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Facts About Mold - Olympian Civil Home & Building Inspectors
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Facts About Mold
What is mold?
Mold (mildew), mushrooms, and yeast are all types of fungi. Fungi are found both indoors and outdoors.
Hundreds of different kinds of mold are commonly found in the United States and New York City.
How do I know it's mold?
Mold can be many different colors. It may look furry, slimy, or powdery.
Some mold has a musty, stale, or earthy odor.
Mold usually grows in damp places, such as bathrooms and basements.
How does mold grow?
Mold needs water and food. It can grow almost anywhere there is water, high humidity, or damp conditions.
Mold grows faster in warm temperatures and high humidity.
Mold can feed on paper, fabric, wallpaper glue, sheetrock, wood, soap scum, leather, and many other surfaces.
How are people exposed to mold?
You can breathe in mold particles if mold is disturbed or damaged.
You can also breathe in tiny spores (similar to seeds) that mold may release into the air.
You can touch mold and get it on your skin.
You can swallow mold if you eat moldy or spoiled food.
What are the health effects of mold?
Some people are allergic to molds.
Mold exposure may cause or worsen asthma symptoms, hay fever, or other allergies.
The most common symptoms of mold exposure are cough, congestion, runny nose, and trouble breathing. Symptoms usually disappear after the mold contamination is removed.
More severe reactions to mold may occur among workers exposed to large amounts of mold on the job, such as farmers working with moldy hay.
Should I see a doctor if I have been exposed to mold?
If you think that you or your children have symptoms related to mold exposure, you should see a doctor. Keep in mind that many symptoms associated with mold exposure are also caused by many other illnesses.
How can mold be prevented?
The best way is to remove water and moisture sources. Fixing leaks, drying damp areas, and removing humidity from the air (e.g., using a dehumidifier in basements; cracking a window while taking a shower in bathrooms with no exhaust ventilation) will help stop mold growth and keep it from coming back.
How can I safely clean mold in my home?
Use soap and water to clean small areas of mold (less than 10 square feet) on walls or other hard surfaces as soon as you see it.
Wear waterproof gloves.
Dry the cleaned area completely.
If the mold returns quickly or spreads, there may be an underlying problem such as a water leak. To stop mold, water problems must be fixed.
If large areas of mold are present, you may need a professional mold abatement company. Check the phone book for mold abatement contractors.
What does my landlord have to do?
Your landlord and building manager must keep your building in good condition so mold will not grow. This means repairing water leaks and correcting persistently high humidity levels.
If you have a lot of mold (more than 10 square feet) or it keeps coming back after you have cleaned it, ask your landlord to fix the problem.
If the problem isn't fixed, call 311.
More Information
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: Call 311, or visit nyc.gov/health. Select 'M' in 'Health Topics A to Z' and click on 'Mold'.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Visit http://www.epa.gov
Mold and Your Health
In recent years, we have seen a surge in reports about the threat of mold in both the home and the workplace. Mold seems to be the new asbestos and has been linked to every ailment from minor allergies to deadly respiratory diseases. You have probably wondered if mold is present in your home or office and if it could possibly be having an adverse effect on your health. This article aims to explore the effects of mold on your health and quell or confirm rumors about the hazards of mold in your environment.
Let’s begin with the basics. Molds are everywhere. They exist naturally on earth and it is impossible to avoid them. In fact, we breathe them in every day. But don’t be alarmed. The amount of mold that a person breathes in on an ordinary day is negligible. It’s when a person is in an environment with a concentrated quantity of mold, over a prolonged period of time, that the real health concerns begin.
Reactions to mold exposure vary from person to person. Some are not affected at all, while others experience unpleasant reactions. The most common effect of mold on a person is similar to a common allergic reaction, comparable to a pollen or dust allergy. Exposure to mold can cause sneezing, a runny nose, watery eyes and itchy skin, symptoms that usually subside when the affected leaves the contaminated area. People who are actually allergic to mold may experience more severe symptoms, such as an asthma attack. Very rarely serious illnesses such as pneumonia have been reported.
Certain people, specifically those with compromised or weakened immune systems, including the elderly, children, or people taking immunosuppressant drugs, are at the greatest risk for contracting actual infections, most frequently in the digestive system and sinuses, from airborne molds. These types of infections, called opportunistic infections, see a weakened immune system as an easy target and generally do not effect otherwise healthy people.
