In 2011, Calgary introduced legislation requiring anyone seeking a renovation or demolition permit to fill out an Asbestos Abatement Information Form or AAIF. While this legislation is hardly new news, a lot of homeowners seem to be going through quite a bit of grief. Basically before a demolition or building permit is granted by the
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Did you know that your eaves trough should be cleaned every spring and fall? It’s true! In Calgary, we have trees shedding their leaves in the fall and more than a few gales during the summer and winter months. This can lead to branches, leaves, and all kinds of other things in your eaves trough.
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Wheezing or difficulty breathing; irritation of the throat, eyes, or nose; nasal and sinus congestion; dry cough or hacking; skin irritations and rash. Sound familiar? Probably… each of these symptoms alone and in combination amount to a whole ton of different possible causes. They could be caused from a pet allergy, exposure to second-hand smoke,
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When it comes to fungi growing inside your house, it may seem unimportant which sort you have. Whether it’s mushrooms blooming through the carpet, mildew on your drapes, or mould growing on your roof, most people just want the fungi gone and quickly! However, there are some differences that are useful to keep in mind.
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Humans have been observing and classifying organisms around them for thousands of years. What may have started as, “good to eat,” or, “bad to eat,” grumblings in our ancestors is now a refined art. So what are fungi? Fungi, like animals, plants, and protests, is a biological kingdom in the eukaryotic domain. Eukaryotic or “eukaryote”
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A long time ago, alchemists thought it was possible to turn lead into gold. They also believed in the existence of a philosopher stone and an elixir of youth. It’s not hard to see when looking at these ambitious goals that alchemy differed from modern science more than a little bit. However, in many ways
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We spend quite a bit of time at Amity explaining to people how we can help remove mould from their homes and what they can do to try and prevent mildew and mould growth in the future. Today, we thought we’d take a moment to suggest ways to stop mould from growing in the first
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Perhaps you never realized that there was mould or asbestos in your home. You may have waved an inspection because of external pressures and perhaps the problems with mildew are new ones that you have yet to notice. Regardless, it’s time to sell your home, and you decided to get your own inspection before listing
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Mould is a fungus. It belongs to the same kingdom of living things that yeast and mushrooms (arguably the best recognized fungi) inhabit. Though the study of fungi or mycology is often considered a branch of botany (the study of plants), moulds and fungi are more closely related to animals than plants. Humans use a
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Asbestos is a super neat, naturally occurring silicate compound. It absorbs sound, it’s stretchy, and it’s resistant to both fire and damage from electricity and chemicals. It’s also quite affordable. Humans began mining asbestos over 4000 years ago, and in the 19th century, it became very popular as a construction material. However, as we became
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