Is your home making you sick?

Basement Mold and Mildew

New Jersey living is one of the worst areas in the country for healthy living environment. We have more humidity and moisture problems than anywhere else. In addition, New Jersey State does not have the building codes, nor required inspections that we need in order to be educated enough to be aware of how our home is negatively impacting our lives. You don’t have to wake up in the morning with a runny nose from mold to know that you have a mold problem within your residence. Some of the most dangerous cases are the ones that go unnoticed or symptoms are ignored.

My name is Nick Scaldino, owner of Scaldino Basement Solutions. It is my goal to make homes healthy to live in rather than the silent killers that many homes are. I say silent because most people are either unaware or in denial that it is their home that is making them sick.

Common tell tale signs that your home may not be healthy

• Odors are generally a direct result of rot or mold growth ( Severe Issue)
• Standing water of any kind or history of water problems in the home
• Drafts allowing moisture to come in
• Open drainage trenches or sump pits introduce moisture in the home
• Use of organic materials in basement such as wood , carpet , sheetrock or paneling not meant for high moisture areas
• Any area in home with humidity levels of higher than 50% have mold growth of some kind

 

Medical Symptoms Related to Mold Exposure

• Lethargic: decreased energy
• Forgetfulness
• Ill Temperament
• Dry Eyes, Crust in eyes
• Allergies, Nose and Throat irritation
• Lowered immune system ( Less resistant to common colds)
• Duration of colds prolonged
• Sugar cravings as well as craving for foods high in molds ex: cheeses, beer, wine breads, etc (Mold present in your body actually creates cravings in its effort for survival. Ex. Just like diabetics crave sugar)
• Reactions to antibiotics

Let Scaldino Basement Solutions Fix the health rating of your home . Call us today for a home health evaluation.

Iron Bacteria: What To Do About Basement Rust Issues

Iron Bacteria - What is it?

Iron bacteria is a naturally occurring organism formed as a result of high levels of manganese or iron in the ground reacting with oxygen. The result looks like rust colored slime or flakes that build up and clog drainage stone, pipes, pumps or anything else it touches.

Iron Bacteria is present in most areas of New York and while it has minimal health hazards, it is a smelly nuisance that can cause caustic havoc to other brands of water systems. Iron Bacteria is not covered under warranty and unfortunately will result in full reinstallation of an inferior system in a few short years.

Prevention and Management of Iron Bacteria: Iron Bacteria is nourished by carbon and organics. This is why Scaldino Basement Solutions use only inorganic material. We use plastics anywhere possible. We use Grate products and Grate Drain piping on under slab drainage which is antimicrobial, making it difficult for iron bacteria to cling to and can easily be flushed out.

Antimicrobials and dual chamber designs holds up against the worst Iron Bacteria!!

 

Radon

Radon enters your home through pores in the basement concrete and travels to low pressure air inside of your basement. This air then travels upwards through the home by the stack effect. This stack effect results in 40% of basement air ending up in the living space of your home.

Fact! Basement air traveling upward through your home is called stack effect.

The dangers of radon gas are frightening and real. Concrete alone is too porous to stop it from entering. Through under slab ventilation and vapor barrier on the exterior walls, however, radon can be greatly diminished. These precautions are especially important when finishing your basement or when a high radon level is detected.

A sealed water system is superior to open drainage systems and those without a vapor barrier. By not allowing these to breathe, you can reduce radon introduction. Our system is also easily retrofitted to vent under slab air outside, resulting in a truly one stop shop system.

What is radon and how dangerous is it?

Radon gas is energy lost from uranium breaking down into simpler elements called byproducts. The energy is released in three different forms, one of which is the more dangerous form than the other two. This form is an alpha particle, which is a high speed atom of 2 protons and 2 neutrons moving so fast that when it collides with human tissue it disturbs the atomic structure of the tissue. The body can take this to some degree and re-stabilize itself; however in large or prolonged doses it can be a significant cause of cancer.

What does 4 picocuries mean and what levels are safe?

4 picocuries is the radon level inside a home where the EPA requires people to remediate it. A difference from 1 picocurie to 4 picocuries is 4 times greater chance of cancerous exposure, and is by no means a low number. It is Scaldino Basement Solutions goal to get radon not to pass the EPA's 4 picocuries, but to get levels as low as possible for each structure. A radon level of 3 is still awful for you and you're still at risk, just not high enough for the government to force you into remediation expenses.

Our Pledge

It is our companies goal to get homes as low as possible, even below the national average when structure design is conducive.