Guest guest Posted July 28, 2006 Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 Olif, Okay...so what reason did he give for buying a pre WWII home? > > I spoke briefly with an environmental specialist on the phone the other day. He was recommended to me through a friend, and his family also has chemical sensitivities, etc. Anyway, I thought it was interesting that he highly recommended buying/renting a pre-WWII home. This might be old news for most of you, but it was new to me, so I thought I would pass it on to possibly help someone. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 28, 2006 Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 " Okay...so what reason did he give for buying a pre WWII home? " Oh, sorry! He says that plaster is much better than drywall- he says drywall feeds mold because it can't tolerate any moisture, whereas plaster can. I am not sure when they started using drywall. He says that newer houses (and I think he means post WWII) are built too tight. He says this is bad, I guess because the house can't " breathe. " He is also very negative about forced air and is converting his house to radiators (heated water as opposed to steam?- I will find out). I will get much more info when he comes to my house on Tuesday! I also know that after WWII we started using pesticides and other chemicals. I am not sure how or if this relates to house construction. -Olif Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 29, 2006 Report Share Posted July 29, 2006 this is exactly what my victorian home is, also with steam heat that is great. and hes right about the plaster in the sence that it resists mold better than sheetrock. and these type of homes are airy which allows walls to breath and you wont have the mold problem like a airtight home may have.high moisture-high mold amounts. but mold is mold and if you have leaks, weather their obivious or not, you will have mold. and this type of home has its problems too. in that exposure in one of these homes can and will make you very ill and could actually be more harmful because your exposure may be to a lower amount for a longer term and exposure to lower amounts , as far as im conserned is more dangerous because it is very sneaky and you might not realize whats happening to you because the affects are slower and gradual and sneak up on you. trust me, long term exposure to lower amounts is not good. and even though plaster may be more resistant, mold growing behind the walls in these type of homes will find other ways to invade your space, like through the openings to the inside walls where those beautiful pocket doors slide on their tracts. dormers and chimneys can be problem leakers. shifting from these types of homes with winter cold and summer heat allow other places for mold dust to filtrate through and wood tounge and grove floors dry and seperate. also many basements in these types of homes are not mold proof. as far as mold exposure, low amounts long term verses high amounts short term , they can both have devastateing effects. but exposure to low amounts long term can be the death of you before you figure out whats going on, where you might figure out whats makeing you ill much quicker in a home with high amounts, obvious moisture problems and maybe even a higher possiblity of smelling it. - -- In , " Olif " <OVanPelt@...> wrote: > > " Okay...so what reason did he give for buying a pre WWII home? " > > Oh, sorry! He says that plaster is much better than drywall- he says drywall feeds mold because it can't tolerate any moisture, whereas plaster can. I am not sure when they started using drywall. He says that newer houses (and I think he means post WWII) are built too tight. He says this is bad, I guess because the house can't " breathe. " He is also very negative about forced air and is converting his house to radiators (heated water as opposed to steam?- I will find out). I will get much more info when he comes to my house on Tuesday! > > I also know that after WWII we started using pesticides and other chemicals. I am not sure how or if this relates to house construction. > > -Olif > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 29, 2006 Report Share Posted July 29, 2006 I also think radiant heat under floors would be good, but the thought of all that tubeing full of water could be a bad thing if it wasn't instaled perfect. > > > > " Okay...so what reason did he give for buying a pre WWII home? " > > > > Oh, sorry! He says that plaster is much better than drywall- he > says drywall feeds mold because it can't tolerate any moisture, > whereas plaster can. I am not sure when they started using drywall. > He says that newer houses (and I think he means post WWII) are built > too tight. He says this is bad, I guess because the house > can't " breathe. " He is also very negative about forced air and is > converting his house to radiators (heated water as opposed to steam?- > I will find out). I will get much more info when he comes to my house > on Tuesday! > > > > I also know that after WWII we started using pesticides and other > chemicals. I am not sure how or if this relates to house construction. > > > > -Olif > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 29, 2006 Report Share Posted July 29, 2006 given the quality of workersl available who <jeaninem660@...> wrote: I also think radiant heat under floors would be good, but the thought of all that tubeing full of water could be a bad thing if it wasn't instaled perfect. > > > > " Okay...so what reason did he give for buying a pre WWII home? " > > > > Oh, sorry! He says that plaster is much better than drywall- he > says drywall feeds mold because it can't tolerate any moisture, > whereas plaster can. I am not sure when they started using drywall. > He says that newer houses (and I think he means post WWII) are built > too tight. He says this is bad, I guess because the house > can't " breathe. " He is also very negative about forced air and is > converting his house to radiators (heated water as opposed to steam?- > I will find out). I will get much more info when he comes to my house > on Tuesday! > > > > I also know that after WWII we started using pesticides and other > chemicals. I am not sure how or if this relates to house construction. > > > > -Olif > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 29, 2006 Report Share Posted July 29, 2006 Olif, Is this person an indoor air quality person that you are consulting with, or remodeler or what? He is also very negative about forced air and is converting his house to radiators (heated water as opposed to steam?- I will find out). I will get much more info when he comes to my house on Tuesday! > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 29, 2006 Report Share Posted July 29, 2006 " Olif, Is this person an indoor air quality person that you are consulting with, or remodeler or what? " He is an environmental consultant. The business is just him. He doesn't do any remediation or anything. He only diagnoses and makes recommendations. He can detect other environmental hazards in addition to mold, like asbestos, radon, etc. -Olif Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 29, 2006 Report Share Posted July 29, 2006 Yes, I have the same situation. Old plaster house, but with forced air. I think it has saved me from a house that would need to be burned frankly, but there are areas that had water problems that had to be fixed, still some I'm finding and the toxins get into the air. However with water problems and age of house, if it was made of drywall, it would be a throw away house by now. I've heard that a new environmentally friend wall material is being used that is very much like plaster only I believe a type of clay. I have it bookmarked 'somewhere'. I hope it is more flexible than plaster. Problem with plaster is it cracks so easily and hard to repair inexpensively. If crack is big enough, have to replaster whole wall or ceiling. > > this is exactly what my victorian home is, also with steam heat that > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 29, 2006 Report Share Posted July 29, 2006 Yes, my feelings exactly. It does sound wonderful but houses settle, even this 60 year old house and you think those fittings might not hold up forever. How would you know if one or more started leaking slightly? > > > > > > " Okay...so what reason did he give for buying a pre WWII home? " > > > > > > Oh, sorry! He says that plaster is much better than drywall- he > > says drywall feeds mold because it can't tolerate any moisture, > > whereas plaster can. I am not sure when they started using drywall. > > He says that newer houses (and I think he means post WWII) are > built > > too tight. He says this is bad, I guess because the house > > can't " breathe. " He is also very negative about forced air and is > > converting his house to radiators (heated water as opposed to > steam?- > > I will find out). I will get much more info when he comes to my > house > > on Tuesday! > > > > > > I also know that after WWII we started using pesticides and other > > chemicals. I am not sure how or if this relates to house > construction. > > > > > > -Olif > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 29, 2006 Report Share Posted July 29, 2006 Barb, my plaster was in great condiction until this new leaky roof was put on. it started cracking everywhere. have you ever heard of plaster washers? you screw them through the plaster and lafves around the cracks and they tighten it up and hold it so you can patch the plaster. they work great. but guess what, I was doing this, not understanding why the plaster(after a 100 years) was cracking. I think I found them in a " this old house " magazine. > > > > this is exactly what my victorian home is, also with steam heat > that > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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