Thursday, March 26, 2015

Mold in Homes


Mold has been around for millions of years - and it's not going anywhere. There are thousands upon thousands of species of mold (fungi) that exist in different environments. Mold is very common in households and just about anywhere there is moisture or food sources. 


Mold is keen on dampness and will grow happily in places with a lot of moisture, including carpets, wood, roofs, pipes, drywall and other household materials. It can be the result of any type of leak or wetness such as a flooded home not properly dried out down to a small glass of milk dropped on the carpet and left uncleaned. It exists in the air and outdoor surfaces and can enter a home by attaching itself to items coming in (such as clothes, shoes, etc.).  Regardless of where it grows, the one thing mold needs is moisture. 


Most types of mold can be cleaned easily at home following cleaning mold recommendations. According to the EPA, if an area with mold is "less than 10 square feet, less than a roughly 3 ft. by 3 ft. patch," then clean up can be handled by the homeowner. However, with larger mold issues, clean up should be done by a professional. 



Mold is not the problem; it is simply the cause of a water problem. Mold will reappear after cleaning unless you address the actual problem. 

The reason mold grows in the first place is because something wet is out-of-place. There are many problems that could trigger mold growth. Perhaps a pipe under the sink or in the walls is leaking, or the roof leaks, or the carpet was exposed to wetness, or something other.  In order to prevent mold from reappearing, the root of the problem needs to be found and fixed. 

While mold exposure is unavoidable, it is manageable. Properly maintaing a home, thoroughly cleaning after spills, leaks or floods, properly ventilating a home and keeping moisture levels under control especially in wet areas such as the bathrooms can help prevent or reduce expansion. 


If you want to know more about mold, check out these articles:

EPA Brief Guide to Mold Clean Up
3 Indicators of Mold in your Home
How Do I know when Mold is Bad?
Molds in the Environment
CDC Facts about Molds