About
About me
Mike Chatten, BBEC & EMRS
Founder, Hazel Solutions
I spent twenty years in IT and network engineering, building and running systems for everyone from small businesses to large live events, all over the world. It was technical, detail-driven, fast-paced work, and it always came down to digging into each client's exact situation. The solution was never one-size-fits-all.
That work meant chasing problems back to their source, not guessing, and not stopping at the obvious. The same instinct carries into EMF, mold, and healthy-home assessments, where it matters even more.
I started Hazel Solutions in the mountains of Western North Carolina because I believe your home should support your health, not undermine it. I get there by thorough investigation and careful, documented measurements. No fearmongering, no talking you into a problem that isn't there. Real numbers, clearly explained, and straight answers on the path forward. I don't sell products or remediation services, because I never want a recommendation of mine biased by financial gain. I'm here to find the best solution for you.
I'm certified as a Building Biology Environmental Consultant (BBEC), an Electromagnetic Radiation Specialist (EMRS), and a Council-certified Structural Mold Investigator (CSMI). I work to published standards like the Standard of Building Biology Testing Methods (SBM-2024) for EMF and indoor-environment work, and IICRC S520 and S500 for mold and moisture intrusion.
I also serve on the Board of Directors of the Building Biology Institute, the nonprofit that sets the standard for Building Biology education and certification across North America. I joined the board because I care about healthy homes and about how this work gets done. I want the field held to a high, honest standard, so that when a family reaches out for help, they get the very best from skilled, compassionate experts.
The Magical
Hazel Tree
Many ancient cultures have held the hazel tree in high regard, associating it with wisdom, protection, and divination. In Greek mythology, Hermes carried a hazelwood staff to aid him in his travels between the mortal and spirit worlds. Celtic lore spoke of nine hazel trees whose nuts imparted all the wisdom of the world upon those who ate them. In Norse tradition, hazel was sacred to the god Thor and was known as the Tree of Knowledge. The wood was, and still is, highly prized for many uses like wands and dowsing rods, the very tools for finding what can't easily be seen.
It is the tradition of wisdom and protection surrounding this tree that inspired Hazel Solutions, not just as a company name but as a guiding ethos. A strong, deep-seated desire to impart knowledge and protection to others. My work is the same tradition in modern form — years of gathered knowledge and experience, used to help people protect themselves, their loved ones, and their homes from the environmental toxins, seen and unseen, which surround us all.