Building a healthy home includes preventing moisture and mould growth. In a small space, it’s especially important to mould-proof your tiny home.
Amie Skilton is a Naturopath, Nutritionist, Herbalist and qualified Mould Testing Technician (just to name a few things!)
As a former Functional Medicine Practitioner of 18 years, Amie’s view of root-cause medicine was forever altered as a result of an environmentally acquired illness.
In 2017, after developing Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS) herself, she discovered the world of building biology and the various ways in which the built environment has a profound impact on human health. She realised her naturopathic, nutritional and herbal toolkit were only as useful as her environment was healthy.
She’s now on a mission to raise awareness of a commonly overlooked but monumentally significant influence on health and wellbeing.
As a long-time health and wellness geek myself, I know the importance of looking at health holistically and that includes a healthy home environment.
In this conversation we talk about:
- Amie’s story of mould-related illness and common signs & symptoms of mould exposure
- Types of toxic mould and what a building biologist is
- Mould prevention and considerations when it comes to the construction of a tiny home from scratch (for DIY builders and tiny building companies)
- What to check for when it comes to mould detection and buying a pre-loved tiny home
- The most mould-prone building materials and which materials are better options to avoid water damage and mould growth… and SO MUCH more!
*Notes from Amie about cleaning mould with anti-microbial essential oils or bleach (that we didn’t get to dive deeper into on the show):
“How you remove mould depends on the water category and whether an item is condition 1-3, and if it’s porous, semi-porous or non-porous – and remediation should be done according to the ANSI/IICRC standards.
The only thing you can really ‘clean’ mould off is non-porous i.e. glass, metal and ceramic. Anything porous or semi-porous will harbour spores and the mycelium will have penetrated the material.
Bleach must never be used as not only is it toxic and can contribute to respiratory issues, but also:
- Anything that ‘kills’ mould will trigger a defensive response from the fungi that includes sporulation and mycotoxin production (making it much more toxic and problematic)
- If used on anything that has porosity, will only kill the surface mould and the water content absorbed will feed the mould growth in the material
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stipulates the use of chlorine bleach is not recommended to kill mould.
To remove mould from non-porous materials, simply use a damp microfibre cloth – can be dampened with a mixture of diluted white vinegar and/or antimicrobial essential oil.
If anyone needs support to determine the condition and nature of their items, and whether they can be remediated or not (and how) they can find booking links on this page where I can assist them“. (you can also work with Amie to help you choose a good dehumidifier or air purifier)
You can follow and contact Amie here:
- W: https://whatthenaturopathsaid.com/
- IG: https://www.instagram.com/thatnaturopath/
- FB: https://www.facebook.com/Amie.Skilton.Naturopath
- Course (Mould-Proof Your Home): https://www.amieskilton.com/mouldproof
- Work with Amie: https://whatthenaturopathsaid.com/mould/
Resources mentioned in this conversation:
- Functional Medicine
- Find a Building Biologist
- Environmental Relative Mould Index (ERMI)
- Health Effects Roster of Type-Specific Formers of Mycotoxins and Inflammagens – Version 2 (HERTSMI-2)
- Moisture Meter (cheaper one) *Note from Amie: There are 2 main categories of moisture meters, ones that have pins and ones that are pinless. The pinless ones are a lot more expensive so most people will purchase a moisture meter with pins – just be mindful that you’ll want some putty and paint to repair the holes that it leaves behind. Like anything, you get what you pay for. I started with this cheapie from Bunnings but did find it clapped out quite quickly (I went through 2 of them before upgrading!)
- Moisture Meter (more expensive) *Note from Amie: This is a more expensive one I invested in later, but it does most building materials and it’s going strong
- Thermo-Hygrometer *Note from Amie: Thermo-hygrometers are easy to come by, and it doesn’t matter which ones you use as long as they are accurate and measure the temperature and the relative humidity. Most hardware stores sell them but this is the one I use (it can also be used outdoors if undercover)
- Webinar – 7 Sneaky Signs Your House Has Mould… Even If You Can’t See It (Now called: 9 Subtle Signs Your Home Has a Mould Problem)
- Colorbond
- Hepa Air Filter
- Epigenetics
- HLA – Haplotype Testing
- Urine Mycotoxin Testing
