apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Maybe this is my problem. I have had a perpetual cold for the past 6 weeks that I just cant shrug.

For allergy sufferers dont forget to change your air filter, too!

Wow. THANK YOU. I don't want to be quick to blame this, but I've been wondering lately if chronic fatigue, mild depression etc. was something more than just normal "I need to go to the gym more" kinda stuff. My house is fairly air tight and may have some moisture problems near the ventilation system... This all sounds extremely familiar. Thanks for bringing this up!

If only I could open windows. It's winter!

For the two years that I lived in the dorms, I got a respitory infections each winter. The second time I did, my doctor asked, "Do you live in an apartment with an old steam heating system?"

Maybe I shouldnt complain so much about my drafty apartment!

Gosh, reading all those comments at the other posting really freaked me out. I had some mold growing under a window in my bedroom last year and the year before. I used bleach and a solution of borax and my landlord took care of it. I made sure to move all my furniture away from that wall so that air could circulate, I run a fan on it to make sure, and bought "damp rid" to put in the corner. I haven't had any problems, but still, it freaks me out! Better open those windows!!!!

I once started suffering from terrible allergies just after the heat (forced hot air) had been turned on in my apartment. I asked the landlord if perhaps the filter required changing, and he told me he had changed it before turning the heat on, as he did every year. Then he thought for a moment and said, "But I did put that pile of old, wet mops right outside the air intake..." Really? You did? He moved them(why he was holding onto a pile of "old, wet mops" is beyond me), and I felt better within a day.

I can't open my windows anymore because my new cat might jump out - I live on the fifth floor! It's an Edwardian building with a large bay window. Are there any good cat-proof screens that I can stick in that look better than the ugly wood-frame removable screens that you see around my neighborhood in SF?

A dehumidifier also works wonders. We had a huge problem with mold because (as the inspector finally discovered) the Tyvek was installed backwards with the windows, so that no matter what we did humidity was coming in from the outside and staying in. A big clue was that we were leaving the windows open and the condensation was still so thick that water dripped onto the floor. The landlord is planning to replace the windows when the weather gets better, but in the interim he bought us a dehumidifier. And although it seems counterintuitive, in our case it made sense to shrink wrap the windows. We also painted the affected walls with fungicidal paint as insurance.

I have condensation from steam heat its a major contributer to mold. I have to routinely move furniture and curtains a scrub down all moldy surfaces with "Clorox anywhere hard surface.I have also used Natural cleaners like "Seventh Generation. I have also repainted areas with mold proof primer under windows and on frames. I use a fan constantly to circulate the air. Its allergy season again so opening windows also can contribute to possible sneezing an sinus conditions. All good advice and helpful tip appreciated......