Mold Inspection – Mold May Be Hiding in Your Furnace New Jersey

Posted by Andre & Erika Lacroix on

Mold Remediation | New Jersey

The furnace is the last place you’d expect to find mold. After all, mold typically grows on organic surfaces from where it can source its food. However, you shouldn’t completely discount the furnace and other such areas in your home from mold infestations.

The simple truth is that mold can grow almost anywhere in the home. They only need 3 conditions in order to grow:

  • The right temperature (this can be anything between 35 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit)
  • A source of food
  • The presence of moisture

As long as the three conditions above are met, mold can thrive in any environment. It’s therefore important to invest in professional mold inspection to identify exactly where the infestation is. You may otherwise miss it and end up suffering the health effects caused by the presence of black mold spores.

Mold Remediation | New Jersey

Mold and your furnace

You may be thinking that your furnace is made of metal. This isn’t an organic material. There’s no way that mold can grow in your furnace. The truth is your furnace provides the perfect environment in which mold can grow and thrive. This is especially true if there are leaks that may be caused by a break in your condensation drain or if the drain is not connected properly. Mold can grow within your furnace without showing any visible signs of its presence from the surface of the furnace. This is a problem that often goes unnoticed until the furnace is opened for routine maintenance.

The problem with a mold infestation in your furnace is that it places you and your household at a higher risk of exposure to mold spores and the toxins they produce. You may begin to notice increased allergic reactions as well as worsened asthma symptoms. You may also exhibit other symptoms of mold exposure such as headaches and the development of a body rash.

The solution

The best way to restore the health and safety of your home is by investing in professional mold inspection and remediation. Inspection ensures that all areas of infestation are identified. These areas will be closed off and procedures for destroying and removing the mold can begin. The infected areas will also be disinfected to prevent a repeat infestation.

Working with a professional ensures that all the mold is removed from your home, even that which is in areas that you would never think of looking in.

Contact EZ Breathe Today! (866) 822-7328

 

Common Indoor Air Quality Myths | Chicago, IL

Posted by Andre & Erika Lacroix on

Indoor Air Quality | Chicago, IL

We spend a good deal of our lives indoors. It, therefore, makes sense to be concerned about indoor air quality. Sadly, many people believe myths about the air they breathe while indoors. These myths prevent them from taking the steps necessary to improve the quality of the air they breathe and therefore comprise their health.

If you believe the myths below, it’s time you made a change to improve the indoor air quality of your home and thus safeguard your household’s health.

  1. The air inside your home is cleaner than the air outside

The air in your home is actually more polluted than that outdoors. There are various pollutants within homes including air fresheners, aerosols, detergents, electronics, cleaning agents, refrigerators, dust mites, mold and much more. Efficient buildings are built to minimize the exchange of air indoors with the outdoors. You’re breathing stale polluted air while you’re indoors.

You can improve the quality of air in your home by investing in a ventilation system that circulates air into the home from the outdoors. This will prevent the buildup of pollutants in the home.

Indoor Air Quality | Chicago, IL

  1. Indoor air quality isn’t a big deal

The quality of the air you breathe can contribute to the development of health issues including asthma, congested sinuses, nausea, fatigue, headaches, allergies and other respiratory issues.

Taking the steps to improve the quality of air you breathe will cost much less than a lifetime of medications and treatments due to poor health. It is well worth investing your time and money in.

  1. A high-quality filter will ensure better air quality

Air filters in HVAC systems only help to reduce particulates in the air. Even the finest filters cannot get rid of gases that pollute the air such as radon gas. Investing in and changing your air filters regularly will only protect you from particulates such as dust and mold spores.

The best way to improve air quality in the home is to ventilate the home. This will remove stale air with pollutants and allow in fresh air from the outdoors. Ventilation takes care of all forms of pollution including particulates, gases and moisture.

  1. Improving indoor air quality is expensive

You can improve air quality in your home without breaking the bank. There are simple steps you can take right now such as ventilating your home and eliminating pollutants to improve air quality. You should however consider long term measures such as investing in a whole-home ventilation system for long term improvements and peace of mind.

Cleveland, OH | EZ Breathe

Why Do Crawlspaces Become Damp? | Boston, MA

Posted by Andre & Erika Lacroix on

Why Do Crawlspaces Become Damp?

We at EZ Breathe get this question regularly. We also get this statement often: “Well that is just the way basements are, and the way they smell.” Of course this is timely in much of the country right now… snow is melting, or has melted. Rain is falling…and more water in the soil outside our homes leads to….

When we are talking about DAMP, let’s be clear, we don’t mean WET. If you have liquid water that trickles across your floor at times, or even pools or floods your basement/crawlspace, that is WET, and it needs EZ Breathe, and some other work. Between EZ Breathe and our extensive family of distributors, we can help you solve WET basement problems.

When we are talking about DAMP, we are talking about air borne moisture, “feels damp”, condensation on cold surfaces, usually accompanied by musty odors.