At this point you may be thinking, if I breathe mold everyday and, if I’m healthy, at worst it causes a minor allergic reaction, then what is all the fuss about? The fuss comes when people are exposed to toxic molds, or molds that produce mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are harmful compounds that are excreted by certain types of mold, most often under certain growing conditions. Prolonged exposure to mycotoxins can cause serious illnesses that can affect the heart, lungs, brain and can include symptoms such as headaches, burning in the throat and lungs, memory loss, nose bleeds, vision problems, balance problems, skin disorders, bowel disorders, cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
You may have seen photographs of homes with black mold spreading across interior walls. This is most likely Stachybotrys, a common and particularly virulent type of toxic mold. Residents of these homes often have to flee, or even burn their homes down, as the mold is causing too many health hazards or the cost of cleanup is too great to stay in the house. Residents of these homes experienced strange symptoms such as burning eyes, fatigue and a persistent dry cough. Other homeowners that went back into contaminated structures to retrieve belongings experienced burning eyes and nausea in only a short period of time.
The best way to prevent mold from having an adverse affect on your health is to clean up the mold before it starts spreading. It is important to learn where mold grows, so that you can be aware of its possible existence in your home. Most obviously, mold thrives is moist environments. There are certain situations and objects that should be remedied or monitored to minimize the risk of mold growing in your house. These include any water damage, for example from a flood or a leak, backed up sewers, the use of humidifiers, bathroom steam from the shower or bath, leaky roofs, houseplants and damp basements.
If you do detect mold in your house, the best thing to do is clean it up before it spreads and remove the moisture source. Hopefully you can remove the mold yourself, if it is a small amount, generally 5 square feet or less. Mold can be cleaned with a solution of bleach or household cleaning detergent. Make sure to wear rubber gloves, a face mask and keep the area well ventilated. If the mold problem is larger than 5 square feet or if you are experiencing health problems as the result of the mold, it is best to call a professional mold inspection company and possibly, ultimately a mold removal company.
Certainly, there are instances where mold has caused great harm to people, but on average it is a ubiquitous substance and, at most, a nuisance. If you suffer from unexplained allergic symptoms that subside when you leave a certain area, there might be mold in that area, and you should try to avoid being there if possible. If you are suffering from severe health problems that you can’t otherwise explain, you should seek medical attention, as you may have a mold problem in your home or workplace. Despite all of the recent rumors in the media and elsewhere, mold is not a reason for mass hysteria, though it is a cause for concern.
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How do you know if a home has a mold problem? There are a few home mold testing tips that are fairly simple.
What are some signs of mold in a home? One of the first and surest signs is the present of musty odors, so one of the first steps is to see if there are any in the building. There will normally be a musty smell in the area if there's a leak of any sort. Caution: Don't take this task upon yourself if you know that you have asthma or allergies, as smelling around for mold could irritate your condition.
As you're checking, also check around the air conditioning ducts. You'll want to turn off the AC for a short period. After you turn it back on, stand beneath a duct's air flow. If it's got a mold contamination, you'll likely detect a musty odor emanating from it.
Check AC registers and coils Speaking of the air conditioning, a metal AC register will turn cold as air goes through it. Condensation often builds up during times of high humidity. Also, AC coils will, by design, form condensation when in use. While this is a good thing, a negative result may be the chance of mold formation. You'll find that the bottoms of these coils especially, grow large areas of gray, velvety mold--or sometimes a clear jelly form of bacteria. The registers themselves might form a black mold.
Basements and closets Often a mold problem results not so much because of a leak as it is because of a problem with humidity. When this is the case, the mold will begin in an area where there is inadequate circulation, such as bathrooms, closets or basements. Mold which grows on the bathroom drywall will normally be black mold. In closets, you'll want to examine the entire space for light spots on shoes or dark clothing.
Window caulking Hidden mold inside walls can be common, and is usually caused by window leaks. Even the most minor defects in window caulking can cause rain water to leak in and build up inside of the wall. In the cases of a more serious defect in caulking, a major mold problem could develop.
Inspect baseboards If water enters the walls, it flows down to the baseboards. This causes the baseboards to swell when they are wet. When they dry, they will shrink. This swelling and shrinking will cause the baseboards to separate from the wall, and there will be a visible crack between the two. This may be an indication that there is water inside the wall causing mold.
