Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Mould and Your Health - Toronto, Ontario

Mould is everywhere, it is in the air we breathe and grows on virtually any surface. In fact there are thousands of species of mould in Canada.  However people can develop chronic, even life-threatening, illnesses as a result of prolonged exposure to high levels of Mould.  

Mould infestation - Toronto, Ontario
Since mould concentrations are higher indoors, which is where we spend 90% of our time, homeowners should be especially careful to ensure that their house is safe. 
How do you control Mould? -   Control Water, Ventilation and Temperature.
Mould requires water to grow, so it is important to prevent moisture problems in buildings. When poor ventilation is mixed with high humidity, visible mould can appear in less than 48 hours.  If left unchecked, the mould will flourish eventually becoming airborne spores. It is when the mould becomes airborne that health problems can arise.
What do you do if you see or suspect you have mould? 
  1. Your health: consult a medical health professional. 
  2. Your home: have a qualified mould inspector to do an assessment.*
The inspector will test and safely remove the mould, while keeping everything outside the contamination area free from spores.  Indoor air quality testing performed before and after the clean-up, will confirm the mould has been effectively removed.  
*WARNING: If you suspect that your home may have been a marijuana grow house, it may have serious and potentially dangerous structural and electrical issues. We will address the implications of owning a former "grow op" in the next blog.

Click HERE for a 2 minute Health Canada video on Mould prevention