What to Do About Mold
Mold Mold can grow in almost any environment and thrives on a number of common surfaces.
All that mold need to exist is moisture and a source of food.
It is reproduced when spores are released into the air.
Penicillium, or "bread mold", Stachybotrys, Alternaria and Cladosporium are the most common forms of mold found indoors.
Exposure to mold and mold spores can cause allergies and hay fever to be aggravated even in the non-toxic forms.
In addition, mold secretes an enzyme that can break down building materials over time.
The cellulose fibers in materials like wood and ceiling tiles can be damaged as well as the paper covering that encloses the gypsum in drywall.
Toxic Mold Some molds, including black mold, can produce toxins, mycotoxins to be exact.
Stachybotrys Chartarum, or black mold, is commonly found on materials with high cellulose content.
Gypsum board, paper, and fiber board are a couple examples.
Inhaling black mold spores, which are very small, can cause such symptoms as coughing, wheezing, runny nose, irritated eyes, and diarrhea.
As similar as they may appear, all black colored mold are not the same.
In fact, most are not toxic at all.
However, the only way to find out if the mold in your home is toxic is to have it tested.
Testing for Toxic Mold To test for toxic mold, a trained professional will collect samples from inside the home and compare them to samples taken from outside the home.
Samples from both the windward side and the leeward sides of the home will be taken.
The samples taken from outside the home should, ideally, match the samples from inside the home as it is expected that the species and concentrations of mold in both places be the same.
When it comes to testing mold, it is important that samples be gathered a certain distance from the ground, indoor ventilation sources, and HVAC vents.
Weather conditions also play a role in the testing procedure.
Compromised samples are unreliable so following protocol is imperative.
What to do about Mold Now, what to do if and when mold is found in your home.
If the area of mold is large, a professional abatement company should be located to remove the mold as well as the moisture that is causing it.
Smaller amounts of some types of mold can be cleaned with a simple household cleaner such as bleach.
It is important that the mold be tested before you attempt to clean it yourself.
Toxic mold should only be cleaned by a professional and the area should be re-tested after cleanup to be sure it is all gone.
All that mold need to exist is moisture and a source of food.
It is reproduced when spores are released into the air.
Penicillium, or "bread mold", Stachybotrys, Alternaria and Cladosporium are the most common forms of mold found indoors.
Exposure to mold and mold spores can cause allergies and hay fever to be aggravated even in the non-toxic forms.
In addition, mold secretes an enzyme that can break down building materials over time.
The cellulose fibers in materials like wood and ceiling tiles can be damaged as well as the paper covering that encloses the gypsum in drywall.
Toxic Mold Some molds, including black mold, can produce toxins, mycotoxins to be exact.
Stachybotrys Chartarum, or black mold, is commonly found on materials with high cellulose content.
Gypsum board, paper, and fiber board are a couple examples.
Inhaling black mold spores, which are very small, can cause such symptoms as coughing, wheezing, runny nose, irritated eyes, and diarrhea.
As similar as they may appear, all black colored mold are not the same.
In fact, most are not toxic at all.
However, the only way to find out if the mold in your home is toxic is to have it tested.
Testing for Toxic Mold To test for toxic mold, a trained professional will collect samples from inside the home and compare them to samples taken from outside the home.
Samples from both the windward side and the leeward sides of the home will be taken.
The samples taken from outside the home should, ideally, match the samples from inside the home as it is expected that the species and concentrations of mold in both places be the same.
When it comes to testing mold, it is important that samples be gathered a certain distance from the ground, indoor ventilation sources, and HVAC vents.
Weather conditions also play a role in the testing procedure.
Compromised samples are unreliable so following protocol is imperative.
What to do about Mold Now, what to do if and when mold is found in your home.
If the area of mold is large, a professional abatement company should be located to remove the mold as well as the moisture that is causing it.
Smaller amounts of some types of mold can be cleaned with a simple household cleaner such as bleach.
It is important that the mold be tested before you attempt to clean it yourself.
Toxic mold should only be cleaned by a professional and the area should be re-tested after cleanup to be sure it is all gone.
