Remodeling After the Flood

Mold in Today’s Homes

Building science and construction methods have changed over the last 10-15 years. Architects and builders now make a concerted effort to tighten-up wall design by reducing airflow, both in the design of the wall system and the type of insulation used. Does that mean that today’s buildings are more susceptible to mold? NO.

Mold spores are very tiny and are present everywhere, both indoors, in new and older buildings, and outdoors. Molds are extremely common in all building structures and will grow anywhere there is the right combination of moisture, warmth, and food.

Fortunately, the vast majority of molds are harmless to humans and pets. However, certain molds can damage building structures by literally destroying wood building components through decay.

How does Nu-Wool Premium Insulation protect against mold?

Nu-Wool Premium Cellulose Insulation is one of the few insulation products that contains a fungicide registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Registration is achieved only after rigorous testing to ensure that the borate-based fungicide in Nu-Wool Premium Insulation will resist the growth of mold even when exposed to conditions favorable to mold growth.

The Benefits of Nu-Wool’s EPA Registered Fungicide.

All Nu-Wool Premium Insulation products are made with a boron-based, EPA registered fungicide, which makes the insulation resistant to mold. Under federal law, a claim of mold resistance can only be made by a product which contain a fungicide registered with the EPA for use in that product. Virtually no other insulation products contain such additives, but Nu-Wool Premium Cellulose Insulation does. Plus, the fungicide used in Nu-Wool Insulation also work as an effective flame retardant. Many other cellulose insulation manufacturers add cheaper, potentially harmful sulfate based flame retardants. Nu-Wool’s 100% boron treatment makes Nu-Wool Premium Cellulose Insulation a superior, more effective insulation systems.

Control moisture, control mold.

Mold can grow on many materials commonly found in a building. The key to controlling mold growth is to control the level of moisture in a building. There is no practical way to keep mold spores from entering buildings, but mold problems can be prevented before they arise by regulating humidity levels in the building. A certain amount of moisture occurs naturally in the air within a building, but when moisture reaches excessive levels the likelihood of mold growth is increased. The most common sources of excessive moisture are leaks! Roofs, wall, siding, pipes, sinks, showers, toilets, etc., are all potential sources of leaks. Other major moisture sources include kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, fish tanks, humidifiers, etc.

Moisture Management: Nu-Wool Premium Insulation spreads it out and dries it out.

The superior moisture management properties of Nu-Wool Premium Cellulose Insulation actually make it a better choice than fiberglass insulation for managing moisture problems. Nu-Wool absorbs moisture, redistributes it and lets a wall dry in a controlled manner. If a leak does occur in a wall insulated with Nu-Wool Premium Cellulose Insulation, the likelihood of the insulation remaining wet is far less than with fiberglass insulation.

In any structure, it is virtually a given that the inside of the walls will become wet from time to time. Even the best designed and constructed walls will be susceptible to leaks. Accordingly, it is very important that walls are able to dry out when they do become wet. Because of its excellent moisture management properties, Nu-Wool WALLSEAL Insulation helps walls dry out faster.

Powerful, Yet Safe

Nu-Wool Premium Insulation resists flame, insects, and mold, yet it has extremely low toxicity. Table salt, with an oral LD50 of about 4000 mg/kg, is several times more acutely toxic than Nu-Wool. The LD50 for aspirin is 1500 mg/kg in male rats, requiring substantially less to be ingested to produce a toxic effect than would be the case for Nu-Wool Premium Insulation. The results of the reviewed studies indicate that the effects of exposures to Nu-Wool Premium Insulation are minor and temporary, unless large doses are taken orally.

Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010

Please read this news release from Efficency First. This will be great for our industry and the American people who are paying too much to heat and cool their homes. We fully support this and hope it will eventually get passed and put us on the road to recovery in the construction industry.

-Chad

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 6, 2010

By a vote of 246 to 161 the House of Representatives today voted to approve the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010 (H.R. 5019), which authorizes creation of a national energy retrofit program for American homeowners. The vote marks a significant milestone in the progress of the bipartisan HOME STAR legislation, although it’s important to note that the authorization bill passed today must be matched by the Senate, and followed up with an appropriation bill to allocate funds for the $6 billion program.

“We applaud the U.S. House on the [bipartisan] passage of the HOME STAR legislation,” Efficiency First chairman Mike Rogers said following the vote. “HOME STAR will create good American jobs in construction, manufacturing and related industries. It will help American homeowners improve the efficiency of their homes and save money. And it will provide a solid foundation for our country’s energy policy and energy security. We encourage the Senate to act quickly to get the HOME STAR bill to the President’s desk and get our workers back on the job.”

