The Toxic Mold Podcast

You’ve seen the listings: a 5,000 sq ft historic home for $100K, or a farmhouse on 10 acres for $80K that looks straight out of The Notebook. So what’s the catch? In this episode, Steve talks about mold remediation in older homes, and why you never really know what you’ll find until the walls come down.

In this episode:

Why every old-home remediation bid comes with surprises, including hidden double layers of sheetrock and old exterior walls buried behind additions.

How old-school materials like plaster with chicken wire and rough-cut lumber hold moisture and mold differently than modern building materials.

What Steve counts as an “old home,” and the hazards that come with it: asbestos, lead, and knob-and-tube wiring.

Why Steve tests for asbestos with a non-aggressive air sample (PCM cassette) instead of a bulk sample, and why disturbing asbestos is the real danger.

How asbestos abatement differs from mold remediation, from tenting the whole house to chain-of-custody disposal.

Why moldy debris isn’t classified as hazardous waste, even though Steve still considers it hazardous to your health.

Lead paint vs. lead water pipes: which one you should actually worry about

Why that dream home could turn into a money pit.

Want to go deeper? Steve covers all of this and more in his book Toxic Mold and Old Homes, available in ebook, audiobook, and paperback: https://tinyurl.com/SteveWorsleybooks

Worried your home is making you sick? Book a mold consult (the Mold Environment Assessment and Evaluation Plan) for a 90-minute strategy call with Steve and personalized recommendations. Learn more at https://www.cnccontractorservices.com

We appreciate all of you and hope you have a great week!

It’s that time of year again! In episode 383, Steve will walk you through the annual Fall Checklist, a simple weekend routine to protect your home from mold, water damage, and fire hazards before freezing weather sets in.

Starting outside, he will cover the roof (and why Steve would never put wood shakes on a house), cleaning gutters, extending downspouts, grading and drainage, cracks in hard surfaces, siding and caulking, winterizing sprinklers and heat tape.

He will then head inside to cover the attic and crawl space to check insulation, vapor barriers, sump pumps, exhaust fans, address furnace service and filters (and why a higher MERV rating isn’t always better), whole-house humidifier settings, dryer vent cleaning, plumbing leaks, and smoke detectors.

Want the full list? Sign up for our email list to get the Fall Checklist or find it under Resources at cnccontractorservices.com. You can also email us at [email protected].

We appreciate all of you and hope you have a great week.

Episode 382: Plumbing and Toxic Mold – What to Look For

A slow drip behind a wall or under a sink can run for months before anyone notices, and by then a small leak has become a big mold problem. In this episode, Steve will go through the plumbing in your home and where the hidden risks are.

Supply lines: PEX manifolds compared with older copper trunk-and-branch systems

Shut-off valves: why old multi-turn valves are known to fail, and why you should switch to quarter-turn ball valves when you remodel

Water heaters: mineral buildup, the temperature and pressure relief valve and its discharge pipe, and why a drain pan with a working drain line matters

Drains: P-traps and sewer gas, vent pipes, and nails or screws that puncture drain lines inside walls

Insurance: how clean-water leaks and sewage backups are classified differently on claims

Outside: hose bibs and sprinkler systems

Steve also explains why a whole-home water monitoring system is worth having. His takeaway is simple: look under your sinks and check your supply and drain lines regularly.

Grab the mold investigation checklist https://cnccontractorservices.aweb.page/p/692d2803-38cc-4d54-bc77-e056fa59b968

We appreciate all of you and hope you have a great week!

Think mold in your attic, crawl space, basement or inside a wall can’t affect you because it’s not in your living space? Think again.

In this episode, Steve will explain how air pressures inside a home are constantly changing, shifting between positive, neutral and negative many times an hour, and why that matters for your indoor air quality. Steve breaks down the “stack effect” myth and explains how everyday things like a stove hood fan, a furnace in the basement, or someone opening the front door can pull contaminated air from hidden areas straight into the rooms where you live.

In this episode:

What positive and negative air pressure really mean (with simple examples like a balloon near a cracked window and cracking car windows)

How negative air is used during mold remediation, and what the containment plastic reveals about air movement

Why “makeup air” means air has to come from somewhere, and that’s often your attic, crawl space or basement

Why closing the door on a moldy basement or painting over mold doesn’t keep spores from migrating

How changing air pressures can affect air test results, and why no single test answers every question

Why hidden mold should never be ignored

Bottom line: any mold is a concern, even if you can’t see it and even if it’s not in your living space.

