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Mold â how serious is the problem?
Mold has been around longer we have. Mold is involved in the breakdown of leaves, wood, and other plant material and in creating some of the foods we eat and drink and in some of our medicines, most notably, penicillin. Yet in recent years, lots of industry attention has focused on the negative aspects of mold, especially in our home and work environments.
Molds reproduce by emitting tiny spores which are found in our air. Once these spores settle on a spot which provides food (organic material) and water, they will flourish. Since most materials in our indoor environment contain organic materials such as wood and paper.
Moisture control is the key to mold control. Molds need both food and water to survive; since molds can digest most things, water is the factor that limits mold growth. Molds will often grow in damp or wet areas indoors. Common sites for indoor mold growth include bathroom tile, basement walls, areas around windows where moisture condenses, and near leaky water fountains or sinks. Common sources or causes of water or moisture problems include roof leaks, deferred maintenance, condensation associated with high humidity or cold spots in the building, localized flooding due to plumbing failures or heavy rains, slow leaks in plumbing fixtures, and malfunction or poor design of humidification systems. Uncontrolled humidity can also be a source of moisture leading to mold growth, particularly in hot, humid climates.
If you have reason to believe you may have a mold problem, the best way to determine the potential risk is to hire a professional testing company. Unfortunately, there are no government standards established yet for mold, but one of the measures used by testing companies is relative percentages of the ambient outside mold content in the air and the content in the house under consideration.
Clearly, the best way to avoid mold problems is to avoid moisture problems. This means avoiding excessive moisture in your house from the basement (or crawl space) to the roof. Lets start on top. Make sure:
- Your roof is in good repair and there are no leaks.
- Your roof is properly ventilated so moisture does not build up in the attic
- Bathrooms are adequately ventilated with properly sized fans, to the outside of the house.
- Walls, windows and doors are tight and no moisture is getting in. An especially critical area is the area between the siding and the wall sheathing (often plywood). This area is called the âDrainage Planeâ and it is important to insure that water which penetrates into this area is directed downward and can exit through some means.
- Foundation walls, floors or crawl spaces are not damp.
- Foundation/basement drainage systems, if installed, are working correctly.
The EPA has information on mold available on the web at http://www.epa.gov/mold
Posted on: June 23rd 2010 by: Bob Boothroyd
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