Efficiency First policy chair Matt Golden added that “Today’s bipartisan passage of the HOME STAR bill in the U.S. House of Representatives shows how when industry, labor, business and environmental groups cooperate, we can find solution for America. HOME STAR will create hundreds of thousands of good quality jobs, while saving families money on energy bills. Efficiency First, representing companies in all 50 states employing over 150,000 American works, applauds Congress’s leadership and vision on this important issue.”

In the past four days, approximately 50,000 HOME STAR Coalition supporters called Congress urging their support of HOME STAR. The difference you make in passing this legislation has been essential to its passage. Thank you for your help.

As attention now turns to the Senate, Efficiency First will continue its strong advocacy for the HOME STAR program, which was designed to stimulate rapid job creation in construction and related manufacturing and retail by boosting demand for residential energy efficiency improvements. More information is available at www.efficiencyfirst.org/home-sta

Home Star

Take a second to check out this site: http://www.efficiencyfirst.org/about/

It is about the new “Cash for Caulkers” program officially dubbed “Home Star”. This would give a great boost to our economy and help out homeowners in need of weatherization for their homes. This would greatly reduce the bills of people in need and provide jobs for people just coming in to our field. It’s a win-win!!

Click on take action and follow the steps!

Chad

Three Rivers Community College / Weatherization

I’m currently being trained to teach a class at Three Rivers Community College for people that are interested in entering the weatherization industry. I will also be teaching a BPI (Building Performance Institute) Building Analyst 1 class.

The weatherization class is going to be great for entry level people starting work in the energy conservation sector. You will be taught basic air sealing, installing weatherstripping, caulking windows and how to retro fit exterior walls with cellulose insulation. With the ARRA (Americation Recovery and Reinvestment Act) funds available to states for weatherization I truly believe that there will be quite a few jobs created with this stimulus plan.

The Building Analyst 1 course will teach you basic principles of building science to assess energy efficiency in a home while also monitoring conditions that have a direct impact on human health and safety. BPI Standards emphasize the ‘house-as-a-system’ approach to inspecting a home, meaning that all systems are interconnected from the HVAC equipment, to the envelope, the foundation, walls, roof, doors and windows. You will learn how to use diagnostic equipment such as the blower door and the combustion analyzer to ensure systems are functioning together correctly to maximize home performance, comfort, energy efficiency, safety and durability. An energy auditor with BPI certification gives homeowners peace of mind knowing the professional meets the national standards of the Building Performance Institute having passed both a written and a hands-on field exam.

It looks as though the classes for both Weatherization and BPI certification will be starting in April. If anyone is interested in taking either one of these classes, please contact me at: chad@thegreensulators.com

-Chad

Train-the-Trainer

I started a class today that is training me to train others on the weatherization programs available from the state. Today we started OSHA 10 training. I’ve taken gone through the training a few years ago but this was quite the refresher. To be quite honest, it’s inspired me to write out some of more safety procedures that i would like to implement for The Greensulators.

Keeping my employees safe is a priority for us and I want to have policies and procedures in place within the next few weeks. I am fortunate that my crew thinks about safety when at work and I have made it clear that their safety is number one for us.

That being said, I have a few areas that we have room for improvement and this class has shown me what I need to do to have that added level of safety.

We will be moving on to lead and asbestos safety tomorrow then on to weatherization training. I’m already finding this class very interesting. We always strive to better our business…….we want to be the best and lead our industry. It all starts with education.

-Chad

Status Quo

Lately, I find myself thinking about maintaining the status quo and how to avoid falling into this pitfall. So many of us business owners are trying to find ways to hold on to our businesses. A lot of these strategies include trying the same old ways of business; Print ads, radio……all of the traditional media. The problem for a lot of us is, it’s not working!

I’ve been banging my head against the wall for the last year trying to find the right formula. I recently read a book titled “Crush it” by Gary Vaynerchuk. Let me tell you, it was an eye opener. Gary shows us how to use social networking sites to brand ourselves and our companies. It’s about being honest and being yourself. People can always see through the B.S.! And it’s about good old fashioned hard work.

I’m making a commitment to market exclusively on social networking sites like Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and my website, www.thegreensulators.com

I truly believe that this is the future of business marketing. The beauty of it all is that it’s FREE! Business owners need to stop thinking how to stop the bleeding…sometimes surgery is the answer. Maybe it’s time to flip your whole business model on it’s head and adapt to the changing economy.

Who’s going to save the newspapers? What’s going to save bookstores? Nobody and nothing will save these. The world is changing and we need to embrace change instead of trying to save everything. Maybe it’s not such a good idea to go down with the sinking ship. I truly believe the best thing to do is adapt to the new world and pave your own way to success.

Stop following the old formulas. They’re not going to work anymore.