Adventures in Ice Damming
Ice damming is no picnic. It came to us through our sun room and front entrance. On a sunny afternoon in late January we heard water dripping. Soon we had assembled buckets and bowls underneath the biggest leaks and even perched small pitchers and cups on a heavy wall mirror to catch every drop. It didn’t take long before fissures had opened down the walls and paint began bubbling from enough leaks to sink a yacht. We know for a fact that this hadn’t happened in our house since at least 1974! The deep freeze from the first polar vortex, then slight thawing and then refreeze...
read moreKeeping Your Home Healthy In Winter
We spend most of our time indoors during the winter months. At the same time, many of us are suffering from colds, viruses, sinus infections and the flu. All of that stress on your upper respiratory system makes it that much more important to maintain a healthy home. Thankfully there’s a lot you can do on your own to improve indoor air quality. Remove Shoes and Boots at the Door. The dirt and moisture we track in on our shoes and boots brings a lot of debris into the indoor air mix. This simple habit can reduce airborne contaminants dramatically. Vacuum More Frequently. Frequent...
read moreHeavy Rain and Flooding in Chicago Area
The record rainfall in the Chicago area this year caused flooding for thousands of homeowners. Chicago’s north and south sides were both hard hit with flooded basements, roadways, and even sinkholes. Some of the hardest hit areas include River Forest, Des Plaines, Oakbrook, Downers Grove, Lombard, and Lisle in the western suburbs and Barrington, Barrington Hills, North Barrington, Lake Zurich, Cary and Fox River Grove in the north and northwestern suburbs. The highest rainfall recorded during the June 26th rain event was 8.05” in Barrington. What do you do after the initial basement...
read moreRecord Rain in Chicago Area for First Half of 2013
Fast Fact: Does it feel like we’ve had a lot of rain this year? That may be because we’ve had more than ever. The first half of 2013 has been the wettest on record for the Chicago area. Overflowing rivers, water-logged basements, and cars stalled in flooded underpasses have been a big part of the overall weather picture this past year. By the end of June, total precipitation had reached 28.46 inches. That’s more than all of 2012. The next highest measurement on record is 26.19 inches in 1975. Bussey Environmental Inc. offers the full range of environmental services, including testing,...
read moreWinter and Indoor Air Pollution: What You Can Do
Air Pollution. The term usually conjures the image of factory chimneys belching out toxic black smoke. But most people don’t realize the biggest threat lurks inside their homes. According to the EPA, indoor air levels of many pollutants may be 2 to 5 times and occasionally up to 100 times higher than outdoor levels. Most people spend as much as 90% of their time indoors, which underscores the importance of indoor air quality as a factor in our overall health.[i] Indoor air pollution becomes even more critical at this time of year since we don’t get frequent exchanges of outside air in...
read moreHow Houseplants Attack Indoor Air Pollution
Winter poses new challenges to our indoor air quality. We’re spending more time indoors at the same time as we’ve closed up our homes against fresh exchanges of outdoor air. The build up of contaminants such as dust, pet dander, mold, and chemicals creates a greater threat to respiratory health at a time when many of us are battling sinusitis, seasonal flu, and colds. Here’s a great article on how houseplants offer a natural air filtering system that cleans noxious chemicals from the air while providing oxygen. Brian Bussey is the Senior Industrial Hygienist of Bussey...
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