United States Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin is urging Americans to learn about the dangers of asbestos exposure during Asbestos Awareness Week 2013 (April 1-7). For us, every week is asbestos awareness week. Linda Reinstein, president of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), says  the United States continues to endanger public health by importing asbestos, a known carcinogen. Reinstein says, “I am especially concerned about workers exposed to asbestos during…

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A look at mold problems after Hurricane Sandy from WNYC: Michael Reilly, Director of the Division of Planning and Response at the National Center for Disaster Preparedness and Assistant Professor of Clinical Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public, talks about the threat of mold in buildings after Hurricane Sandy, and what it could mean for public health during the ongoing recovery. Listen below: Do you have questions about…

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Imagine you’re sitting in your office when you notice a drip-drip-drip. You get the trash can out and put it under the leak-problem solved! Or is it? Does that water touch anything that supports mold growth, like the gypsum board ceiling or your ceiling tile? Do you notice odors after it rains? Do you notice dark fuzzy stuff around the leak or on your air conditioning vents? Mold might not…

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Buyer beware: The Louisiana State Board of Home Inspectors Standards and Practice doesn’t require home inspectors to disclose hazardous materials in homes–including asbestos, mold, and even harmful toxic drywall. Check out the story below (link): Law shows home inspectors not required to tell buyers about mold, asbestos on.wdsu.com/WICKV9 — wdsu (@wdsu) February 18, 2013 The reason the for this? Home inspectors are not accredited inspectors for asbestos, mold, and toxic…

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The importance of building green or implementing green initiatives in existing buildings is on everyone’s mind. The top three outcomes building owners want to achieve by going green are: 1) Lowering operating costs (energy savings). 2) Having a healthier indoor environment (indoor air quality). 3) Helping the environment. I’ve written about energy savings, but how does indoor air quality (IAQ) tie into the equation? Energy savings and its effect on…

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I don’t often read The New York Times, but when I do, I usually find something interesting like an article that details an innovative way to use bales of hay as a building material. The Big Bad Wolf and The Three Little Pigs come to mind, but in all seriousness using straw and plaster is not a bad way to utilize a renewable building material as long as you build…

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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) are coming under increasing pressure to address what some call hazardous working conditions in exposure to silica. NPR has an interesting piece detailing both sides of the debate for new silica exposure limits. Silica exposure can cause a fatal lung disease called Silicosis. Some experts estimate hundreds of workers die each year from Silicosis, although…

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Five Quick Tips for Stopping and Preventing Mold 1) Identify problem areas and stop active leaks and condensation. Too often the owner throws money at indoor air quality problems or remediates mold before identifying and curing the source of the odor or moisture. Get to the source of moisture-and stop it! Then remediate (if necessary). 2) Conduct Preventative Maintenance. We recommend that you seal around all doors, windows, roof and wall penetrations. 3) Control…

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The doctor’s not always right, and here’s your second opinion. If you’re like me, every once in a while you run across a news story that gets you pretty wound up. Sometimes you let it go. Other times you might post a link to Facebook or Tweet about it, or maybe write a blog post. Last month I read a post on The Daily Beast that compelled me to write….

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…But you might be sorrier if you don’t. I got a call last week to visit a project site where the Owner is renovating a gym built in the ’30s and turning it into a library. The Contractor has gutted the building, and as it turns out, there was felt paper and granular material beneath the hardwood floor (treated with creosote) that acted as a damp proofing layer for the gym floor….

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