In the wake of a severe event like Helene, it’s hard not to worry about your family’s health. Let’s talk about the impact of wildlife likely to invade our homes, the health risks they bring, and what we can do about the situation.
Common Sense Approaches To Electromagnetic Field Radiation Effects At Home
You might not think much about the invisible forces surrounding you, but electromagnetic field (EMF) radiation is a constant presence in your home. Every time you use your smartphone, turn on your Wi-Fi, or switch on a microwave, you’re interacting with electromagnetic fields. Increasingly, those of us in the home environmental health field recognize the […]
Navigating Post-Helene Disaster Repairs: What We’re Seeing Now
Here we are, facing yet another wave of disaster—not just from the storm itself. The effort to help stabilize as many people and homes as quickly as possible is nothing short of heroic. The overwhelming need for remediation creates a tough situation across the entire region. When disaster strikes, the immediate focus is on emergency […]
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. […]
Squirrels in the Attic? Your Home Health and Safety May Be at Risk
Squirrels driving you nuts? If these enchanting little rodents have moved in overhead to shelter from winter weather, respond quickly. Your home’s healthiness and safety may be at stake. Squirrel problems are nothing to take lightly. Those cute little critters can chew through shingles, roof tiles, and wooden support beams. Also, they cause serious damage […]
Common Scents: Artificial Seasonal Aromas May Worsen Indoor Air Quality
Nothing says holiday like the scents of the season, don’t you think? But too often, today’s seasonal aromas are not those found in nature. Instead, they’re made up of chemically derived ingredients that can be harmful to indoor air quality and our health. We all love the comforting, warming aromas of pumpkin spice, apple pie. […]
Four Easy Ways to Get Lice Out of Your Family’s House – Fast!
As school rings in across western North Carolina, teachers, students and families look forward to a host of new, shared experiences. With the coming of fall, furry caps and wooly coats comes the inevitable gift of togetherness: head lice. Oh, my! My skin starts to crawl just thinking about head lice. Doubtless, an itch or […]
Got Ants? Make Them A Partner In Your Home Healthiness Investigation.
Ants can be a problem in your home. But they can also point the way to hidden healthiness challenges. When you were a kid, did you ever wonder why those ants were marching one by one? As a home healthiness examiner, I have learned a surprising truth! Those pesky ants are actually our friends, yours […]
Can You Overseal Your House?
Home Ventilation Should Balance Indoor Air Quality with Environmental Conditions In Western North Carolina, specific environmental conditions impact air quality, which can affect your family’s healthiness at home. These conditions – common to the southern Appalachians – include: Left unchecked, these environmental conditions can make your house – and its inhabitants – sick, complicating respiratory […]
Saint Nick’s Winter Healthiness Checklist
Whether Santa slides down the chimney at your house or lets himself in with a magic key, there’s more to getting ready for his visit than setting out the milk and cookies. A couple of weeks back, I got an email from an old friend. Let’s call him Nicholas. Last Christmas, it took him quite […]