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Top Ten Mold Mistakes
To Avoid
1. IGNORING POSSIBLE
MOLD HEALTH
SYMPTOMS BEING SUFFERED BY ONE OR MORE FAMILY MEMBERS OR
CO-WORKERS.
Be concerned about possible mold problems if one or more occupants
is suffering from unexplained health problems such as an ongoing itchy
eyes, bloody nose, sinus problems, headaches, nose congestion, runny nose,
skin rashes, skin sores, coughing, breathing difficulties, difficulty in
remembering things and in thinking clearly, feeling disconnected from the
world around you, and/or chronic fatigue. Please remember that some
occupants may experience mold health symptoms, while others may have none,
with all living or working in the same mold-infested area. People differ
significantly in their sensitivity to mold. The top sixty mold health
symptoms are listed at Mold Health
Symptoms.
2. IGNORING HOME MAINTENANCE PROBLEMS & MOLD CLUES. You
contribute big-time to becoming a mold victim when you ignore roof leaks,
plumbing leaks, sewer line leaks, water stains on ceilings, the indoor
smell of mold, visible mold growth, high humidity [60% or more to drive
mold growth from humidity alone], a wet or damp basement, and a wet or
damp crawl space. To keep indoor humidity to a mold-discouraging 30
to 40%, use a programmable dehumidifier.
3. ASSUMING THAT THERE IS NO MOLD PROBLEM BECAUSE OF NO
VISIBLE MOLD GROWTH. The worst
mold infestation problems are often the
ones you cannot see INSIDE floors, ceilings, walls, basement, attic, crawl
space, and the heating/cooling equipment and ducts. Airborne mold spores
are invisible to the eye, very light, and are easily carried in air
current movements or in the air flows of your heating/cooling system to
mold cross-contaminate your entire house from just one hidden mold
problem. Use do it yourself mold test kits [available from a large
hardware, home improvement, or safety store] to mold test the air of your
basement, attic, all rooms, and the outward air flow from each
heating/cooling register for the possible presence of elevated levels of
airborne mold spores, in comparison to an outdoor mold control test. Use a hidden moisture meter to scan all
walls and floors for hidden water problems. Use a fiber optics inspection
device to check for mold growth inside wall, floor, and ceiling cavities.
4. HOPING THAT A NEW HOME IS MOLD FREE. Today’s new homes
often come with built-in mold infestation problems because:
(a) moldy building materials are received from the builder’s
supplier---today's timbers are not kiln-dried as in earlier times, and
thus contain a high internal moisture content that makes mold growth
possible in the timbers;
(b) the builder and its supervisors and employees fail to do
quality control to inspect for, and, thus, prevent moldy building
materials from being used in the home’s construction;
(c)
the builder stores the inventory of building materials on the outside
ground with no
plastic sheeting to protect the building materials from rain [which thus
supplies the necessary water to enable mold to grow in and on the
materials];
(d)
the construction crew fails to cover the entire home under construction
with plastic sheeting at the end of each construction day to protect the
building materials from rain [which thus supplies the necessary water to
enable mold to grow in and on the materials]. The roof and side walls need
to be protected against rain until the entire
roof,
siding, windows, and doors are totally installed to seal out rain;
(e)
the builder fails to inspect and test the home for mold growth while it is
being constructed and at the home’s completion; and
(f)
use of modern building materials like chip wafer boards, drywall
(plasterboard), & plywood--- all of which molds love to eat.
(g) failure to
you can use a low-cost Mold Home Remedy Recipes available at
Mold Mart
Learn how to
prevent mold in building a
mold safe home or commercial building.
5. ASSUMING THAT AFTER A WET AREA HAS DRIED, THAT IT IS
THEN MOLD SAFE. Mold needs moisture to grow and to multiply as its
eats your home building materials and personal possessions. This moisture
can come from high indoor humidity [above 60% some or all of the year],
roof leaks, siding leaks, and plumbing leaks. If mold spores and mold
colony growth run out of moisture, they do NOT die. Instead, they become
dormant, and can wait millions of years for access to high humidity or a
future water intrusion. Dormant mold can make mold-sensitive persons sick.
Even the smell of dormant mold can make some people very sick.
6. USING CHLORINE BLEACH TO KILL MOLD.
Do not use ineffective chlorine bleach to try to kill mold growth and mold
spores. Bleach is too weak even when freshly manufactured to kill mold.
Bleach that sits on store shelves and in your home continually gets ever
weaker over the passage of time. In addition, read the manufacturer’s usage
directions on the bleach container. The manufacturer does not recommend its
use to kill mold. Bleach is NOT an EPA-registered fungicide or effective
mold home remedy.
7. USING OTHER INEFFECTIVE PRODUCTS TO KILL MOLD---such as
Kilz, regular paint, paint containing a mildicide element, any paint,
Lysol, ammonia, and other household cleaners and disinfectants. Painting
over a mold problem does not solve it---it only hides the problem
temporarily and gives the mold something delicious to eat---the paint
itself.
8. SPRAYING SOMETHING ON THE MOLD WILL TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM.
You need to spray an effective mold killer like one of the
mold home remedy recipes.
9. TRUSTING THAT
MOLD REMEDIATION
CONTRACTORS KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING. Most mold remediation companies
cause and leave more mold problems AFTER the alleged remediation than
before their work because of: (a) failure to find and fix all of the mold
infestation locations in a home or building due to incomplete mold
inspection and mold testing; (b) poor and inadequate training; (c) failure
to utilize proper mold containment procedures and effective mold
remediation techniques; (d) taking shortcuts that undermine the
remediation effort; and (e) sometimes fraud and dishonesty on the part of
the contractor. Insist on hiring only
Certified Mold Inspectors,
Certified
Mold Contractors, and
Certified Mold Remediators who have been trained and
certified by the
Professional Certification Institute.
10. TRUSTING THAT INDUSTRIAL HYGIENISTS AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
ARE EXPERTS IN MOLD PREVENTION, INSPECTION, TESTING, AND REMEDIATION.
The only people who truly care about your family’s health and home
investment are yourself and your family. Although there are many mold
knowledgeable and mold experienced industrial hygienists, most are not.
Hiring an industrial hygienist [trained in industrial safety and health]
to find and fix mold problems is often like hiring a dentist to treat your
heart problems. Hire a
Certified Mold Inspector if you value your family’s
health and home investment. Some government websites often promote
ineffective and outdated mold remediation ideas like using bleach to kill
mold. Government employees do not have the personal experience of having
to work in the real world to find and kill real mold that is often hidden
in home walls, ceilings, floors, heating/cooling systems, attic, basement,
and crawl space.
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Photograph of Mucor mold species under
microscopic
examination. Mucor causes severe respiratory problems. |
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