38 | November 2019
They called me because the basement smelled musty and
they were worried that mold growth there was causing their
symptoms.
While we were talking at the site, they admitted that
when they used the house on a part-time basis, they turned
the heat way down - just high enough to prevent the pipes
from freezing. Then they'd open up the house on week-
ends and fill it with moisture from cooking and showering.
They also used two wood-burning stoves on the first floor,
and on top of each one they placed a pot of water to keep
the air in the house moist.
I found mold growth in their heirloom carpets, on their
family antiques, in the couch where they sat together in
the evenings, and even on some of their personal posses-
sions such as clothing in closets and books on shelves.
Yes, the basement had a minor mold problem, but the cou-
ple's greatest mold-exposure threats were in the rooms
where they lived.
The expression "penny wise and pound foolish" is cred-
ited to the 27th century scholar Robert Burton. In this case,
the couple saved money on heat but now faced an expen-
sive mold clean-up and remediation.
Rather than deal with an indoor-air-quality problem
once it's developed, it's worth investing in proactive steps
that help keep our indoor environments healthier in the
first place.
Founder and Principal Scientist of May Indoor Air Investiga-
tions LLC in Tyngsborough, MA (www.mayindoorair.com),
Jeffrey C. May combines his education as an organic chem-
ist and his over twenty-five years of experience investigating
building problems to specialize in indoor air quality (IAQ).
He is a former Adjunct Faculty Member in the Department
of Work Environment at University of Massachusetts Lowell,
and is author or co-author of four books on indoor air quality
(published by The Johns Hopkins University Press), including
My House is Killing Me: The Home Guide for Families with
Allergies and Asthma. Jeff is a nationally recognized speaker
at annual conferences for the IAQ Association and the Maine
IAQ Council, among others. He is a Council-Certified Microbial
Consultant (ACAC) and a Certified IAQ Professional (AEE),
and is licensed in the NH and FL as a mold inspector/asses-
sor. Jeff holds a B.A. from Columbia College (chemistry) and
an M.A. from Harvard University (organic chemistry). See
http://www.mayindoorair.com for details about Jeff's compa-
ny's services, and www.myhouseiskillingme.com for more in-
formation about Jeff's publications and work. You can contact
Jeff at jeff@mayindoorair.com or call 978-649-1055.
I can't list all the tips I can offer
you in an article of this length, so I
encourage you to refer to our book
Jeff May's Healthy Home Tips, which
offers space for you to keep a writ-
ten record of steps you've taken to
improve the quality of the indoor air in
your home.
Available on amazon.com.
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