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Archive for the ‘Mold Removal’ Category
Thursday, December 22nd, 2011
They say money can’t buy happiness, and a recent news item confirms that living the dream life of a movie actor in Hollywood is no guarantee that you’ll be immune from common household problems.
You may remember the headlines a couple of years ago when actress Britanny Murphy passed away in suspicious circumstances in December of 2009, and then her husband as well the following spring. Ms Murphy’s death was deemed to have been caused by pneumonia, anemia and prescription drug intoxication, and her husband’s by pneumonia and anemia.
Lawsuit
Now Ms Murphy’s mother has filed a lawsuit suggesting her daughter’s death may have had something to do with exposure to toxic mold in her home. In a complicated dossier, the lawsuit is actually being filed against the firm of lawyers who were originally hired to sue the builders of the home in the Hollywood Hills. That original lawsuit covered a number of alleged construction problems, including the presence of toxic mold.
Whatever the result of the lawsuit, it serves as a reminder that mold can exist in any home or building, no matter how lavish or upscale the neighbourhood, and no matter how new or old. Mold only needs 24 hours to grow under the right conditions, not weeks or years, and while it may be more prevalent in older and unoccupied or neglected homes, even brand new homes are not immune.
That’s why it makes sense to include a mold inspection along with the other inspections performed when you’re closing the deal on a home.
Toxic Mold Symptoms
Common symptoms of exposure to toxic mold may include eye, nose and throat irritation, respiratory symptoms like breathing difficulties, allergy or flu-like symptoms like such as runny nose and clogged sinus, and even more troubling issues like a depressed immune system and vertigo.
If you smell a stale, moldy odour in your home or you are experiencing any of these symptoms on a recurring basis, do yourself a favour and call the experts at Environmental Services Group for a mold inspection quote.
Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in remedying environmental hazards such as mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation. You’ll be glad you did!
Tags: Indoor Air Quality Testing Toronto, mold removal Toronto, mold testing, toxic mold
Posted in Indoor Air Quality, Mold Hazards, Mold Removal, News | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 7th, 2011
The mold testing and inspection experts at Toronto’s Environmental Services Group were featured on a recent episode of the popular TV show Income Property.
The show, which airs on HGTV, typically deals with the ins and outs of renovating an older property into rental income units of various types. In this episode, homeowners Nelson and Sarah wanted to renovate a basement apartment so they could ask for a good rent to help cover their own expenses. The basement, as it existed, was furnished in mid-tone wood paneling that looked dingy and dated, and likely would have prevented their asking a higher rent or attracting more upscale tenants.
The couple on the show illustrate a common situation. Basement renovations are a typical homeowner project, and the renovation or addition of an income property in your own home can make a lot of financial sense in our uncertain economy. Many people may be tempted to take on those renovations themselves to make it an even more cost effective endeavour, but the Income Property episode underscored the importance of calling in the experts no matter how “handy” you are.
When it came to renovating the wall surfaces, an unwelcome discovery was made – a large growth of mold behind the walls. Basements, which are frequently damp, often present ideal conditions for mold to grow and accumulate, as they did in this case. Environmental Services Group was called in for their mold assessment and removal expertise, and had the potentially dangerous situation under control in short order.
A second – and necessary – step involved mold testing by their certified experts. It’s crucial to complete this process so that you know the unwelcome problem won’t simply return.
In the end, Nelson and Sarah emerged with a bright, beautiful and very rentable basement apartment – and with the peace of mind that came from knowing that they’d effectively dealt with a situation that poses documented health risks.
Mold is no laughing matter. If you plan a basement or any other renovation, or you suspect the presence of mold in your home in any area, do yourself a favour and call the experts at Environmental Services Group for a quote.
Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in remedying environmental hazards such as mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation. You’ll be glad you did!
Tags: mold removal Toronto, mold testing, Mold Testing Toronto
Posted in Mold Hazards, Mold Removal, News | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 31st, 2011
At Environmental Services Group, we’re always pleased when we hear about new homeowners diligently checking their indoor air quality, undergoing proper lead testing, eliminating moist conditions that breed mold, or partaking in any other generally “safe” and “green” home strategies.
But it’s time we encouraged home owners to take their green approach to living a step further. Instead of fixing problems when they come up or even working hard to protect your existing home from environmental threats – why not make the green choices before your house is even built?
Mike Holmes of Holmes on Holmes himself offered some profound advice on Canada.com this week when he challenged the notion that every “upgrade” during the building process should be geared toward upping resale value.
