Connie Morbach To Be Featured In October “Women’s Health” Magazine!

I’m elated to announce I will be featured in the October issue of the nationally published “Women’s Health” magazine. I had the opportunity to speak with Women’s Health writer Kate Bowers giving my views on the importance of indoor air quality: what are the risks of household pollutants and what can people do to improve indoor air quality and more.

I’m excited to declare the CleanliNEST™ Crusade is picking up national steam. Here’s to everyone breathing easier!

Take a moment to check out the free iPhone and iPod Workout App from Women’s Health at the link below. Nice workout tool at an even nicer price!

Click here for the Women’s Health Workout Lite App

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Raising the Bar Promotes Peace of Mind for Remediation Contractors and Homeowners

While attending a certification course for EPA’s new Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule, I tried to empathize with contractors that were outraged that the government would “force them out of business” due to the increased costs associated with requirements for notification, certifications, documentation, and environmental controls that would be mandatory with the RRP, which was enacted April 22, 2010 .  Understandably, the new lead law, which applies to all residential jobs in homes built prior to 1978, raises concerns that certified contractors could not compete with the bids from the “chuck and a truck” one-man contractors that operate under the radar of building inspectors and state regulators.   However, based on the devastating and permanent damage that lead exposure can have on small children and unborn infants, I would have felt much better about the restoration industry if the expressed fears dealt more with being concerned about causing harm.

I am not fully confident that governmental agencies should be regulating professional standards of care.  Over the last ten years, the uninformed attempts that many state governments have made to set standards for mold exposures convinced me that politicians should not be allowed to “spin” scientific data for the purpose of getting votes.    However, if as professionals, we cannot police our industry, some governmental intervention is necessary to raise awareness and protect the public.

I admit that numerous creative suggestions regarding avoidance of the RRP Rule arose during the class.  One contractor suggested that the demolition part of a job for a home built before 1978 would be performed at no costs, while the re-build portion of the proposal would be elevated to cover the “free” demolition.  This would supposedly eliminate the need to comply with the lead rule because the law applies to work performed “for compensation. “   Another attendee suggested that we should ban together as an industry and protest to Washington about too much governmental intervention.   Too bad the same effort was not spent on trying to figure out how to expedite “doing the right thing”.

The bottom line regarding lead or any other hazards that might be present in the homes where contractors perform any type of repair, renovation, restoration, or remediation is that we have a professional obligation “to do no harm.”    Ethically, this mantra should be part of every contractor’s written or implied mission statement.  It is in fact, the number one cannon in the Code of Ethics for most professional indoor air quality associations, including the Indoor Air Quality Organization and American Industrial Hygiene Association.

Doing the right thing provides peace of mind, which is priceless.

Additional Information at

www.epa.gov/lead

www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/tips.

Crawlspaces & Ventilation: 10 Fun Facts & Random Observations

1. Inside the living space of a property, proper ventilation is absolutely crucial to the health, safety, and overall comfort of the occupants inside the home.

2.  Standards and guidelines have been established to specify minimum ventilation rates and other measures intended to provide indoor air quality that is acceptable to human occupants and that minimizes adverse health effects. More info here:  http://eetd.lbl.gov/ie/viaq/v_rates_1.html

3.  Improving the overall air quality inside a property can be achieved by two methods:

•    Exhausting air contaminants from the building
•    Removing contaminants from the air stream using filtration and/or absorption technologies (i.e. HEPA filtration and activated carbon)

Since most residential properties do not have access to proper filtration or absorption technologies, exhaust ventilation is most practical and commonly used.

4. In addition to improper ventilation, excessive or chronic water intrusion into the property, especially the crawlspace, will contribute to the growth of certain microorganisms.  This can lead to mold infestation impacting Indoor Air Quality, and even more destructive structural damage such as wood decay or dry rot.

5. Water intrusion into the crawlspace will often cause damage to flooring systems (i.e. cupping of hardwood floors, grout separation in tile floors, etc.), wood decay, and oxidation or rusting of metal strapping/hardware.

6. Water enters a crawlspace in either liquid or vapor phase by four moisture transfer mechanisms:

•    Liquid water (i.e. plumbing/sewer leaks, high groundwater table, drainage or exterior flooding)
•    Capillary suction or wicking (i.e. moisture being drawn through concrete footing from saturated exterior soils)
•    High moisture laden air (i.e. elevated humidity from atmospheric conditions entering the crawlspace through vents)
•    Vapor diffusion (i.e. moisture in the vapor phase moving through building materials)

7. Most properties are constructed with vents that are intended to remove moisture from the air in a crawlspace by cross-ventilation.   However, the introduction of moist air from outdoors can actually increase the relative humidity in a crawlspace.

8. Due to stack effect and vapor diffusion, which is a very powerful force, moisture in a crawlspace will seek dry areas.  When moist air comes in contact with  a surface that is colder than the  air, condensation will occur.  Condensation can develop on uninsulated plumbing pipes in the crawlspace, on the underside of a sub-floor, or even the attic roof deck.  Interestingly, many houses with exposed wet soil in a crawlspace also have mold and water damage due to condensation on the underside of the roof deck. 

