Intentional Creation of a Healthy Home (part two)
Another Year of Change
This is an extension of Another Year of Change, Part One, published on January 21, 2025. My sheepish apology—I started this article around Valentine’s Day, about three weeks after part one, but did not complete it. I’m embarrassed to say that two months and five days have passed since then. Mea culpa!
We found a mold problem hiding in our attic area that seemed likely to have contributed to my serious health issues of brain fog, gut problems, forgetfulness, dizziness, difficulty with subtraction, loss of smell, and anxiety. Early in the year, I spent time exploring these issues and looking for solutions. In the second quarter, I looked into evidence of the problem after positive mold testing. I applied for the funding needed to remediate, reconstruct, and remodel. This came in the shape of a home equity loan.
We looked into various local contractors to do the work. The one we ultimately chose was the most responsive and had the best demeanor. All of his references mentioned good communication right off the cuff. He understood that the goal of this project was more than upgrading our home. Our goal was to continue the “age in place” project we started in 2018 and to have the cleanest air and best airflow we could have in our 1990 home built with builder-grade materials. We wanted to use the greenest, healthiest materials and products that we could afford. This was a significant project.
Our contractor, Myles, of Fielding Customs Renovation was ready to start in October whenever the moldy spaces—the upstairs and crawlspace—were remediated. First, we needed to prepare the upstairs for remediation. Then the remediators could remove the mold and more. Two rooms would be “down to the studs.”
To reset the space and remove toxic materials contaminated with mold and/or volatile organic compounds (VOC), we removed the oriented strand board (OSB) from the walls, floor, and walls of two large “bonus rooms.” The eastern room with the furnace had never been conditioned. It would reach over one hundred twenty degrees in the humid summer and thirty degrees in the cold of the winter in that room. The furnace was rusty due to condensation.
The two bedrooms had carpeting that needed removing. The blinds and ceiling fans were original vintage 1990. We updated the Jack and Jill bathroom partially in 2018 by replacing the old vinyl with tile and updating the hardware. We needed to replace the toilet and the exhaust fan. During this project, we discovered that all three of our bathroom exhaust fans vented into the attic rather than to the outdoors. This helped explain moisture levels and mold in the insulation.
HomeCleanse performed the remediation. They drove in from New Jersey and Florida, boarded at an Airbnb, and went straight to work. Their supplies were delivered on pallets while others were picked up at Home Depot. We did not want our future construction crew or ourselves exposed to toxins or have any toxins remaining for the building-back crew. The HomeCleanse team worked hard to protect downstairs areas from exposure and carefully removed items such as the furnace, the toilet, OSB, and old insulation. They used personal protection for themselves. They rented and filled two twenty-foot dumpsters and still called on “Junk to the Dump” for the last bit.
The procedure included sealing off the area, using negative air pressure, opening windows, lowering items out a window to the dumpster, using HEPA vacuums, scrubbing with peroxide with stiff brushes, revaccuming, and coating with a zero VOC mold resistant coating. It was intense. The toilet, furnace, and HVAC ducts were removed and discarded. All OSB flooring, walls, and sealing were removed. All carpeting and blinds were removed and discarded.
After the home was remediated, we tested it for mold again. It passed. In the first week of October, our contractor began work on rebuilding the space. First, he applied subfloors. Then, he installed non-toxic wool insulation from Havelock Wool. We used both batting and blow-in. Check out all the surprising benefits of wool!
This was followed by a different focus each day, including green-certified wallboard, access panels, energy-efficient windows, a new toilet, a new energy-efficient heat pump, zero VOC paint, LED lights, two DC-motor LED ceiling fans, and engineered Norwegian oak wood floors throughout. We added Allen & Roth blinds and new furniture. The air is breathable again! All is functioning well.
I’m now breathing better, sleeping well, and rarely feeling brain fog or confusion. I have less anxiety, good balance, and I’m back to my Thursday morning walks at the Botanical Gardens. I’m very grateful for the positive changes.
I plan to test for mycotoxins again next month and monitor them as needed in the future. I found a test that Medicare covers. Feel free to ask questions about this project and to leave comments. I’ll do my best to answer or respond to you.
Thank you for your patience as I recovered from this project. My readers are the best, and I appreciate my loyal subscribers and paid supporters. I am committing to more posts going forward in 2025. Use the buttons below freely to assist me in continuing this work.
Wow, so much work but it turned out beautifully! So glad you are feeling better & I love that you were able to use natural wool insulation. Great post, Cathy!
So happy for ya'll.