Newly remodeled house is making us sick!

[calberto22]

Hello, we lived in another house for 10 years, no problems. we just moved to this older house that was recently remodeled about a year ago. during the day, we are fine. but at night, we're always coughing, our noses are stuffy and we get sore throats. i had a mold company come out, and they told me we didn't have mold. I change the AC filters constantly. i have NO IDEA how to even go about finding out what is causing this, but i can't sleep and neither can my husband or son. We are always getting sick, my son has bronchitis for the 4th time this year and my voice is getting weak from getting a sore throat every night. i also don't want to keep wasting money so i want to figure out what the problem is, but i don't know where to start. i thought of maybe buying an air purifier? i'm am at a loss as to what this could be. the house has beautiful Brazilian cherry floors and i keep it very clean. i also thought about replacing the air ducts. I am in Miami. Any ideas? i have no idea what else to do?

thanks for any guidance,

Carlos Alberto

[kevin]

Go on a short vacation to to the closest hotel. No really. If you are going to consider moving (again), as one of the previous posters suggested, it would be worth trying a hotel for a few nights to see if your symptoms go away. That would be pretty good confirmation, I would think, that it is indeed your house or its location, and not some other factor.

[dean]

Turn off all ventilation, open all the windows in the house, and live like that for a few days. See if there's any difference.

[noname87]

Did you old house have force hot air heat? If not, I wonder if the air is too dry (if you are running the heat). If so try a humidifer. I find that force hot air without a humidifer can dry out the air and cause a dry throatand stuffy nose at night but that could be just me. In any case, consult a doctor.

[John Grabowski]

Someone I used to work with was having a similar problem with his family. He had the air ducts cleaned and the problems went away. Turns out the previous owner of the house had dogs and the ducts were coated with dog hair and dander.

A friend of mine once bought some cheap carpeting for her house. It made her sick for weeks. She got the company to come in and install an upgraded brand of carpeting for a small charge and she was fine after that.

[wkearney99]

So you've got wood floors throughout, that would rule out dust mites and the like in the carpet. Have you had the ducts cleaned yet?

What are your known allergies? Pets? If the previous owners had pets then the ducts would likely be a source of their dander. Likewise any other allergies you might have could be exacerbated by residue in the ducts. It might help to get yourself tested for allergies. But get the ducts cleaned meanwhile.

[Peter]

Could be one of 100 different things, from bad carpeting to flaking asbestos (in popcorn ceilings, air ducts etc) to underground radon to dust mite droppings to overuse of air conditioning (which makes indoor air extremely dry).

If you keep your house dusted and vacuumed then an air purifier probably won't help. If the house is air conditioned and you frequently use it, get a humidity gauge. If it reads much less than

25 or 30% at night you've probably found your problem. Buy a humidifier.

[David Martel]

Carlos,

You should see a doctor. It sounds as if you may have some sort of environmental problem. It could be the house, it could be the area, it could be factory smoke, et c. It does sound as if you should consider moving.

Dave M.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Could be a few things. Are you getting a lot of fresh air to ventilate the house?

Certain materials outgas vapors that will cause the problems you describe. One in particular is isocyanate insulation. Another is particleboard. Carpeting can, but since you have hardwood floors that is pretty much eliminated. If you do some Googling you may find lots more information on who to call and what testing can be done to find the source.

[Joseph Meehan]

There are many possible problems, but I would look into what they remodeled. Could some of the products they used be out gassing products that you are sensitive to? I also believe you should consider the humidity issue as air that is too dry can cause these problems.

[PipeDown]

Have another company check for black mold again (nobody's perfect), and consult a doctor. Insist on a referral to a specialist like an allergist or eye, ear, nose & throat specialist. A GP might not consider all the diagnostic options.

Your symptoms match exactly what put my friend in the hospital with pneumonia and now she has lingering effects that prevent her from working or living in that house. In addition to the pulminary symptoms, there was also dizzyness, insomnia and uncontrolled mood changes.

Don't wait to see if it clears up with the seasonal change, the long term effects can be severly debilitating. If you have multiple people reacting, it must be a strong cause. Most of the weaker causes (dry air, pollen etc) will only effect some people and not others.

The other posters also had good ideas to narrow the cause down.

Cleaning the air ducts is far chraper than replacing them. Also try sealing around the air ducts with duct tape or silicone caulk. When the A/C runs, it can cause air from other isolated spaces (crawl space, gap between floors, attic) to be sucked into the house. The mold company may not have found the infestation.

[thesource]

Your house is contaminated with the Brazilian cherry plague. Evacuate immediately or you will die within a few days. When you leave, set the house on fire. Then seek medical care immediately and tell them that you have the Brazilian cherry plague. (from Brazil). Be sure to contact your employer and all family and friends. Plan to spend up to 70 years in the hospital, there is no known cure, but life support machines can generally keep you alive. Be sure every person that has ever entered that home is immediately hospitalized. This is a deadly and extremely contagious illness, and everyone who has contacted that house must be quarantiened.

You heard this from "The Source" !

[Telstra]