The traditional logic is to go for the finished basement, the fancy countertop, the kitchen island, and so on. However, while the prettier, more attractive options in theory can boost your resale price down the road, they may not actually save you money.
The reason: you’re not factoring the repairs along the way into the equation. Home number one may feature all the pretty frills and be worth $600,000 five years from now – but what if it requires $50,000 worth of repairs to reach that point? A low-standard basement finishing may lead to paying for mold removal a year later. Same goes with a standard drywall installation.
On the flipside, going the green route with home number two may not give you the big price you want down the road but it may prove more profitable because you won’t have to make so many fixes along the way. Eschewing the jazzy kitchen for mold-resistant drywall will save you the repair cost down the road. So, while home number two’s asking price may be lower when you sell, your net gain may be higher. By going green, you’ll take better care of your home (and your health) and spend less money on the path to selling.
Featured in Holmes in Holmes, Global TV (Toronto) and CTV, Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and Ontario. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in remedying environmental hazards such as mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation. You’ll be glad you did!
Tags: Green Home Advice, indoor air quality experts, Lead testing, mold removal, mold testing, Ontario, Toronto
Posted in Indoor Air Quality, Lead Testing, Mold Removal | No Comments »
Friday, August 12th, 2011
There are few worse feelings than slogging through your workday in an unbreathable indoor work environment. As we’ve previously stated on the ESG blog, indoor air quality has a direct impact on workplace productivity. What are some ways to improve your breathing conditions while you work?
Minimize your controllable pollutants
The little things add up and we can often control them ourselves. Try to purchase and use “green” or natural cleaning products to release fewer chemicals into your office atmosphere. Disposing of garbage quickly, storing food in the proper places and ensuring your doormats don’t trap too much dirt from outside will add up to make a solid impact on your indoor air quality.
Be aware of ventilation points when arranging furniture
An easy way to get your employees breathing polluted, stale air: accidentally covering your vents with desks, tables, chairs and so on. You can waste a perfectly good ail filtration or ventilation system if you don’t keep it exposed and let it do its job.
Maintain active communication with maintenance staff
Keeping in touch and in harmony with your custodial or maintenance staff can go a long way. If they’re in tune with you, they’ll do a better job of regularly checking and cleaning all major ventilation areas.
Hire outside help to give your workplace a clean sweep
To really give your workplace A+ indoor air quality, contract an environmental consulting firm to do an expert assessment and major sweep of your building. They’ll identify any ventilation hindrances and go above and beyond what custodial staff can do, including mold, asbestos, radon and lead testing. Scheduling this type of maintenance will also get your employees out of the building to breathe fresher air for a little while.
During the hot, sticky summer, building maintenance is especially important for your indoor air! Follow those tips and you – plus your employees – won’t be sorry.
Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in remedying environmental hazards such as mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation. You’ll be glad you did!
Tags: indoor air quality, indoor air quality in the workplace, Lead testing, mold testing, Radon testing
Posted in Indoor Air Quality, Lead Testing, Mold Removal, Radon Testing | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011
Study: indoor air cleaners can reduce asthma in children
In the summer months, we’re particularly sensitive about any threats to our indoor air quality, including mold caused by excessive moisture or contaminated air as a result of sealing a home for air conditioning.
But what about some positive news for a change? A recent study by the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center suggests that indoor air cleaners can greatly reduce air pollution in the home and significantly lower the rates of daytime asthmas symptoms – even to the same level that anti-inflammatory asthma drugs can.
The study was done by plugging free-standing air cleaners into 41 different Baltimore-based households for six months. While the findings are encouraging, they still suggest that the air cleaners are most effective if used in conjunction with other environmental protection measures.
The air cleaners didn’t reduce the effects of agents such as second-hand smoke. By the same logic, an indoor air cleaner’s effectiveness could be reduced by the presence of mold, asbestos, lead, radon or other environmental threats.
The study should serve as an extra motivator to have an environmental consulting firm sweep your home. If you install an indoor air cleaner and undergo mold removal, lead testing and so on, you could have the cleanest home — and the healthiest family – on your block! Taking the proper diligence to have the experts inspect every threat to your indoor air quality will ensure that your indoor air cleaners will be as effective as possible.
Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in remedying environmental hazards such as mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation. You’ll be glad you did!
Tags: asbestos removal, indoor air quality, Lead testing, mold removal, Radon testing
Posted in Asbestos, Indoor Air Quality, Lead Testing, Mold Removal, Radon Testing | No Comments »
Friday, July 29th, 2011
You’re concerned about your home’s indoor air quality this summer. You want to make sure your home has no asbestos, toxic mold, lead or any other harmful environmental agents. So you do the responsible thing and hire a home inspector for the job.
