Mold in Your Home

Recent reports of multi-million dollar lawsuits settlements, horror stories of “toxic mold” and people getting sick from mold have everyone jittery. 

Insurance companies are quietly sending out insurance riders eliminating future claims due to mold or water damage. Some companies are refusing to approve any new policy on a home with a previous water damage claim (which can be quite a shock for the new buyer!)  Buyers are bolting if they see anything that looks black, without asking questions (mold? mildew? dirt?). 

Have we suddenly been invaded by evil microbes, bent on total destruction? Not exactly. 

Mold has been around forever, in thousands of shapes and forms.  It’s as common as air and earth (in fact, both will most likely have mold spores in them).  The one type of mold that has gathered so much publicity is actually rare. 

Stachybotrys Chartarum is known as black mold, even though Stachybotrys isn’t always black, and there are many other types of mold that are also black in color (go figure). The goal is eliminate mold in the home, which in theory (and usually in function) is simple–eliminate the moisture, and the mold cannot live.

The Powers of Three–Don’t Let Them Be…

For mold infestation, you need three things:
1. Mold spores (easy to find, since they’re everywhere)
2. Porous, organic materials (drywall, paper insulation, carpeting, wood… parts of your home)
3. Moisture (leaky faucets, sweating pipes, poor or blocked foundation drainage, bathroom ceiling fans that are vented into the attic and not outside, a dryer vent that blows into an enclosed area, etc.) Eliminate the moisture, and the mold problem is also eliminated. Plain and simple.

Now, let’s say you have a moldy area, and you’ve removed the water issue… Here are a few tips for permanent cleanup:

• Small moldy areas (less than 10 feet) can be cleaned by scrubbing the area with hot, soapy water, then disinfected with a cup of bleach mixed with a gallon of water.

• If you’re sensitive to mold, use gloves, protective clothing and a mask to prevent the inhalation of excessive mold spores. 

 Remove moldy materials such as carpet, drywall, wood, etc. and replace with new materials after cleaning and disinfection.

• If the area is in a crawl space, line the gravel or dirt with heavy-duty plastic to prevent ground moisture from rising.

• For dark areas in bathtub or on shower caulking, spray a commercial mildew remover on the areas as needed.

• Make sure your furnace and air conditioner condensation lines, dryer vents, stove fans, and bathroom ceiling fans are all directed to areas outside the home.  Problems have occurred in the past in attics and crawl spaces with improper installation.

• Immediately fix any cracked or loose tiles in the shower or tub area.  Moisture will get behind the tile into the drywall and mold will grow.