There are six basic issues to know when it comes to mold or mildew smells. First, if you detect the musty smell in your house (which most recognize as mold or mildew, even though mildew occurs most typically on living plants not inside a home), you most assuredly will find mold somewhere in the building. Second, there are some molds which give off no smells at all so never rely on smell alone to tell you whether or not mold exists in your home. Third, even though it has been deliberated whether the gases (or smell) released by mold is dangerous we do know that the presence of these gases (smells) do signify a problem exists. Forth, should there be mold in your home (odorless or otherwise) you must detect it, eradicate it and fix whatever caused it. Fifth, you may use self inspection kits as part of your routine home maintenance process, however you should make sure you do periodically have professional inspections done as well (which are somewhat more expensive than the DIY types of inspections). Sixth, once you have gotten rid of your mold problems you may not have necessarily gotten rid of the mold smell. As with many gases (odors) the musty smell of mold may have seeped into various materials surrounding it--most notably curtains and carpets and such.

Remember that there are many types of molds which may cause the odors to vary as well. The circumstances (how damp, how hot, how much light, what it is growing on etc.) causing the mold to develop will play a part in how (or if) the mold smells. Not only do the various types of mold differ odor-wise, they will vary visually as well (most typically color variances although some are hard to see at all).

When mold is found most likely whatever problem causing the mold has caused other hazards which may be giving off their own odors in addition to the smells produced by the mold--sometimes masking the smell of mold. A few examples could be the rotting corpse of a dead animal, sewage leaks, dangerous pesticides leaking, and deadly gases leaking from AC or Heating units (etc.).

Remember the smell produced by mold in no way tells us how big the problem is or whether the problem is poisonous.

It is not always possible but can be very helpful to know a buildings history when trying to ascertain where a problem may lie. For example if you know there was a plumbing leak you may want to begin the inspection there.

When it comes to odor sensitivity everyone is different. Chances are that one person may become aware of an odor much more rapidly than others.

Odor perception can also be affected by the types of medications you may be taking or by an illness you may be suffering from. Some illnesses/medications can prevent one from detecting smells or perhaps have one imagining odors.

Posted under Allergies

Mold can be found just about anywhere. Most typically it can be found in damp places like a basement, or improperly cleaned humidifiers/dehumidifiers or in and around walls. Although mold can be found in multiple shades and colors it is most often referred to as black mold.

Mold and Health Concerns: Wide ranging health issues can be caused by mold. Just to name a few: allergies, asthma, sinus infections and more including serious diseases. While the typical targets (infants, young children, the elderly, etc.) are most at risk, anyone can have their health affected by mold. One good thing to note is that mold can be wiped out if you know what kind it is and where it is located. For this reason alone mold inspections should be included as part of your routine household care routine.

Inspecting for Mold: Professional mold inspections should be conducted on a routine basis as it is not unusual for the typical home to have some sort of mold. However, if left undetected these fungi multiply quite quickly changing a small issue into an enormous problem. Basic professional inspections should be conducted on a routine basis with more extensive professional inspections happening only on an occasional basis.

Testing Results from a CMI: The testing results provided by a Certified Mold Inspector (CMI) will include (but may not be limited to) air quality, walls and floors and any problematic appliances. These test results will be fully documented and are more extensive than anything you can do yourself. It is a good idea to have a CMI do an inspection if you are looking to purchase an older home, if you think there might be a problem or if you simply have not had your home tested in a few years. An official mold test result analysis by a CMI may be required if you have damages you wish to file a claim for.

Conducting Mold Testing Yourself: Professional Inspections can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars and up. To make testing more cost effective most home supply stores have do-it-yourself mold testing kits which indicate whether or not you have mold spores in the air at home. These kits are in no way shape or form a replacement for the professional inspection, but allow home owners the ability to test between professional inspections.

Basic Mold Preventions: The easiest way to prevent mold problems is to simply keep your house clean. This may sound like a no brainer however, this should include: getting rid of standing water, cleaning house hold appliances regularly (like refrigerator, humidifiers, dehumidifiers etc.), cleaning the AC unit regularly, fixing leaky pipes, and the list goes on.

As you can see, conducting routine mold inspections should become a part of your routine home maintenance schedule. If left unchecked, mold can cause enormous issues with not only your health but you home as well.

Posted under Allergies

Air conditioning filters play an important role in the management of clean air for the home and office. You may already know how air conditioner cools the living space and makes it more comfortable during summer but you should also be aware that it performs another function. Air filters filter the dust out of the room and substitute it with clean air. So aside from cooling, air handlers have a medically beneficial effect on the living space as well. For the air handling unit to be able to endlessly clean the air and deliver it free from harmful bacteria, it will need a good filter. These air filters filter out the dirt in the air so that the breeze returns from the appliance is clean.

The filters are positioned along the grill of the air conditioner so they serve as the last point the air passes before it is released to the room.

Air conditioning filters shield us from evil little things known as respirable particles. You can easily observe particles accumulate on your dining room table or sofa. Respirable particles are undetectable to the naked eye but are nevertheless present in the air. You can easily inhale them. Once in the human body they can easily lodge in our lungs and can cause serious respiratory diseases. Air conditioning filters extract these fine particles from the air so that you obtain both cleaner air and a pollen-free atmosphere in your house.

You will appreciate the importance of filtering your air if you consider the fact that the average human breathes in 1.3 million particles of dust each day. The Environmental Protection Agency that issues these facts also claims that the air inside our homes is more polluted than that open air due to the fact that air inside has no chance for dispersion.

So the call for high quality air conditioner air filters becomes paramount. We need to install them them to help protect us against allergies and contamination.

A/C filters need to be replaced over time as they gather dust. But as a homeowner how does one decide on which A/C air filters to purchase? There are numerous manufacturers but basically they manufacture the same types of filters. Depending on how they are supposed to operate, the dominant ones are High Efficiency Particulate Air (or HEPA) which provides pollen (and smoke) filtration, Pleated with a larger surface, Electrostatic which uses a phenomenon that creates static attraction for dust, and Activated Carbon which applies carbon filtration. Of all of these, the Charcoal and the Pleated types are most commonly used.

There are essentially 2 kinds of air conditioner air filters - regular throw-away air filters and washable filters. Of the four disposable filters that we tested, the 3m filtrete line came out a clear winner. Of the 3 washable filters that we recently tested, the Boair 5-stage filter won top place because it was the easiest to clean and filtered out the largest amount of dust.

Prior to placing your order for new A/C filters, you'll need to determine if the new one fits your model. It's not enough to know the size of the intended replacement; you must be able to ascertain the functionality of the filter as well. For example, there are air conditioning air filters with UV sterilizers that neutralize harmful bacteria in the air so they can not get into the body. You might need this style for more crowded spaces. High Efficiency Particulate Air (or HEPA) air filters are well known for screening out microscopic particles from the environment so the space remains clear of pollens. These variants serve areas like smokers rooms.

A/C air filters make living rooms safe places to spend our time. They screen dirt from our air and destroy any bacteria that may be lurking. We need to replace them regularly so they keep functioning to protect us.

Posted under Allergies