Home design is much more complex than I ever realized. You can’t just throw up four walls, slap on a roof, and call it done. Homes need to breathe, and breathe correctly. Pressures, temperatures, conductivity, and other physics principles play a role in how it all works. Proper home designs turn homes into a system with features that work together to keep the home stable against the natural elements. If any one of these parts becomes out of whack, it...
Read MoreMold as an Animal It’s impossible for the human eye to distinguish among species of mold; if indoor mold can be seen growing in the open at all. Also, mold harms people in unseen ways. I believe that because of these elusive qualities, people tend to oversimplify mold and lump it and its behavior together. And when it’s oversimplified, mold leads to misunderstandings of what it is and underestimating what it can do. The fungi kingdom is as diverse as...
Read MoreI hate to come down so hard on the medical community. Medical professionals dedicate their lives to healing the sick and improving the quality of life for all of us. However, in the interest of protecting those who have had their lives turned upside down by mold, I have to give you this warning: Your doctor may not be a reliable source for information. From my observations, receiving the necessary treatment for toxic mold poisoning is a gamble. Your doctor...
Read MoreDid you know that there are building code specifications still in practice in some areas of the US that actually encourage mold growth? It’s unfortunate, but true. These codes have to do with the false idea that crawl space air can be ventilated to keep out moisture. This flawed idea of the ventilated crawl space has to do with the simple idea that vents let air circulate and dry up, which prevents moisture from collecting in your crawl space to...
Read MoreI feel bad for Charmaine Green-Forde who recently experienced a terrible, but not uncommon, ordeal with mold in her apartment building. But I am doubting that she will get the $8,000 she wants from her landlords in lost clothing, and housing and medical expenses. Often, mold victims are far too optimistic about the legal system when it comes to mold. We look to the courts to help us fight for fairness. But after legal costs, arguments, and lawyers, we usually...
Read MoreChlorine bleach is well known for killing bacteria, and it has no rivals when it comes to removing color. But is bleach effective in killing mold? Not really. Here's why: It is too diluted and thus too weak to permanently kill mold unless the mold is simply sitting on top of a hard surface like a counter top or sink. What little killing power chlorine bleach does have is diminished significantly as the bleach sits in warehouses and on grocery...
Read More1. Poor ventilation in the attic. Often mold in the attic isn't found until the house hits the market and a home inspector pokes his (or her) head up there and sees the black spots or white fuzz. This is usually results of poor ventilation, and can be compounded by inadequate insulation or a bathroom ceiling fan vented into the attic. 2. Damp and wet basements. We all love to finish our basements, don't we? Even if we live in...
Read MoreOther gentle alternatives to bleach include full-strength white vinegar or a tea-tree oil solution. "Tea tree oil is my favorite mold-killer because it's such a broad-spectrum fungicide," says Annie Berthold-Bond. Ms. Berthold-Bond mixes two teaspoons of tea-tree oil and two cups of water in a spray bottle, and then applies it directly to the surface, with no rinsing. Its very strong odor lingers for a few days, she told Well Journal, but "I've never had a mold problem that tea...
Read MoreMold in attics It happens to countless homeowners around the end of the year – you make the annual visit to your attic to collect the holiday decorations and what do you find? Spots and blotches covering the bottom of the roof sheathing. Worse yet – it turns out to be attic mold! Although mold growth in attics is generally black it most likely is not “black mold” What is most commonly referred to as “black mold” is Stachybotrys chartarum....
Read MoreYou might not ever think of this as a mold generator, but the laundry room could be a problem! An un-vented or improperly vented clothes dryer is a virtual incubator for mold - since it's moist and very warm -- an ideal environment for mold to grow! Where does your clothes dryer vent to? Are there holes in the duct? Are there many bends in the duct restricting airflow? Check your dryer vent it, if it is a problem it...
Read MoreMold Fact #1 Sadly, the answer is no. Mold CAN be successfully cleaned and removed from hard surfaces, such as glass, metal or stone. But, once mold has taken hold of a porous surface - for example: sheetrock or carpet padding - then there is nothing to be done except to remove the porous surface. Mold Fact #2 Did you know that you can react to mold in your home or work environment - whether it is ALIVE or DEAD?...
Read MoreTo minimize exposure and/or potential health risks from conducting a mold remediation project, take the following precautions: Wear respiratory (nose and mouth) protection when handling or cleaning moldy materials. The minimal type of breathing mask, or respirator, that should be used for protection from mold particles is an "N-95" particulate respirator approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Wear protective clothing that can be laundered or discarded after the project. Wear gloves and eye protection. Follow...
Read MoreMSU researchers say black mold toxins could affect sense of smell EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State University researchers in the Center for Integrative Toxicology have found that certain toxins produced by black mold, that ubiquitous fungus found everywhere from damp basements to thousands of buildings in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans and the U.S. Gulf coast, are capable of killing nerve cells, essential for the sense of smell, that are located in the nasal passages of mice. The scientific study –...
Read More1. To Eliminate Mold, You Must First Eliminate the Source of Moisture Most importantly, the source of the water accumulation must be identified and fixed or fungal growth will continue to occur. If you have a high relative humidity in a room or area (55% or higher), then you should strongly consider a dehumidifier. To determine the relative humidity, you will need a relative humidity sensor, also known as a moisture meter or hygrometer. If you have experienced severe flooding...
Read MoreApparently, the courthouse basement at Rogers County Claremont, South Carolina is susceptible to flooding, which is causing massive damages and creating mold. Rather than applying dry basement methods, the county commissioners decided to purchase flood insurance. As we know, there is a lot of grey area in most flood insurance contracts when it comes to mold. Often the insurance will cover damages and repairs that result from water, but not damages and repairs resulting from mold which the flooding creates....
Read MoreDuring heavy rainstorms, many homeowners find out the hard way that their home is not as waterproof as it needs to be. There are many places where wear and tear can chip away at your roofing and allow for water leaks during heavy rains. However, many times the roof chimney is overlooked when it is in fact a very common source for leaks. Leaks in the chimney around the roof can occur in two ways: cracked or loose bricks that...
Read MoreA military barracks used to shelter soldiers returning from fighting in Afghanistan has major problems with mold, leaks, backup sewage, and a number of other issues. This barracks, originally designed for Korean War combatants now has lead-based paint peeling off the walls, missing ceiling tiles, broken drain pipes, and, of course, our old friend mold is showing up everywhere it is not welcome. Sewage water backs up into the sinks in the lower floors. A video of the barracks show...
Read MoreHere is a helpful bit of advice for those struggling with the cost of mold remediation. Mold and taxes are both inevitabilities in life, but did you know that mold removal and repair is a tax deductible business expense for landlords and homeowners? It’s been true since about 2006 when the IRS issued a private letter ruling that mold removal costs by a building owner, including both homeowners and landlords, was not a capital expenses, but a business expense that...
Read MoreIt seems like every day a new school is in the news because teachers, students, and parents are up in arms about mold making everyone in the building sick. I couldn’t possibly report about each of these stories, and if I did it would become redundant since they are all so much alike. Moldy schools have become a nationwide epidemic. But why is it that mold is so commonly found in schools? Let’s take a look at a few of...
Read MoreWhat is the best mold food? Wood, dry wall, insulation, brick? Nope, nothing makes mold grow faster than simple human neglect. The kind that is easily preventable. Every mold disaster may have started with just a minor leak, but a lot of neglect is what caused a lot of mold. In most cases, it’s entirely preventable. Take for example a rented home in Lee County that was recently ruined because of mold. After the renters abruptly moved out, vandals struck...
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