Pardee Environmental

New car smell? New house smell? Although new cars and homes can smell pleasant, it doesn't mean the gases you are smelling are good for you, far from it. Most people don't realize that those "new" smells are created by products offgassing Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's) and these compounds can be detrimental to ones health if exposed long enough and in high enough concentrations. I had a client recently who had just moved into her newly built home and I was there to look at the mold growth in the basement caused by a typical construction industry flaw where they pour a concrete basement and they don't give it enough time to cure before they build the house on top of it, which traps the evaporating water coming from the concrete leading to mold growth on the wood joists and decking. I see this a lot. The good news for my client is that the basement had since dried out, the mold has gone dormant and she and her family were not being exposed to high levels of airborne mold. However, my multimeter did detect unsafe levels of VOC's and formaldehyde which are caused by the building materials (laminated wood, varnish, paints, stains etc.) and new furniture off gassing and these gasses then accumulate in the home leading to unhealthy conditions. I recommended keeping the windows open when possible and to utilize activated carbon filters in her HVAC system for at least the first year until everything has finished the off gassing process. So if you have a new car, leave the windows open as much as possible or flip the air conditioner to bring in outside air in lieu of recycling it. And if you have a brand new home or did any sort of major remodeling (new carpet, furniture etc.) you should bring in as much fresh air as came be done safely and you should consider adding an activated carbon filter, which absorbs VOC's, to your HVAC filter until the VOV's have fully dissipated. Feel free to reach out if you have any concerns about the environment in your home.

OPEN YOUR WINDOWS!

Today is a perfect day to open your windows and "burp" your residence. Over the winter, so many contaminants can build up in your home, including radon, mold spores, formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds (VOC's), smoke fumes and scented products to name a few. It's always a good idea to open your windows when weather permits and vent off the unwanted airborne contaminants. Enjoy this beautiful day!!!

Although I understand the principle energy efficiency of utilizing the earth for insulation, I don't think a lot of homeowners, architects and engineers understand the pitfalls of this concept.

I've had many clients over the years from homeowners to schools and office buildings that have utilized earthen embankments for its thermal properties. On paper, it's a sound idea but in practical terms I've found that more often than not, it leads to ground moisture intrusion and mold growth. In order for this design to be successful, the waterproofing on the outside of the wall has to be designed and installed to be absolutely bulletproof. Any defect in installation or deficiency in design will eventually lead to mold growth largely because of the use of traditional building materials in the building, such as wood and drywall, two materials that mold thrives on.

If you are determined to use an earthen embankment design, my advice comes down to two critically important points:

1. Make sure the waterproofing system is designed to meet the challenges and is properly installed.
2. Make sure the building materials used to finish off the exterior walls that abut the embankment are mold resistant and the interstitial space is vented so as to prevent moisture entrapment.

The second piece of advice goes double for homes with a finished basement. I've had dozens of clients with basements finished with wood and drywall that are found to be growing mold behind the exterior walls everywhere the basement waterproofing system is failing and we have to come in and take out the bottom four feet of drywall, sanitize the space and reinstall sheetrock or fiberglass panels including passive venting to allow the moisture seeping in from outside to be managed by the basement dehumidifier.

If you have either an earthen embankment outside or a finished basement in your home, school or office building, there's a good chance that mold is growing behind the walls that is likely affecting the health of those who inhabit that building.