As our kids (big and small) return back to the hallowed halls of academia, pulling on backpacks and sharpening pencils, the indoor air quality of their learning environment certainly isn’t on their minds. A school both new and old can have harmful indoor air quality that may be affecting your child’s ability to learn as well as their health. Most people know that outdoor air pollution is bad for our health, but in indoor environments, pollutants that affect indoor air quality can be two to five times higher than outdoor levels. Since we all spend nearly 90% of our lives indoors, making sure that the indoor air quality of our schools is beneficial to both our children and their teachers. Poor indoor air quality in school buildings can be caused by many things. Many old schools are plagued by mold growth, which happens when moisture and poor air circulation meet organic materials, like insulation, the grout in bathrooms, or even school books and other paper materials. Mold can be haz...

The dew point is the temperature at which moisture in the air will condense on a surface. It fluctuates with the outdoor temperature and relative humidity, which have an inverse relationship to each other.  Because cold air can hold less moisture than warm air, as the temperature falls the relative humidity rises and, when the temperature of a surface falls enough, it reaches the dew point—which is 100% relative humidity—and condensation forms.  The window glass of an air conditioned home will be cooler than the outdoor air on a warm morning and reaches the dew point temperature before other outdoor surfaces.  Occasionally, we get asked the question “Why do I have condensation when my windows are insulated?” An insulated window still has some heat/cold transmission, and the exterior glass surface will still be slightly cooler because of the chilled indoor air. Trying to determine why one window has condensate on it and a nearby one does not can get complicated due...

Forest fire smoke can affect your health. Persons with respiratory or heart conditions, such as asthma, can experience worsened symptoms during minor and severe smoke events. During severe smoke events even healthy individuals can be affected and may experience irritation of the eyes, throat and possibly shortness of breath. Everyone – and in particular those with pre‐existing respiratory or heart conditions – should monitor their symptoms and seek medical care if symptoms worsen. Who is at risk? Those with pre‐existing heart and respiratory conditions such as asthma are most at risk; however, everyone can be at risk during a severe smoke event and should monitor their symptoms. Take appropriate precautionary measures and seek medical care if symptoms worsen. How do I protect myself? During a severe smoke event: Reduce or avoid strenuous outdoor activities – especially if you experience symptoms such as coughing and throat irritation. Children, the elderly and those with...

Inspect it All  performs Mould Inspections in Southern Saskatchewan. Contact us for more information It’s a well-known fact that mould tends to grow in homes and especially in the bathroom. The damp and low-light conditions in the bathroom allows mould to thrive if these conditions remain the same. The good news is that controlling the moisture in the bathroom and cleaning it frequently will greatly reduce mould growth. Below are several key tips for preventing and removing bathroom mould. How to prevent mould: Keeping the humidity levels below 55%. Since mould thrives in moist conditions, it’s important to keep humidity under control. Ventilating the bathroom after a shower or bath by turning on a fan or by using the bathroom exhaust fan. Opening a window also helps let steam out. Drying wet surfaces, such as mirror, tiles, glass and walls, using a towel or squeegee, after every shower or bath. Cleaning the bathroom surfaces and items (such as the floor, ceili...

Air conditioning units are prone to water leaks and, consequently, water damage. The good news is that performing several maintenance tasks periodically can help to greatly reduce the risk of water damage.  Here are the most common causes for A/C leaks with tips on how to fix and prevent them without professional help: The drain line is clogged  The drain line is a pipe which collects the condensed water that the A/C unit has produced and transports it outside the house. Sometimes, the drain line gets clogged with algae, dirt, mineral deposits and even mould or mildew, causing water to overflow into the home.  If the drain pipes are clogged, a wet-dry vacuum can be used to suck out the water and debris from the outdoor drain pipe.  To prevent drain lines from clogging, a mix of half warm water, half bleach should be poured into the pipe once every 4 to 6 months. Installing an overflow shut off device on the drain line should be considered. The device auto...