That should cover you, right? Make your home a safe environment?
You’d think so, but that unfortunately isn’t true. A growing problem in Toronto environmental consulting and home inspections: too many of them aren’t good enough.
Far too many companies simply mail in the job. They may mistake actual toxic mold for simple water damage – even though water damage itself fosters mold. They don’t check the tough-to-reach places like roofs or piping inside drywall. They forget that lead testing includes outdoor toys like swing sets.
So how do you conquer the problem? One solution is to follow a home inspector around as he or she works on your house. Another is to file a complaint and hope the company will apologize and re-do the job for free.
But there’s a better route to take: hiring the right company. Having a poor home inspection may save you money in the short term but, more often than not, it costs you much more because of the eventual renovations you may require thanks to half-cooked inspections.
A proper home inspector should be certified, whether it’s in lead, asbestos, mold, indoor air quality, or all of the above. Before hiring just any inspector, it pays in the long run to do your homework. Read online reviews, look for testimonials and peruse the company’s website. How many years of experience does it have? What special certifications or awards does it have?
A proper inspection will leave no stone unturned. It’ll check every crack for ventilation leaks or every floor tile for mold. Sure, it could cost slightly more (though not always), but it will literally save you thousands of dollars in the long run. A good inspection only has to be done once!
Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in remedying environmental hazards such as mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation. You’ll be glad you did!
Tags: environmental consulting Toronto, home inspections, indoor air quality, Lead testing, mold removal
Posted in Asbestos, Indoor Air Quality, Lead Testing, Mold Removal | No Comments »
Friday, July 22nd, 2011
In some recent Canadian news stories and on this environmental consulting blog, you can find information on the environmental threats caused by drug grow-op homes and former grow-op homes.
Whether the homes are home to marijuana grow-ops or meth labs, there are certain consistent risk that accompany them. Most commonly, these homes have booby traps (for police), faulty wiring and, of course, toxic mold. The moist conditions created by the drug-growing conditions often foster the growth of black mold, which can cause numerous respiratory problems, especially in youths.
So we know why former grow-op homes can endanger our health. There’s just one problem: the Ontario government doesn’t allow full disclosure of information on these buildings. Technically, realtors are required by law to reveal of a home has been used as a grow-op or meth lab. However, the McGuinty government is currently blocking some of that information from being available. Realtors may not be allowed access to police reports or building inspection reports or they may be forbidden from passing on the information.
That means some new home owners may be moving in not knowing about the possible threats to their indoor air quality. If you suspect your home may have been a former grow-op and your realtor can’t gain access to the necessary information, consider hiring a Toronto mold removal company. The cost to test your place for mold and remove it isn’t nearly as high as you might think and is well worth the investment. Eliminating mold from your dwelling could literally be the difference, for example, between your child developing or not developing asthma.
If you’re unsure about your building’s past – take matters into your own hands. Hire the experts to check it out.
Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in remedying environmental hazards such as mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation. You’ll be glad you did!
Tags: Drug Labs Ontario, indoor air quality, mold removal Toronto
Posted in Drug Labs Toronto, Indoor Air Quality, Mold Removal | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 6th, 2011
The posh neighbourhood of Rockliffe Park isn’t known for being a drug hotbed rife with environmental hazards. But, for training purposes, it is.
“The scenario house” or “Building G” is part of the RCMP-run Canadian Police College. The building is a mockup of a typical grow-op drug house, complete with all the environmental threats commonly faced during a raid. Police receive training to face:
1. Toxic mold
Mold removal is a common procedure to accompany or follow a police raid, as the moist conditions produced by growing drugs like marijuana naturally foster its growth. Police are trained to spot it and learn about the side effects of long-term exposure to it, which commonly include asthma and other respiratory problems. Usually, an environmental consulting firm is commissioned to eliminate the threat.
2. Chemical burns
Police are trained to follow a specific procedure to remove dangerous chemicals from setups like meth labs. For example, a Health Canada chemist explains that officers must carry chemical barrels away from their bodies, as any abrasions on their hazmat suits could let acids or strong bases through.
3. Indoor air quality threats
Sometimes, carbon dioxide-producing devices used in grow-ops malfunction and fill a building with lethal carbon monoxide. It’s a particularly deadly threat to indoor air quality because the windows and openings of grow-op homes are often sealed to keep moisture in.
