Buena Vista 

 OK what is wrong with this picture?

 With the big push to build faster and cheaper the most important resource in the construction process is neglected.

 Building Industry leaders and government officials need to do better in training our hard working future carpenters and construction workers.

stick framing ready for a roof and stucco cladding

 Canada has huge changes in climate zones across their beautiful country.

Building officials and industry leaders work together to developing better building envelope technology for consumers.

Canada and the United States were the first countries to really face the leaky building problem in modern construction.

 North America and Europe

 Richard Morey BSc MBA

Consultant mold green architecture project costing

Richard Morey has had a life time interest in issues associated with mold and defective buildings. This keen interest in toxic mold and construction defects generally have made him quite the expert in building envelope technology.

In the following article Richard gives a few insights into the shadowy world of Toxic Mold.

MOLD: What is it all about?

Mold has certainly made its way into people's homes as well as the headlines recently.  Many people still don't fully understand the health hazards of fungal exposure.  The term toxic mold is somewhat misleading as it exudes an idea that certain molds are toxic, when actually certain types of molds produce secondary metabolites that produce toxins.  The correct term is mycotoxins.  Airborne mycomycotoxins can definitely destroy one's health. Sometimes, people are unaware that they are breathing mold spores and mycotoxins until they are very sick. Certain people have a minor allergic reactions to the non-toxic mold, but once you leave the affected area they most likely recover with few serious side effects. However, if they have been exposed to the dangerous molds such as Stachybotrys or Chaetomium, they could suffer from a myriad of serious symptoms and illnesses such as chronic bronchitis, learning disabilities, mental deficiencies, heart problems, cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple chemical sensitivity, bleeding lungs and much more.

Unfortunately, the government has failed to establish guidelines that determine unhealthful amounts of poor indoor air quality standards, making it impossible for thousands of sick people to obtain help during this looming national health crisis.  This is the main reason why so many people are confused about the damage mold can cause.  As most know, many molds can cause allergens that can affect some of the population, but some molds can also cause toxins, which can affect everyone, depending on the length of exposure.  Approximately 25 million Americans suffer from allergic reactions to molds yet most of them don't even realize that when they're sneezing and sniffling the cause could be from fungi.

The molds that produce airborne toxins that can cause serious symptoms, such as breathing difficulties, memory and hearing loss, dizziness, flu-like symptoms, and acid reflux. Common ailments from toxigenic mold---including allergies (hypersensitivity after initial toxicity), and excessive bruising---usually can be treated and reduced after people leave their contaminated environment. Often medication, diet, and other treatment protocols are necessary.  But other health problems may remain permanently, such as brain damage and weakened immune systems.  Eyesight, memory, coordination/balance, and hearing are generally the most common residual effects that often do not improve after treatment in most cases.

Molds can be found wherever there is moisture, oxygen, and something to feed on. In the fall, they grow on rotting logs and fallen leaves, especially in moist, shady areas. In gardens, they can be found in compost piles and on certain grasses and weeds. Molds grow in our homes in moist warm areas like damp basements, closets, and bathrooms, even after the moisture has dried up. Also, molds can grow in places where fresh food is stored, refrigerator drip trays, house plants, humidifiers, garbage pails, mattresses, upholstered furniture, or foam rubber pillows. The worst place that molds can grow, however, is inside wall cavities and flooring of our homes, wherever there may be cellulose materials they can feed on, such as wood, ceiling tiles, or plasterboard, even if they are not visible, and they have sustained water damage at one time or another. This is very common if there has been a plumbing leak or an inadequate roof.

Mold also needs an organic source of food. People might be confused as mold can grow on glass, tile, stainless steel, cookware, etc., but it is generally feeding off of some organic source deposited on this material (oils, film, dirt, skin cells, etc.). The fiberglass insulation which some assume that mold does not grow on their product which is a fairly true statement, however, it grows on the organic debris that become trapped in these products. Mold also grows on things such as wood, fabric, leather, gypsum, fiberboard, drywall, stucco, and many insulation fibrous materials. All molds require some form of moisture to grow however, like temperature, the amount of moisture varies for different species. Some are xerophillic (colonize under very dry conditions) some are xerotolerant (colonize under a wide range of moisture levels) and some are hydrophilic (colonize at high moisture levels). It does not have to be a leak. . . Humidity or moisture content of the substrate can often be sufficient (relative humidity 50% start becoming problematic in many indoor cases). It can spread very easily through any heating and air conditioning system.

Sick buildings are one of the major causes of fungal illness, primarily mycotoxicosis, in industrialized nations today.  The United States is the least developed in fungal illness research and assessment to the community due to the high costs and fear of reprisals, so sadly, most American physicians have little or no education in treating this health crisis.  The average American physician knows only how to identify mold hyphae under a microscope, at best.  Mycotoxicosis, often mistakenly called "Toxic Mold Syndrome" out of ignorance, has reached epidemic proportions at a national level in the United States due to defective construction, lack of regular maintenance, shoddy and inappropriate building materials, ignorance, and lack of government  involvement; all or in part due to the high costs of standard and substandard remediation. 

Richard Morey researches toxic mold issues and construction defects in Canada and the US.

 The Minister for Housing announces start of new contractors license system - November 1, 2007

 Roof tilers early 6am start at work repairing tile on roof after major hail storm

 Sydney Australia March 08

 Hundreds of damaged buildings from huge hail  storm in Sydney

Australia.

Insurance companies took a year to pay out to many consumers

 Hundreds of homes may have cracked tiles from the storms but may not be sufficiently damaged to cause immediate and obvious leaks.

Water will leak for instance into ceiling insulation and sit there for weeks- eventually causing mold in ceilings and walls.

  By the time the leaks have manifest themselves the alloted time for making a claim from a hail storm would have run.

 Have a professional check your building envelope after any major storm just to be sure.

Book an inspection if you think you may have a problem.

Reserve a space at the  next public forum

 MIT sues Frank Gehry for leaky building