📚 Steve’s books are available on Amazon in paperback, hardback, eBook and Audible. Search “Author Steve Worsley”: Mold Epidemic, Toxic Mold in My Home, Black Mold and Home Inspections, Inside Toxic Mold, and Building a Mold Resistant Home. https://tinyurl.com/SteveWorsleybooks

🏠 Worried your home is making you sick? Book a Mold Environment Assessment and Evaluation Plan, a 90-minute strategy call with Steve that includes personalized recommendations and next steps. https://www.cnccontractorservices.com/consulting

🎓 Mold education courses (Mold 101, Mycotoxin Prevention Kit) and consults: https://www.cnccontractorservices.com

In episode 380, Steve talks about a flat roof and how it leads to moisture intrusion and toxic mold. You should have a roof with a minimum pitch of 4/12. In areas like Wyoming that get snow, you should have a minimum pitch of a 6/12.

Are you new to mold and you're not sure what to do next? Steve offers complimentary discovery calls to go over your concerns and decide what the next steps should be. Reach out to our team at [email protected]

We also offer digital bundles that are packed full of expert advice when it comes to toxic mold and mold sickness. Copy and paste the link to purchase your bundle. https://www.cnccontractorservices.com/themold101bundle

We appreciate all of you and hope you have a great week!

In episode 379, Steve interviews the CEO of Puraclenz, Chris Dooley. In this interview, Chris will explain what types of air purifiers are the best for your home. Chris will explain what PCO technology is and how it works for IAQ. Chris will explain why Puraclenz is a great choice when it comes to air purifiers in your home. .

We wrap up the interview with a code to purchase your air purifiers with a discount. You can use the promo code STEVE or go to the website puraclenz.com/steve

We'd like to thank Chris for taking the time to be interviewed.

We appreciate all of our listeners and hope you have a great week!

Crawlspaces and basements might seem like the same "dark space under the house" problem, but they're actually two very different environments — and that means two very different mold situations. In this episode, Steve breaks down what actually separates a crawlspace from a basement (hint: it's more than just headroom), why airflow and soil exposure make crawlspace mold its own beast, and why remediation down there is nowhere near as simple as it is in a finished basement.

You'll learn:

The real structural differences between a crawlspace and a basement — and why it matters for mold growth

Which defects show up in both spaces (ventilation, grading, plumbing leaks) vs. what's unique to each

Why crawlspace remediation is such a headache compared to basement remediation

Simple, practical prevention steps for both spaces — from humidity gauges to vapor barriers to drip pans under water heaters

Why routine inspection and maintenance is your best defense either way

Whether you've got a crawlspace, a basement, or both, this episode will help you know exactly what to watch for and how to keep mold from taking hold.

Here's the link for our Mold 101 bundle on our website. https://www.cnccontractorservices.com/themold101bundle

We appreciate all of you and hope you have a great week!

Bathroom remodels look straightforward on the surface — new tile, a fresh vanity, maybe a walk-in shower. But behind that drywall and subfloor, years of hidden moisture damage can be waiting to turn a simple renovation into a serious health hazard.

In this episode of The Toxic Mold Podcast, Steve breaks down why bathrooms are one of the highest-risk areas in any home for hidden mold growth, and why remodeling projects can unknowingly expose homeowners and contractors to toxic spores.

In this episode we will cover these topics: 1- The most common places mold hides during a bathroom renovation (and why it's so often missed) 2- Warning signs that moisture damage has already compromised your walls, subfloor, or plumbing. 3- What contractors should be doing differently to protect themselves and their clients. 4- Steps homeowners can take before, during, and after a remodel to avoid disturbing hidden mold. 5-When it's time to call in a mold professional instead of pushing forward with DIY demo

Whether you're a homeowner planning a renovation or a contractor who wants to protect your crew and your clients, this episode gives you the practical knowledge to spot the danger before it becomes a costly — and unhealthy — surprise.

Happy Labor Day! We appreciate all of you and hope you have a great week.

In episode 376, Steve breaks down the hidden risks lurking with walk-in tub seals, door gaskets, and plumbing, and what to check before mold becomes a bigger issue than the fall risk you were trying to prevent.

Do you want to learn more about hidden mold concerns? Steve is the author of five books which are all available on Amazon. Copy and paste the link to purchase one of his books. https://tinyurl.com/SteveWorsleybooks

We appreciate all of you and hope you have a great week!

Not all mold testers are created equal. In this episode, we break down why hiring a mold inspector with hands-on remediation experience makes all the difference — and why skipping this step can cost you thousands of dollars.

We cover: The blind spots a "testing-only" inspector can miss that a remediation-experienced tester catches. How remediation experience changes the way someone reads lab results, samples, and site conditions.

If you're dealing with a mold problem — or just want to protect yourself before you have one — this episode gives you the questions to ask.

We have several digital bundles available on Stan store. Copy and paste this link https://stan.store/csimoldguy

We appreciate all of you, have a great week!