9. If vapor diffusion from the soil, water intrusion from poor drainage, unmitigated plumbing leaks, or infiltration of moist air exist in a crawlspace, one or more of the following is usually observed:

•   Surface mold growth, structural damage, and health issues
•   Termite or other pest infiltration
•   Accumulation of odors  
•   Termite or other pest infestation

10.  The best way to mitigate crawlspace moisture is to treat the crawlspace as a conditioned space by (1) insulating walls with foam panels, (2) seal the crawlspace floor and walls with heavy gauge polyethylene or vinyl encapsulation system, with the seams sealed tightly at all edges and overlaps, (3) seal the rim joists with two-part closed cell foam.

Creepy Crawlspace: A Major Source of Contamination In 9 out of 10 Homes

What can you expect to find in a typical crawlspace? It has been determined, after reviewing thousands of air samples collected from properties with occupants that suffer from poor indoor air quality, that the source of contamination in 9 out of 10 homes comes from a poorly ventilated crawlspace. Common environmental contaminants found in crawlspaces include mold contamination, radon gas, pathogenic bacteria, fiberglass, pesticides, foul odors, asbestos fibers, raw sewage, and/or rodent excretions. Although some of these contaminants are classified as allergens, some are classified as carcinogens, which is why evaluating these air contaminants is important and significant.

If it’s in your crawlspace, it’s in your home! Studies have shown that approximately 40%-50% of the air inside the home generates from the crawlspace. Contaminated crawlspace air will enter the home through pressurization differentials or a condition known as the “Stacking Effect.” Inside a house, warm air rises (especially in multi-story properties) which then reduces the pressure in the base of the house (i.e. crawlspace or basement). This reduction in pressure then forces cooler air from the crawlspace to infiltrate the home through plumbing and electrical penetrations, through cracks or seams in flooring, and up into wall cavities.

During property inspections, crawlspaces are often the most overlooked and under-inspected areas of a property, yet they continue to be the source of more damage than any other area of the house. Crawlspaces are a major source of indoor air quality (IAQ) problems and should be one of the first places you and/or your IAQ Specialist inspect when trying to determine any suspect indoor air quality issues.

The Surgeon General’s Call to Action Report Promotes Healthy Homes

The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to promote Healthy Homes Report looks at the many ways housing can affect health. The purpose of the report is to initiate a national dialogue about the importance of healthy homes. “The home is the centerpiece of American life,” said Steven K. Galson, then acting Surgeon General at the time of the report. “We can prevent many diseases and injuries that result from health hazards in the home by following the simple steps outlined in this Call to Action.” The report urges Americans to “improve air quality in their homes by installing radon and carbon monoxide detectors, eliminating smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke, and controlling allergens that contribute to asthma and mold growth.”

Follow the link here http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bookshelf/br.fcgi?book=hssurggen&part=cta-home to view the entire Healthy Home Report from teh surgeon General’s office.

They “Mite” Be Giants: 6 Helpful Tips To Do Battle With Dust Mite Allergies

Studies have shown that the dust mite lives in areas in our home that are moist and warm. Forty thousand dust mites account for one ounce of mattress dust. They descend on our bedding because when we sleep our bodies shed skin, this skin is nourishment to the dust mite. Dust Mites are not necessarily harmful, unless you are allergic to them. Symptoms for allergic reaction would be runny nose, itchy eyes, asthma, or a rash. If you are allergic to dust mites then you should follow these steps.

Step 1: Survey your home and interior and note areas where dust mites hide, bedding, cloth sofa, drapes, carpets. Determine if your budget will permit you to replace these soft surface items to hard surface items such as wood blinds, leather sofa, and wood or tile floors. Prioritize the rooms in your home by the time that you spend in each room,the bedroom would be the first room that would have a makeover, TV room second, kitchen, dining room and such would follow on the list.

Step 2: Cover the mattress, box springs and pillows with allergen protective covers. These protective covers prevent the dust mite from penetrating and hiding in your bedding. Wash bed linens and comforter once a week to remove dust mites from fabric.

Step 3: Depending on the severity of your dust mite allergies you may want to cover your floors with a thin textured fiber carpet and invest in a Hepa filter vacuum that removes mold, pet dander and dust mite allergens. All fiber floor coverings will need to be steamed cleaned once a month to remove the dust mites that hide in the fibers. If you suffer from severe allergic reaction to dust mite you need to remove the fiber floor coverings and replace with a hard surface.

Step 4: Remove fiber window coverings and replace with a hard surface blind or shutter. Replace your upholstered furniture with leather or vinyl. Leather is more durable and the dust mites will have no place to hide. If leather is not in your budget, invest in a vacuum with allergen filter and vacuum your upholstered furniture twice a week. For severe allergies steam clean the upholstered furniture seasonally.

Step 5: Cover your nose and mouth with a ventilator mask before you dust your home. Remove the dust from your hard surfaces with a dust and allergen product. Use it on your wood furniture, cabinets and other hard surfaces. By using a product that is effective in controlling dust mites, you will be preventing a dust build up and thus reducing an allergic reaction.

Step 6: Replace your air duct filters with allergen protective filters. Change air filters four times a year or as recommended. Remove dust and other air borne irritants with an air purifier. Place the air purifier in the bedroom and an additional unit in the living area of your home.

What’s in Household Dust? Don’t Ask! Time Magazine Reports.

There’s a higher ick factor to dust than you might think. And there’s a science to how it gets around — a science that David Layton and Paloma Beamer, professors of environmental policy at the University of Arizona, are exploring. Here’s the link to the story: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1966870,00.html