

Any home that has experienced flooding, and even newer homes that have been empty for periods of time and/or subject to dampness, can host mold. Both the boxing legend and the single mother from Michigan could have saved themselves the frustration , not to say health-related consequences, with proper testing and inspection of their prospective homes by an expert.

Mold inspections will detect the problem before you buy and find that your dream has turned into a nightmare. Let Mold Inspections give you peace of mind before you sign on the dotted line.

Study: Toxic mold just as dangerous to pets

Tara Valley (Toronto's Mold Inspection Expert) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 22:17:15 +0000

It’s always fascinating to see people more upset over seeing a pet or cuddly animal harmed than another human being. Perhaps, then, knowing that toxic mold is very dangerous to pets will finally motivate certain homeowners to have mold inspections done.

A study by the American Veterinary Medical Association documents what appears to be the first known case of toxic black mold poisoning pets. The case that produced the finding involved two cats. During a routine mouth examination of two Himalayan cats before their dental cleanings, a veterinarian noticed frothy blood collecting in the endotracheal tubes used to anaesthetize the cats.

As the veterinarian, Douglas Mader, explained, “The circumstances of these cases are just not heard of. Anaesthesia doesn’t cause pulmonary hemorrage.”

Sure enough, both cats died – one the following day and the other two weeks later. Blood taken before their deaths was analyzed and showed high levels of the toxin produced by Statchybotrys chartarum, a.k.a. toxic black mold.

As it turns out, the cats’ home, based in Florida had been previously devastated by water damage from a hurricane. The moisture fostered the growth of mold and, within a few months, the walls of the home were completely infested with it.

It’s strange that the cats’ case is the first documented instance of pets being affected by toxic mold – but the results shouldn’t surprise us. We know that not undergoing a periodic mold detection process could allow spores to grow in our homes and that toxic black mold causes countless respiratory problems. Any mammals in particular, who breathe just like we do, are naturally just as much at risk.

If hearing about people getting sick from mold in their homes doesn’t spring you into action, maybe the sad story of innocent animals dying from mold exposure will do the trick. Take mold seriously and have a certified mold inspector check to make sure it isn’t growing in your dwelling.