4. Booby traps
Grow-op homes are often lined with tripwire guns, electrified doors or even fish hooks embedded in railings. Very dangerous stuff.
If you think you’ve discovered a grow-op home, stay away. Call your local police department, an environmental consulting firm, or both, as they’ll handle the job safely and expertly.
Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in remediating environmental hazards such as mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation. You’ll be glad you did!
Tags: Drug Labs Ontario, environmental consulting firm, grow-ops, indoor air quality, mold removal
Posted in Drug Labs Toronto, Indoor Air Quality, Mold Removal | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 15th, 2011
The mold inspection and removal industry is booming in the Greater Toronto Area GTA). The public is becoming more and more educated about the danger mold poses and the average home or business owner has become more proactive about spotting it and hiring a company to eliminate it.
Unfortunately, since the mold industry remains unregulated, there are plenty of scams out there. Here are a few to watch out for.
Bleachers
Instead of killing mold, some companies will simply bleach it, changing its color but not actually killing it. If any mold inspector mentions bleach as a solution, run away.
Door-to-door salespeople
These folks will knock on your door selling you an expensive air purifying unit. They’ll test your home with a Petri dish, show you how much mold and bacteria grow on it and justify the result as a reason for you to fork out major cash. What they don’t tell you is that mold and bacteria grow everywhere. Inside or outside, with or without a filter, mold can appear.
House saboteurs
These guys are sneaky. While performing an inspection, they’ll close your windows, crank your showers, and do everything possible to create a humid, mold-fostering environment. That way, they’ll have more detectable mold to show you in test results and try to use that as justification for mold remediation.
Moldy home owners
Make sure you thoroughly inspect a home for mold or, better yet, hire an environmental consulting firm to do so before you buy! Many home owners with flooded, moldy basements will try to mask the problems with air fresheners or by painting over the damage.
Ozone scammers
This is a particularly nasty one. These con artists use ozone gas to kill mold – but ozone doesn’t penetrate walls and hard surfaces. It won’t kill any mold that isn’t exposed. Also, killing the mold isn’t enough. It can hurt you, dead or alive. Lastly, as you probably know, ozone isn’t good for you.
Particle counters
Particle counting tools test indoor air quality not just by accounting for mold spores, but also by testing for pollen, dust, dander and so on. The results are inaccurate as there are too many variables. They can’t prove anything about the presence of mold.
Test fraud artists
These folks use a simple but effective method. They’ll simply show you phony mold test results and trick you into thinking you have a mold problem.
If you’re looking to hire a mold removal company, make sure you check its qualifications. If it isn’t certified by organizations such as the American Indoor Air Quality Council or the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration in Microbial Remediation, it could be a scam operation. Choose a company with a trusted reputation.
Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in remedying environmental hazards such as mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation.You’ll be glad you did!
Tags: Canada, GTA, Mold Scam, Mold Scams, Ontario, Toronto
Posted in Mold Removal | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 8th, 2011
Cooler doesn’t always mean healthier.
Air conditioners are often something we associate with indoor air quality. On muggy, summer days, like the ones lying ahead in the Greater Toronto Area over the next few months, it feels easier to breathe in an air-conditioned home. However, if you don’t take proper precautions, you could end up breathing more harmful air indoors than outdoors.
As we kick our A/C units into high gear, we often work to fix cracks, seal windows, and do everything we can to keep the outside air out. It’s considered sacrilege if any air escapes from a crevice in a windowsill above your portable air conditioner, right? We’ve all been there.
However, if you haven’t had an environmental consulting firm inspect your indoor air, you could be sealing countless toxins inside with you. That’s concerning considering that we spend, on average, 72 per cent of our entire lives indoors.
So what should you do to make sure you aren’t trapping unhealthy air in your house this summer? The first step is to have experts examine your home. That process could include indoor air quality inspections, lead testing, mold removal, or any other actions that help eliminate environmentally hazardous agents.
Once you’ve done that, it’s a good idea to ventilate your home either at night or during periods when you aren’t there. Energy recovery ventilators are also known to increase air quality while also decreasing electricity costs, as they recover energy lost during ventilation.
There’s nothing wrong with cranking the A/C on a muggy summer day in the GTA. Just don’t forget to air out your house once in a while. And keep tabs on your indoor air quality!
Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in remedying environmental hazards such as mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation.
Tags: indoor air quality, Indoor Air Quality Testing Toronto, Lead testing, mold removal
Posted in Indoor Air Quality, Lead Testing, Mold Removal | No Comments »
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