Home > Family & Home > Home > Health & Safety > Improve Your Home to Improve Your Health [Image: dust mite] A home remodeling project – and your investment in it – can do so much more than update. It can make your home a healthier place to live and breathe for you and your family. Holidays can be hazardous to pets (Distributed 12/07/07) Food, decorations and rituals that make the holidays festive for people can be hazardous to pets. LSU AgCenter veterinarian Dr. Christine Navarre cautions pet owners to keep the season safe for their animals. Animal Drugs Bought Online Could Harm Pets (Distributed 11/20/07) Pet owners should be cautious of purchasing animal drugs on the Internet. The products may not be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and pose a health threat to the pets. Get It Growing: Healthy Gardening (For Release On Or After 11/2/07) Gardening is a well-documented and beneficial form of exercise. It contributes to a healthy lifestyle.  more articles... What Home Builders, Homeowners and Real Estate Agents Think About Mold Athough it is uncommon in most homes, toxic mold, also known as black mold, has become a major issue for some home builders and homeowners in the United States. The effects have run the gamut from disposal to litigation. Everything You Need to Know About Your Travel Trailer [Image: Travel Trailer Safety] After a natural disaster many people are housed temporarily in travel trailers provided by FEMA. Safety issues arise from these unique temporary living quarters. Bleach Does Kill Mold – Within Limits Stories are hitting the media saying bleach doesn’t work in mold cleanup and prevention. An LSU AgCenter expert says there are reasons for some of the confusion but that bleach is effective at killing mold. Avoiding Mold Hazards in Your Flooded Home [Image: moldy wall] A flood-damaged building requires special attention to avoid or correct a mold population explosion. Floodwalls [Image: Publication cover] A floodwall is a self-supporting barrier to floodwater. It may look like a garden wall or privacy fence, but it has more internal reinforcing and a more substantial foundation. This heavier construction keeps the wall from tipping or sliding. The foundation also blocks seepage of water under the wall. This publication includes information on the cost, considerations and construction of floodwalls. Wet Floodproofing [Image: Front page] The phrase “wet floodproofing” may sound like a contradiction, but it is the label used to refer to a collection of methods intended to reduce damage to a building when flooding occurs. This publication explains how wet floodproofing lets water into the building but protects the structure, contents and building systems independently. Building Your Louisiana House: A Homeowner's Guide to Shaping the Future for Louisiana Living [Image: Publication cover page] This guide is not a technical detailed construction manual. Instead, its purpose is to serve as a comprehensive planning and analysis tool. Find information on advantageous components of a sustainable house in Louisiana, a range of ways to address the criteria - from low-cost options to higher-end, higher-performance solutions and basic principles of building science that should be considered when choosing and installing any building system or technology in a hot-humid or mixed-humid climate. Asthma: Bad News and Good News Asthma is a disease that makes it difficult to breathe during an attack. Asthma attacks are set off by triggers,which are different for different people. Protect Your Children from Lead Lead poisoning is not just a problem in crumbling housing in inner cities. It's a common tragic result of remodeling older homes and other sources. Small exposures, once thought harmless, can cause serious, permanent damage to the brain. Mold: Important Questions, Objective Answers Conflicting information and media coverage about hazards of mold and how to handle mold problems have left many people confused, concerned and sometimes frightened. If you have or suspect a mold problem in your home, this fact sheet will help you make well-informed decisions about how to fix the problem and prevent its return. More...