Tack strips If you are planning to remove carpet in your home, you can check the tack strips under the carpet. Tack strips are located under the perimeter of the carpet. When water is entering the walls, the tack strips can become stained and rapidly rot. If you are removing carpet and you observe tack strips in this condition, there is a good chance that there is water inside of the walls. This is a sign that you could have a mold problem.
Wallpaper If there are perimeter walls covered with wallpaper, mold could develop behind the wallpaper if there is any moisture entering the wall. If this moisture gets trapped behind the wallpaper, it can mix with the glue and result in a serious mold problem.
Can ants be a sign of mold? There's a misconception that in the United States, an ant problem could be a sure indicator of a mold problem. Not so. Ants are only a sign that there are scraps of food or droplets of water that the ants have discovered. In fact, because of the toxins in the mold, most ants probably dislike mold as much as humans.
The only ants that eat mold cannot even be found in the United States. These ants are called Leaf Cutter Ants, and they can be found in underground colonies in Central and South America. They typically stay in the jungle areas of these countries. These ants feed on a white fluffy mold that forms on leaves in and around their underground colony. In addition, there are only a few species of mold that these ants will eat.
In short, do not depend on ants to let you know if there is mold in your home.
These are simply home mold testing tips. Do not depend on these tips alone to determine whether or not you have a mold problem. If you suspect there is a problem you should contact a certified home mold inspector.
Toxic Mold Test; Have Peace of Mind for You and Your Family
Having a toxic mold test done can help you find peace of mind concerning the health of you and your family. Toxic molds have been in the news frequently in the last few years, from areas all over the United States, and these molds can be very serious, especially to certain groups of people. Anyone who is allergic or sensitive to molds, infants, children, the elderly, pregnant women and unborn children, anyone with asthma, those who have weakened or compromised immune systems, and anyone with respiratory problems should avoid areas of mold contamination completely. These groups of individuals are at a much higher risk of developing serious health issues and conditions from exposure to toxic molds.
A toxic mold test will help you feel at ease and comfortable in your home, because you will know that the air you and your family breathe is safe from mold spores, particles, mycotoxins, and other compounds that these funguses can release. Toxic mold testing should be done before you buy or move into a new home, as well as anytime mold contamination is even suspected. A home mold inspection can help identify mold contamination that may be hidden in places where the mold is not visible inside your home, and this can be an invisible health risk that you are not aware of. With all the news reports concerning toxic molds, you may be worried about the health of your family, and toxic mold testing can help relieve these worries, or alert you to old problems you did not know about.
If mold is found or suspected, either by visible mold growth, odors associated with mold contamination, a home mold inspection, or because of health problems you and your family are experiencing, toxic mold testing should be considered a top priority. This testing can help give you the peace of mind that you want for you and your family, so that you know you and your family are safe and healthy in your own home. Toxic mold testing can be done using many different methods, depending on the size and type of contamination as well as other factors. When toxic mold contamination is suspected, testing can be done to collect mold samples, which are then sent to a laboratory. Some testing methods will allow the samples to grow in the lab, so that the specific strain of mold responsible can be identified. This will help you determine which mold types are growing in your home, and whether they are toxic or not.
Toxic mold testing can actually save the life of you and your family. Exposure to toxic molds can cause many health problems, and these can range from mild allergy symptoms to organ failure, coma, brain damage, and death. The symptoms of mold exposure can range from one person to the next, and the sensitivity of the individual will play a big part in how they are affected by these molds. Even a minor exposure to toxic mold can be serious if you are sensitive to these substances, while you may not have any signs for months or longer, even if contamination is present, if you have not developed sensitivity to these molds. The more exposure you have, the more likely it is that you will become sensitive. If you are sensitive, exposure to these molds only makes your sensitivity worse, and toxic mold exposure can have cumulative effects on your sensitivities.
Having a toxic mold test done on your home just makes good sense, especially if you want peace of mind while living in the home. The cost for this testing will vary, depending on the testing methods used, the number of samples taken or sent to a lab, and other varying factors, but these costs are a vital expense if you want to protect yourself and your loved ones from serious illnesses and health problems that toxic mold can cause. Your health and the health of your family is a high priority, in fact the highest, and inspecting and testing for toxic mold is a responsibility that should be taken to make sure there is no hidden and dangerous mold contamination in your home.
If you suspect that your home may have a toxic mold problem, or any mold problem for that matter, you should have a home mold inspection and toxic mold testing done for your own reassurance and peace of mind. This will let you know that your home is safe, or allow you to find and remove any mold contamination so that you can have safe air in your home.
