As the warm, sunny weather lifts your spirits in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, there’s an unseen health risk lurking in the air. The floods have left behind a thick layer of mud, and as it dries, fine particles are becoming airborne, creating clouds of toxic dust. While the gentle breeze feels refreshing, it’s carrying […]
Now, We Need To Talk About Sick House Syndrome [Event Announcement!]
Join us on August 8, 2024, at 4 PM EST when Rick offers a live, one-hour webinar, “Sick House? Get Expert Advice About Where To Begin.” Admission free; registration required. Do you or others in your home have symptoms that seem to evaporate when you leave? Then it’s likely your home is causing those symptoms. […]
Mold Growth Is Western North Carolina’s “Quiet Ecological Disaster” of Devastating Proportions
Consistently high dew points and weeks of warm temperatures result in a regional increase of indoor mold growth, worsening health conditions, and rising costs into the tens of millions. That’s why I think it’s fair to assert that Western North Carolina is in the middle of a quiet ecological disaster of devastating proportions. Right now, […]
Chronic Allergies? Cockroaches Should Be On the List of Culprits
If you’re a hunter kitty, that fast moving, flying American cockroach, known as a “palmetto bug,” or its smaller, particularly invasive German cousin sure looks like fun. But what you and I know that kitty does not is that cockroaches are not only not fun, they’re also not healthy. In western North Carolina, allergens such […]
Think Secondhand Doesn’t Matter? Think Again!
The advertisement for a secondhand item on Etsy reads “comes from a home with secondhand smoke.” Secondhand smoke is a mixture of the smoke exhaled by smokers and that given off by lighted tobacco products like cigarettes and cigars. The box of vintage microscope slides one of my colleagues is considering as a gift for […]
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, […]