If These walls Could Talk

By Steve Levy

"If These Walls Could Talk" is a definitive guide to how mold and other biotoxins are impacting immunocompromised people's home. The book outlines mold, how it affects the home, the inspection and testing process, how to find suitable, environmental consultants and remediation experts and how to mold proof your home. This book is a great resource for anyone who may think their home is making them sick and the best approach to finding out.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Feb 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781098371067

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If These Walls Could Talk

©2021 Steve Levy

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

print ISBN: 978-1-09837-105-0

ebook ISBN: 978-1-09837-106-7

Information in this book has been obtained by the author from sources believed to be reliable. However, the author makes no representations on warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work. The information and advice herein is provided on a as is and as available basis.

The author shall not be responsible for any errors, omissions, or damages arising out of the use of this information. The author specifically disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Accuracy and all warranties are implied from any course of dealing or usage of trade. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is provided for informational purposes only, and may not be for the purpose of rendering professional services. If professional services are required, the services of a competent professional person shall be sought. The author shall not be liable for damages arising herein. The fact that an organization or website is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean the author endorses the information the organization or website may provide. Further, the reader should be aware that internet websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it was read. This book is for information purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice and care of your healthcare provider or any other professional. As with all health advice, please consult with a doctor. The author expressly disclaims responsibility for any adverse effects that may result from the use or application of the information contained in this book.

When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the Environment it Grows in, not the flower.

Alexander Den Heijer -

Introduction

Who would have thought that a title of a book called If These Walls Could Talk would actually be a definitive guide to understanding if your home or environment is actually making you sick? Ironically, as an environmental consultant who has done thousands of mold inspections and testing projects over the years, and who works primarily with a population of people who have mysterious illnesses or have severe mold sensitivities and are immunocompromised, I can unequivocally say that that for many, their homes and environments are either the main cause of their health issues or exacerbates a current health problem that prevents them from getting better.

My name is Steve Levy, and I am the founder of a company called Certified Mold Inspections, Inc. My company provides mold inspections and testing for homes, work places, and commercial properties. I started my company almost two decades ago. It has been an interesting journey. Back when I first started in the indoor air quality industry in 2003, there was not a lot of mainstream awareness of the dangers of mold. My understanding of mold and its potential health effects on people were limited compared to my knowledge today.

Like most environmental consultants at the time, my approach was fairly generic.

That all changed the day I had a chance call with the doctor for one of my clients, Dr. Adriane Sprouse—a renown environmental doctor who focused on mold illness. My client gave a copy of my report to her. My client told me that the doctor was impressed with my report and wanted to speak to me. I called Dr. Sprouse and we spoke for about thirty minutes by phone. During the call, Dr. Sprouse told me how mold can severely impact people’s health, and more importantly, how paramount it was for people who are sick to be in a mold-free environment. Otherwise, people might get some initial relief with treatment, but would otherwise have a setback because chronic exposure always wins out.

Dr. Sprouse said she had a real need for environmental consultants with whom she felt comfortable to refer patients to, who could thoroughly inspect their homes for mold. I humbly mentioned I would be grateful to be one of her resources. I asked her where I could learn more about the issues of mold and its health effects. She invited me to her office in New York City. The day I met Dr. Sprouse in her office, I spent over three hours learning more about mold and its effect on health than I ever did in the previous ten years of being in the industry. Little did I know that meeting with Dr. Sprouse would change both my approach to mold inspections and testing, as well as the trajectory of my company.

Fast forward to today, our mission at Certified Mold Inspections is simple. We help people transform back to health by making sure their homes or environments aren’t making them sick. We pride ourselves on being on the health side of the Inspection process. So, if you are holding this book and wondering what makes me a such a good resource to be even able to write a book on the subject of mold and its effect on the indoor environment consider this.

Over the years I have personally performed over 7,000 mold specific inspection and testing projects and as I have mentioned earlier work primarily with people who are sick, don’t know why and can’t get better. I attend anywhere from Five to Six Medical conferences a year that deal specifically with mold, mycotoxin & Biotoxin exposure. I have co-wrote and co-produced a video / DVD on mold inspections, authored a guide book on mold in the home, authored several case studies and co-authored an article on the mystery of Mycotoxins published several years ago in IAQ.net. I had the pleasure and honor of presenting to Doctors at several medical conferences where I presented on the subject of mold and mycotoxins in the home and why their patients may not be getting better. Above all these experiences, is my passion to help people in need. I more than just like what I do, I LOVE LOVE LOVE what I do. There is no better feeling in the world then a client saying thank you you saved both me and my family’s life.

The approach to inspecting and testing for mold I employ is extremely comprehensive and detailed. Many who know my work would say that my approach and attention to detail is way over the top. My answer to that— my approach and attention to detail is exactly where we need to be to really help the people in this segment of the population. People who are living in homes and environments that are impacted by mold need to know the extent of the problem. From there, it is up to them how far they want to take it to resolve any issues.

In the various chapters throughout this book I will be covering a multitude of information that will lead the reader to a better understanding of mold, how it effects certain people (especially those people with environmentally acquired illnesses), how to inspect a home, and how to interpret testing results and what one needs to do to create an environment that is suitable and can support their transformation back to health.

I feel this book would be a great resource for doctors, environmental consultants, remediation specialists, people who are worried that their homes may be making them sick, or anyone with an interest in how mold may impact the indoor environment and learn more about what the best steps to take to eliminate that impact. If I have peaked your interest so far, keep reading. The best has yet to come…

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Disruptor

Chapter 2: Environmentally Acquired Illness

Chapter 3: Overview of Mold, Mycotoxins and Other Pathogens

CHAPTER 4: What a Thorough Environmental Assessment Should Include

Chapter 5: Sampling Methodologies and Overview of How to Interpret Samples

Chapter 6: Remediation

Chapter 7: Post Remediation Verification

CHAPTER 8: Mold Proofing Your Home

CHAPTER 9: How to Find a Qualified Mold Inspector and Remediation Contractor

CHAPTER 10: Real life Cases – They Tell Me It’s all In My Head!

Epilogue

References, Documents, Books and Guidelines

Chapter 1:

Disruptor

As it relates to business, according to dictionary.com, the definition of disruptive is relating to or noting a new product, service or idea that radically changes an industry or business strategy. Especially by creating a new market and disrupting an existing one. When I read the definition of disruptive, it is exactly