5 Health Risks in Older Homes
Older homes are charming and can have many interesting and beautiful features, but they can also pose health hazards. Here are some common ones and what can be done about them.
1. Mold
Old homes, particularly if they have been unoccupied for several years, commonly have water damage. It happens from leaky pipes or because the roof is damaged. In any case, wet walls and ceilings quickly become moldy. Mold spores enter a house from outside, via the air or even by hitching a ride on your shoes.
Once a spore finds a suitable location with plenty of moisture and oxygen, it will reproduce rapidly. This is bad for a number of reasons. First, it’s an eyesore, but even worse, the mold will eventually destroy whatever it’s growing on. While this process is happening, the mold is also releasing thousands of spores into the air you breathe.
Mold can cause everything from minor allergy symptoms to asthma attacks. It’s best to call a company that deals with water damage restoration to take care of the problem and make sure it’s gone for good.
2. Asbestos
Until the late 1970s, most homes were insulated with asbestos. It was used so often because it was excellent at keeping heat in and cold out. It seemed like the perfect material until people who handled it started getting sick.
The problem with it, as we now know, is that the slender silicate filaments that make asbestos such a good insulator can come loose over time and be breathed in. Once in the lungs, they scar the lung tissue and cause chronic diseases like mesothelioma. No one but a certified expert should attempt to remove asbestos from your home.
3. Non-grounded Outlets
Call an electrician right away if you don’t have grounded electrical outlets (the kind with three holes) in your older home. Grounded outlets are needed for most modern plugs to fit in, but convenience is not the only reason they need to be replaced.
Grounded outlets have an extra “grounding” wire which prevents shocks, fires and even electrocution. A professional can easily update the outlets for you and even add more where you need them.
4. Lead Paint
Lead was added to paint to make it dry quickly and to maintain a fresh, bright appearance over time. However, it was banned in 1978 when it became known how dangerous it is for small children to be around. It poses less of a threat to adults, but still should not be breathed in if it is crumbling.
If you plan on buying a home that was painted with lead-based paint and you have children, the paint will need to be removed by professionals before you can move in. Lead paint causes severe developmental and intellectual delays in young children who ingest it.
5. Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide is produced when fossil fuels like home heating oil and natural gas are burned incompletely. It can happen with old equipment and no proper exits for the fumes, like blocked chimneys and sealed windows.
Carbon monoxide alarms are a must in old homes since CO is not detectable otherwise.
It is colorless and odorless, but if breathed in, it is poisonous and can cause death. Some signs there is a burning or venting problem in your future home is an orange flame instead of a blue one in the furnace or stove. Soot marks near the fireplace are also an indication that the unburned part of the fuel is staying inside and causing problems.
Maintaining old equipment like furnaces and water heaters, or maybe even replacing them for more efficient ones, can combat the problem. Or you can go greener and switch to solar or other sources of clean energy. Don’t avoid purchasing an old home for fear of one of these health risks. Once you are aware of the potential hazards you can find them and deal with them before they begin to cause problems.
