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Controlling Mould

July 7, 2015 by Grassroots Leave a Comment

Controlling mould is an important step in maintaining your home’s indoor air quality. In order for mould to grow, high moisture levels are required. Keeping your house “dry” should reduce the chances of any serious problems taking hold. Try and maintain the relative humidity (Rh) in your home at about 40% whenever possible. Moulds usually require a humidity level of at least 50% to grow and growth under 65% is not common. If mould growth is noticed, remove it using a solution of bleach and water. A “drop” of detergent can be added but don’t add too much because detergent is “sticky” and a great breeding ground for mould. If you can, try and determine the cause of the problem.

Mould and the cleaning/removal of it have serious health and safety concerns related to it. Always take the proper precautions and wear proper attire when cleaning it (e.g. protective gloves, respirator, etc.). If you’re allergic to mould don’t clean it. For some, simply touching mould can cause severe allergic reactions and in extreme cases fatalities.

Here are some items you can try which should help keep your home free from mould and its related health problems.

  • Make sure your exterior walls, basement, and, attic are insulated and have vapour barriers
  • Check the venting of your heating system
  • Clean and maintain humidifiers & dehumidifiers
  • Don’t use carpet in high moisture areas like the bathroom, kitchen and laundry room
  • Check for mould growth on window ledges, bathtubs, showers and other high moisture areas
  • Don’t dry laundry indoors on a line
  • Don’t keep damp laundry around
  • Don’t overcrowd closets or cabinets and allow air to circulate
  • Dry off shower and bath surrounds after every use
  • Use exhaust fans in the bathroom and kitchen.
  • Use a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) or air exchanger to exhaust moist, stale inside air and replace it with fresh outside air.

Filed Under: All, Information Bulletins, Safety & Environmental Tagged With: bathroom, humidity, indoor air quality, kitchen, laundry room, mould

Renovation and Repair Work – Suggestions & Tips #123

July 10, 2015 by Grassroots Leave a Comment

 

There are a number of things you should do before you pay for renovation and repair work – before you have that roof re-done, a kitchen renovation, the new laundry room built or foundation repaired. We know this all too well, as we get called in after the fact to provide litigation support / dispute resolution services.

While we recommend that your hire a private independent inspector at the beginning of the process, before the renovation or repair work begins, suffice it to say you should at least get it inspected before you pay! Once you have paid for the work, should there be anything wrong it can take considerable time & effort to recoup those monies if need be.

Whether its a renovation, new construction or repair work, having an inspector involved before contracts are signed & work starts and during the construction phases is the best way to go. Have the inspector review your quotes to see if you are comparing apples to apples.  An inspector can assist you in ensuring you get what you contracted for and help you ensure that the work is carried out as expected. They can assist you in determining whether the work done might void any manufacturer’s warranties / guarantees.

It’s far more expensive to remedy a problem after the fact…an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Before you start and renovation and repair work, call the professionals!

Filed Under: All, Attics, Bathrooms, Bedrooms, Electrical, Exterior, Exterior Issues, Fireplaces & Chimneys, Foundations & Basements, Insulation, Insurance & Legal, Interior Issues, Kitchen, Laundry, Main Living Spaces, Outbuildings, Plumbing, Property & Site, Roof, Staircases, Suggestions & Tips Tagged With: bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, new construction, re-shingle, renovation, repair work

Venting Gas Cooktops / Ranges – Suggestions & Tips #154

August 21, 2015 by Grassroots Leave a Comment

gas cooktop range

Do gas cooktops or gas ranges need to be vented to the exterior of the home? You might be surprised to learn that venting gas cooktops (for example, via a range hood) is not required in the province of Ontario and other jurisdictions. A vent is however recommended to remove excess heat, steam, grease, smoke and odours.

Cooktops, stovetops & ranges (sometimes called stoves) require have a minimum clearance to combustible materials regardless if they’re gas or electric. Further, Gas Code requires these gas appliances be installed to manufacturer’s specifications.

While gas cooktops / ranges can vent directly into a home, newer homes require a range hood vent as part of the home’s ventilation system. Even though these gas cooktops / ranges burn cleaner than they once did, we recommend venting moisture and harmful by-products of combustion to the exterior of the home in order to make your indoor quality air as healthy as possible. Of course, carbon monoxide (CO) detectors are a must with all fossil fuel (e.g. natural gas, propane, oil, wood, etc.) burning appliances in your home.

Thinking of buying a home with a gas cooktop / range or already own one and unsure what to do? Protect yourself…get it inspected!

Filed Under: All, Kitchen, Safety & Environmental, Suggestions & Tips Tagged With: cooktop, gas, kitchen, range, stove

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