Your Home Can Affect Your Family’s Health

Category: Home and Family

Molds are created from dead or decaying plants or animals or their by-products. Mold spores are small bundles of genetic material and chemicals bonded together. They act as “seeds’ to grow mold. Mold spores can enter buildings through the air, on animals, on people or on objects they bring inside.

Mold and mold spores can be found in any environment with constant moisture and an organic substrate on which to grow. Inside a home that means particle board, paper, painted walls, wood, carpet, sheet rock, leather, cloth or any other organic material.

Mold grows when the temperature is between 40 and 100 F. Temperatures above 100 F will kill mold spores but scientists do not know the exact temperature that will kill a specific mold type.

Is All Mold Harmful? Do Molds Cause Real Health Issues?

There are more than 100,000 types of mold, but only a few of them can harm a healthy human. Most people tolerate moderate levels of many different molds without any apparent adverse health effects.

Some molds cause infections only in people with a compromised immune system. Other people are allergic to molds or may develop asthma from exposure.

A few molds, however, create powerful chemicals called “mycotoxins” which produce illness in almost all animals and people. Scientific knowledge about the health effects of these toxins on humans is limited. Because mold doesn’t affect everyone the same way, scientists are unable to determine standard safe exposure limits for mold.

Building Standards - Structures Need To Breathe

Tight construction and poor design choice, building materials and/or operations can increase probability of mold formation. The tighter the building, the less air exchange between inside and outside air.

Whatever gets inside a home via cooking steam to shower vapors will stay inside longer than it would in a house with loose construction. The moisture that gets into the air from these inside sources remains in a tight house longer. That is why exhaust fans should be installed in bathrooms and kitchens and vented outside. Clothes dryers should also be vented outside.

Controlling moisture, including inside humidity, is the key to mold prevention. Tight construction must be combined with source control of moisture (exhaust fans) and controlled ventilation (intentional introduction of outside air) to reduce mold growth.

Testing For Mold - Are Our Eyes And Ears Enough?

Most of us already have two very effective mold detectors: NOSE and EYES. If you notice a black or green discoloration in an area that is damp or has been damp, it is almost certainly mold. If a building smells musty, mold is probably present. The mold may be in boxes, in the basement, in walls, under flooring, in the crawl space. You can have any suspicious substance tested at a reliable laboratory.

Increasingly mold testing companies are cropping up. Beware of the results of air samplings for mold. They may be meaningless for several reasons

• Air samples alone cannot determine whether the environment is safe
• Air samples alone cannot determine a previous dangerous level of mold in the building.
• Safe or toxic levels of mold have not been established

The Center for Disease Control of the USEPA does not recommend ROUTINE testing for mold. However, if you suspect mold related health problems, be sure to hire a certified inspector.

Removing Mold - I See It But How Do I Get Rid of It?

This answer depends on the amount of mold present and where it is located. The first course of action is to determine why the mold is growing. Investigate any areas that are moist, and repair the source of the moisture. Then proceed to clean/remove the mold.

If mold is present on furnishings or articles of clothing, get rid of the items or clean them. Moldy materials are not considered hazardous waste; they can be picked up by your trash collector. Place the affected items in heavy plastic bags to prevent spreading the spores.

If the mold is on a hard surface but occupies less than 10 square feet, wash the area with soapy water scrubbing with a brush where necessary, rinse and dry thoroughly. If you have allergies or asthma have someone else do for you.

Areas over 10 square feet should be cleaned professionally. Occasionally, a situation occurs where cleaning will only spread the spores. When in doubt, consult an expert.

Duct Cleaning - Beware Of Scams And Scare Tactics

If you have an annual heating/cooling system contract for regular maintenance, be aware that the company may try to scare you into a full duct cleaning with claims that your duct work is contaminated with mold. This full duct cleaning is not, of course, covered by your contract. It is an extra charge. Also beware of flyers you receive in the mail advertising complete duct cleaning at low cost.

Duct cleaning may be entirely unnecessary. And even worse, some unscrupulous companies will clean a fiberglass duct system with brushes and chemicals which ruins the entire system and mandates full replacement of all ducts.

The moral of the story is: don’t fall for the scam. If you are suffering from health problems, be sure to have professional testing done before cleaning your ducts. No health problems means you most likely don’t need to have your ducts cleaned.