The Zika Virus Brings New Mosquito Scare Warmer days are approaching and your tropical spring break is only weeks away. As a result, mosquito-borne illnesses like the Zika virus are catching your attention. The Centers for Disease Control recently escalated the Zika virus to Level 1 status. Naturally, this is raising concern across the US– and especially […]
7 Secrets To Good Indoor Air Quality During Winter
If Your Home Could Talk, What Would It Say? In these winter months, when we expect more extreme weather and temperature swings, many of us depend on our homes to keep us warm, healthy and happy. Your home is trying to do its part, but there may be good days and bad days. If your […]
Out on a Limb: Tree Maintenance
A truck, chainsaw, and ambition isn’t enough when it comes to tree maintenance.As the leaves fall, I’ll go out on a limb and guess you’ve put off taking care of those dead tree limbs you noticed last spring. Frankly, lots of us put off arboreal concerns until we get a storm warning, like the one […]
Are your fall allergies actually due to fall mold?
Most people are surprised to learn that their fall allergy symptoms are in fact a reaction to fall mold. My clients tend to associate mold with the warm damp months of summer, but in reality fall is an active season for mold spores. You might ask, “How can this be? I thought mold needed moisture […]
Making the Green Home a Healthier Home
I am often called by local homeowners to conduct a healthiness review of their Energy Star, Green Built, Healthy Built, or LEED Certified home. Despite living in an eco-home, many homeowners are still experiencing unhealthy symptoms: Odors, congestion, coughing, fever, shortness of breath, fatigue, headache, fogginess of thought. Some occupants have confirmed healthiness challenges like allergies, […]
How to Prevent Mold in Your Home
Do you know how to prevent toxic mold in your home? Wetness and dampness are the primary culprits behind mold activity. In the southeast mountain region, where rainfall is heavy and the humidity is thick, this creates a big problem. When you open up your windows to cool off the house, the outdoor air ventilation […]
How a Deep Spring Cleaning Could Improve Your Health
It’s springtime! We throw open all the windows and doors, the sun is warm, the air is fresh and it feels wonderful, especially after being confined indoors during some of the coldest winter days on record. We can now appreciate the freshness of the new year and we want to freshen up the inside of […]
Spring Allergies May Suggest It’s Time to Take Care of Mold
The warm, damp weather of spring lies only days ahead. For many western North Carolinians, the lingering flu-like symptoms of seasonal allergies won’t be far behind. But did you know spring allergies may have little to do with flowering trees and plants? Instead, the allergen responsible may be mold. As we live in a deciduous […]