For more related information about the crawl space conditioner system, click here. "Why Is My Basement/Crawlspace Damp?"- EZ Breathe

Why is your basement or crawlspace damp? Very simple, even in the absence of liquid water entering your home through the foundation, research has documented “as much as 15 gallons per day of water vapor entering a basement space via vapor transmission through unsealed walls, floors, cracks, and openings and by evaporation from wet surfaces.” (Powell and Rogers, Kansas State University, “Dry Basements and Crawlspaces”.)

And that water vapor can wreak havoc in our homes! What can it cause/exacerbate?
– Mold
– Structural issues
– Bugs, spiders, etc.
– Health issues

How do we handle water vapor in the rest of our homes?
– In the bathrooms, we vent it to the outside
– In the kitchen, we vent it to the outside
– Our clothes dryer? Yep, vent to the outside

Has anyone ever told you to put a dehumidifier in each of your bathrooms, in your kitchen, and behind your dryer?
So you see, it is simple, a great way to handle excess water vapor in our homes is venting it to the outside…and that is what EZ Breathe has been doing for over 12 years!

 

Indoor Air Quality – 3 of the Most Common Household Air Pollutants | Philidelphia, PA

Posted by Andre & Erika Lacroix on

Indoor Air Quality – 3 of the Most Common Household Air Pollutants

According to EPA, you may be surprised to know that indoor air is much more polluted than the air outside. There are a wide variety of household pollutants that are responsible for this. The following are the most common pollutants that are compromising your indoor air quality and putting the health of your household at risk.

1: Mold

This is a fungus that produces spores that become airborne when the fungus is disturbed. These spores land on various surfaces around the home to establish new fungal colonies. Mold infestations are often the result of high levels of humidity.

Mold spores are difficult to control once a mold infestation has established itself in your home. They can trigger allergic reactions and worsen asthma symptoms. You may experience sneezing, red eyes and skin rash. We Can Help! Contact Us! (866) 822-7328

 

The best way to deal with mold is by getting rid of it. This is possible through mold remediation. You can prevent the establishment of an infestation by ensuring that humidity levels in the home are controlled and the home is ventilated. This is possible with a whole-home ventilation system.

2: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

These compounds are chemicals that evaporate into the air. They are present in paint thinners, glues, adhesives, finishes, upholstery and many other items in the home. VOCs can cause serious health problems including damage to the central nervous system, liver and kidneys in the long term.

It is difficult to control the levels of VOCs in the home because they are present in many of the products we bring into our homes. You can opt to limit bringing such products into the home and instead rely on natural or organic products. You should also ensure that the home is well ventilated to keep concentrations of VOCs at a minimum. The EZ-Breathe family of home systems can provide the relief, and best indoor air quality possible.

3: Carbon monoxide

Carbon monoxide is one of the biggest pollutants. It is often released as a result of common activities in the home including cooking and heating the home. Carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless. It can be deadly in high concentrations.

You can reduce the levels of carbon monoxide in the home by venting stoves, heaters and dryers. You should also ensure that the entire home is well ventilated to reduce the concentration of carbon monoxide in the home.

Investing in a whole home ventilation system can help to reduce exposure to the above mentioned air pollutants and improve indoor air quality a great deal.

 

“Why Is My Basement/Crawlspace Damp?”

Posted by Andre & Erika Lacroix on

“Why Is My Basement/Crawlspace Damp?”

"Why Is My Basement/Crawlspace Damp?"- EZ BreatheWe at EZ Breathe get this question regularly. We also get this statement often: “Well that is just the way basements are, and the way they smell.” Of course this is timely in much of the country right now… snow is melting, or has melted. Rain is falling…and more water in the soil outside our homes leads to….

When we are talking about DAMP, let’s be clear, we don’t mean WET. If you have liquid water that trickles across your floor at times, or even pools or floods your basement/crawlspace, that is WET, and it needs EZ Breathe, and some other work. Between EZ Breathe and our extensive family of distributors, we can help you solve WET basement problems.

When we are talking about DAMP, we are talking about air borne moisture, “feels damp”, condensation on cold surfaces, usually accompanied by musty odors.

For more related information about the crawl space conditioner system, click here.

Why is your basement or crawlspace damp? Very simple, even in the absence of liquid water entering your home through the foundation, research has documented “as much as 15 gallons per day of water vapor entering a basement space via vapor transmission through unsealed walls, floors, cracks, and openings and by evaporation from wet surfaces.” (Powell and Rogers, Kansas State University, “Dry Basements and Crawlspaces”.)

And that water vapor can wreak havoc in our homes! What can it cause/exacerbate?
– Mold
– Structural issues
– Bugs, spiders, etc.
– Health issues

How do we handle water vapor in the rest of our homes?
– In the bathrooms, we vent it to the outside
– In the kitchen, we vent it to the outside
– Our clothes dryer? Yep, vent to the outside

Has anyone ever told you to put a dehumidifier in each of your bathrooms, in your kitchen, and behind your dryer?
So you see, it is simple, a great way to handle excess water vapor in our homes is venting it to the outside…and that is what EZ Breathe has been doing for over 12 years!

Thanks,
Tim Chapin, HHS, CRMI
EZ Breathe Ventilation
866-822-7328