Proper air circulation in a home raises its comfort level substantially and provides a healthier indoor environment. Any form of ventilation, whether it’s opening a window or turning on the ceiling fans, reduces indoor pollutants and maintains the desired levels of humidity and temperature.  Below are a few ideas for proper home ventilation: Windows should be opened in the bathroom when using the shower, in the kitchen when cooking, and in rooms where clothes are hanging out to dry. The doors should be kept closed in these areas to prevent air from escaping. During summer, it’s a good idea to open the windows in the mornings and evenings. When not cooking or using the shower, internal doors should be kept open. This allows for airborne particles to circulate freely, maintaining the same level or air quality in the home. In addition, the doors to closets or wardrobes should be kept shut to prevent air from being trapped in a confined space. Using ceiling fans (clockwi...

It’s never too late to take some extra measures to protect your home, especially those who reside in flood-prone areas. If this is your first spring in a new home, ask around the neighbourhood to find out if the area has ever had issues with flooding during heavy spring rainfalls. Occasionally, improper home maintenance may be the culprit in a basement flood, so take the proper steps to prevent an expensive mess in your home! The first place to start is with your roof and eavestroughs. Take a look at your home’s system and make sure things are functioning as they should. Gutters should be free of debris and correctly connected to downspouts to ensure that water is efficiently flowing from the roof. Also ensure that downspouts are carrying water far enough away from your home (about two metres is a good rule of thumb) and depositing it on a surface that slopes away from your foundation. Check the storm sewers on the street near your home, clearing them of any debris. If you ha...

Imagine you’ve just finished cleaning your home…what does it smell like? Fresh and clean or bleachy and toxic? Did you know that the cleaner your home, the more toxic it may actually be? Harmful chemicals in common household cleaners wreak havoc on your respiratory system and some even contain carcinogens. These chemicals are then washed down your drain and make their way into our ground water, wildlife and eventually back into our homes via the food we consume. Using green cleaning products is the best and safest method to keeping your home safe and allergen-free. What is green cleaning you ask? Green cleaning refers to the practice of using environmentally friendly products and procedures which help preserve human health and environmental quality. Using products with ingredients that are naturally occurring and non-harmful to the environment will go a long way in protecting your loved ones, and also the world we live in. With the increase in awareness of the harmful ingredients i...

The last thing you want to do when you step out of a nice warm shower is dry yourself off with a nasty-smelling towel. The stench can be overwhelming, and it really puts a damper on that “fresh from the shower” feeling. Luckily, this problem is easy to solve! With a few strategic cleaning cycles, the musty stench can be a thing of the past. Here’s how: The Golden Towel Rule: Do not let your towels stay wet! For each of these methods, it’s important that the towels are dried immediately. Set a timer to ensure that your clothes are switched from the washing machine to the dryer promptly. If you line dry, hang the wet towels in a sunny spot until they’re completely dry. Method #1: Vinegar Riding Solo Musty, smelly towels don’t play well with others, so give them their own load. Add one cup of white vinegar to the load – no detergent or fabric softener – and run the washer on the hottest possible setting. The vinegar will kill any lingering bacteria. Then, leave the clothes ...

On average, you spend ⅓ of your life sleeping. That means more than ⅓ of your life is spent in your home. For the health of you and your family, you should consider your home a sanctuary. There are small things you can regularly do that will help to keep you healthy - especially as cold season approaches. Get rid of the allergens, dust, and mold in your house today to keep you and your family healthy throughout flu season. Additionally - keeping your home clean and clutter-free will help you mentally attack the upcoming busy holiday season. Everyone talks about spring cleaning, but all year round cleaning is equally important. Here are the 5 places you should start cleaning today for a happy, healthy family: 1. Duct Cleaning Cleaning out your ducts won’t necessarily improve the dust situation in your house, unless you’ve just done a renovation or you’ve built a new house. But it will improve energy efficiency, improve air quality in certain circumstances, and will improve ai...

Hazardous chemicals can be found in a variety of environments, even within the safety of a home. Over the years, these “hidden” substances can affect the occupants’ health in several ways. Below is a list of some of the most notable of these dangers, including tips on how to prevent them: 1. Lead causes serious health issues and can often be found in lead-based paints (in older homes), soil, dust and tap water (if the home has lead pipes). The members of a family should be tested for lead levels, and, in the case of older homes, hiring a certified contractor to remove lead paint is recommended. 2. Mould exposure is especially harmful to those with respiratory diseases. Mould grows in damp areas with poor ventilation. A professional company, such as Inspect it All can be hired to check the levels and type of mould in your home and recommend next steps to remove it. 3. Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a toxic gas released from burning organic fuel in wood stoves, fireplaces, gas heaters...