Mold – Danger Lurking in your Home!

Molds are microscopic organisms that exist everywhere; inside and outside. Molds are a necessary part of our world; molds, mushrooms and yeast are fungi needed to break down dead material and recycle nutrients in the environment. Though necessary for the environment, mold can be hazardous when it lives inside your home.

In order for mold to grow and reproduce it needs organic materials as a food source, including leaves, wood, paper and insulation. Add heat and humidity above 50% and you have the perfect environment for mold to thrive.

When mold lives in a wet basement or crawl space it destroys your home as it eats away at floor joists and insulation. Air born mold spores that are naturally sucked up through the floor into the high and dry areas of your home can become toxic.

Health Problems

The most common health problems suffered from exposure to mold are upper respiratory problems, inflammation, allergies and asthma. Some of the many symptoms that one can suffer include nasal and sinus congestion; dry, hacking cough; suppressed immune system; asthma and infections; red, watery, burning eyes; sore throat; skin rashes and headaches. During extreme cases people have can also suffer from memory impairment, chronic fatigue, aches and pains, mood swings and food allergies.

Types of Indoor Mold

There are hundreds of varieties of mold. The most common of indoor molds are Cladosporium, Penicillium, Aspergillus and Alternaria. Then there is the nasty Stachybotrys chartarum, known as black mold. Black mold produces toxic properties known as mycotoxins which are produced under certain conditions such as humidity, temperature and pH; they can appear in both living and dead mold spores.

As Stachybotrys grows a wet slimy layer prevents them from becoming airborne; however, as the mold dries, air currents can carry it throughout your home. The greenish-black mold thrives in humid areas like wet crawl spaces, and grows on fiberboard, gypsum board, paper and dust.

Some people experience asthma and upper respiratory problems when exposed to very small amounts of mold while others can tolerate higher concentrations of mold spores before becoming ill.

People with compromised immune systems, elderly people, infants and children or people undergoing chemotherapy are most susceptible to the ill effects of mold.

When you have water in your crawl space you have a breeding ground for dangerous molds. As they grow and thrive they are sucked up through the floor and spread throughout your home through the duct work.

Mold is a fungus that invades your home and your body. Once mold starts to grow in insulation or wallboard, the only way to get rid of it is to remove and replace the material. Ductwork must be professionally cleaned. Cleaning a mold infested home can be very expensive.