Is Your Home Healthy?

We all want our home to be perfect. We work on the décor, on the furnishings and on the yard hoping to create that dream home for the family. We think about all of these things a great deal. How many of you have spent hours looking for just the right carpet for the smallest bedroom, the perfect shade of paint for your kitchen or just the right lamps for the lounge? These are the things that really matter to us. The things we really care about. However, in spending so much time on the trappings that come with dressing the home we might just be overlooking something much more important. Have you even considered whether or not your home is actually healthy?

I expect that the answer is no, and I also expect you are now asking yourself how can a home be unhealthy? Well the answer is simple! There are a number of different things which could be making your home unhealthy for you and the other inhabitants. Unseen dangers which could be affecting your home include lead based paint, asbestos, toxic mold and many others. If any of these are present within your home then it could be having a detrimental effect on the quality of the air you are breathing.

Mold in particular is highly dangerous. There are several different species each with their own risks.

Stachybotrys

The Stachybotrys species of mold thrives in water damaged building materials including wall insulation, sheet rock, wallpaper and ceiling tiles. It tends to go unnoticed for long periods. This particular mold is black and slimy in appearance and produces mycotoxins which are extremely toxic and have been linked to cancer. These are also known to suppress the human body's natural defenses against infections.

Aspergillus

Another common household mold is the Aspergillus species which can grow at an alarming rate on a huge number of surfaces. When this type of mold is inhaled it can grow inside the lungs causing various diseases.

Cladosporium

The Cladosporium variety of mold is usually found on fiberglass and appears dark green or black with a velour like or chalky texture This type of mold causes skin lesions, sinus infection, asthma and respiratory disease.

I would recommend that any home owner have a professional service come in and perform a mold detection sweep just to be on the safe side. A healthy home is a happy home!