Longer days and warmer temperatures of the early spring bring a surge of new energy and sense of relief to many homeowners. This is a period of Nature’s rebirth; rising temperatures are melting last bits of ice and snow to supply plants, animals and fungi with enough moisture for growth. This includes mold too, so before you open up all...
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are chemicals that have a high vapour pressure at room temperature, which enables them to easily evaporate or sublimate and enter the surrounding air. These compounds are numerous, and they can be both natural and man-made. Most VOCs are harmless, but there are some that have harmful qualities that usually...
Winter is that time of the year when staying at your warm, cozy home seems like the most attractive option. Temperatures can be quite low outside and humidity very high – very unfavorable and unpleasant conditions for human errands, but very favourable for mold development around windows. If you’re not paying attention, your window...
Whether you are planning to completely renovate your home or just do some smaller maintenance work, renovation is the perfect time to assess your home and land for potentially hazardous substances. This kind of assessment is considered necessary especially when old houses are in question, because they were often constructed with potentially harmful...
Homes are prone to keeping certain smells; because of this, almost all homes have their own distinct smell. It can get very unpleasant if the place in which we sleep, eat and feel most comfortable in starts harbouring bad smells. They are not only unpleasant, but can also indicate the presence of a far greater problem. But where do these bad odours...
Mold spores can exist and thrive almost anywhere. They are present in both indoor and outdoor air. If the environment is warm and humid, mold can grow and multiply very fast considering that these are optimal conditions for their growth. Stark differences between temperatures inside and outside during cold Toronto winters result in condensation on...
Winters can be quite cold and long in Toronto and during those chilly days, windows in many homes are usually shut most of the time. While this is an excellent way to keep indoor temperature in a pleasant range when the cold bites to the bone, this practice also significantly increases air humidity. Showering, using home appliances like washing...
Air pollution has become a major global public health issue in the last few decades. New studies and data from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that nine out of ten people globally are breathing air that is full of dangerous chemicals. It is estimated that air pollution takes about 7 million lives annually. Sadly, the issue is increasing...
Usually when people think of air pollution, they think about the city smog, industrial and agricultural emissions, but very few remember the importance of air quality indoors. Considering how much time we spend in indoor environments today (around 90% on average), indoor air quality has become a very important factor that contributes to overall...
Mold is a term that encompasses numerous species of fungi that grow in the form of filaments and produce large amounts of microscopic spores which give their colonies a dusty texture. Considering that their spores are very light and easily spread by air currents, it is no big surprise why molds are so widely distributed. As they thrive in humid...
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