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Why is mold growing in my home?

Molds are part of the natural environment. Outdoors, molds play a part in nature by breaking down dead organic matter such as fallen leaves and dead trees, but indoors, mold growth should be avoided. Molds reproduce by means of tiny spores; the spores are invisible to the naked eye and float through outdoor and indoor air. Mold may begin growing indoors when mold spores land on surfaces that are wet. There are many types of mold, and none of them will grow without water or moisture.

Can mold cause health problems?

Molds have the potential to cause health problems. Molds produce allergens (substances that can cause allergic reactions), irritants, and in some cases, potentially toxic substances (mycotoxins). Inhaling or touching mold or mold spores may cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.

Allergic responses include hay fever-type symptoms, such as sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, and skin rash (dermatitis). Allergic reactions to mold are common. They can be immediate or delayed. Molds can also cause asthma attacks in people with asthma who are allergic to mold. In addition, mold exposure can irritate the eyes, skin, nose, throat, and lungs of both mold-allergic and non-allergic people.

Symptoms other than the allergic and irritant types are not commonly reported as a result of inhaling mold. Research on mold and health effects is ongoing. Inspecting, assessing, and testing for mold is a must.

How do I get rid of mold?

It is impossible to get rid of all mold and mold spores indoors; some mold spores will be found floating through the air and in house dust. The mold spores will not grow if moisture is not present. Indoor mold growth can and should be prevented or controlled by controlling moisture indoors.

If there is mold growth in your home call a mold expert to inspect and test as soon as possible. If you clean up the mold, but don't fix the water problem, then, most likely, the mold problem will come back.

We believe that our families health is the most important thing and we will bring our 20 years expertise to your home.

We handle all commercial building and residential home mold inspections, toxic mold, and black mold sampling. Moisture detection, flood specialists, and termite detection analysis.
IAQ indoor air quality experts 1-800-MOLD-LAB or 1-800-665-3522 or 770 590-7880 Atlanta and 847 989-0211 Chicago.

Click here for Rod Stewart's ex Alana, Lou Ferrigno, and Mick Jagger's ex Bianca and their mold fight in courts...

Hidden bathroom mold

Do you ever find yourself feeling more RUNDOWN after you get home than you did before you left work?

Do you notice more HEADACHES or feelings of nausea in your own home?

Do you see your spouse, or your children showing more frequent signs of cold and flu-like symptoms: COUGHING, SORE THROAT, SNEEZING, WHEEZING?

Is there an area in your house that makes your eyes or throat feel SCRATCHY?

Do you notice a funny MUSTY ODOR that you don’t recall being there before, even though you know you have a clean house?

Is there a MOISTURE PROBLEM in your house?

Well, those can be frightening questions if you don’t exactly have the “right” answers. But, in a situation where you may not be armed with the best information, (if any at all) who can you really trust? Now you may be asking yourself what could cause all of these problems in my house, one word, MOLD. But wait, you might be saying to yourself, how could it be a mold issue if I keep my house clean? To answer that question it is important to know how and why mold grows.

Molds produce tiny spores to reproduce. Mold spores waft through the indoor and outdoor air continually. When mold spores land on a damp spot indoors, they may begin growing and digesting whatever they are growing on in order to survive. There are molds that can grow on wood, paper, carpet, and foods. When excessive moisture or water accumulates indoors, mold growth will often occur, particularly if the moisture problem remains undiscovered or un-addressed. There is no practical way to eliminate all mold and mold spores in the indoor environment; the way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture.

The South Eastern Climate is especially ripe for mold growth. More than 70% of the houses tested were found to be contaminated with toxic mold growth. This mold is dangerous. And there is a good chance (if you have it in your home) it could make you and your family sicker than you can imagine… In fact Dr. Chin Yang of Cherry Hill Labs,( the worlds foremost mold scientist) once told me “given sufficient square footage in a confined space (your home) even a NON TOXIC mold will break down your bodies defenses and you will develop an allergic reaction” (it’s only a matter of time).

The mold in your home can even be fatal! It causes many people to die…and often … even their doctors don’t know what went WRONG to make these people sick.

Here are what the experts call the Big Three:

Aspergillus: A mold that is often an opportunistic pathogen(in plain English “a disease causing mold that can attack especially when your immune resistance is lowered cause you’re sick with something else) kind of mold which is often the cause behind Asthma, nerve damage, liver disease, lung disease, heart disease, and severe eye damage. This toxin is so deadly, it is a favorite biological weapon of third world countries where they can make it by the barrel-full.

The bad news is, many South Eastern homes are full of this mold and it is commonly found throughout the wall cavities and heating and cooling systems of the home.

Stachybotrys: “The Black Mold” This is another deadly toxin causing mold and also manufactured by third-world countries. It can be lethal to animals and children. It is often referred to as the “baby killer” and is believed by many to be responsible for killing seven infants in Cleveland, Ohio.

It is found on wet cellulose containing materials like drywall. It is normally found in houses after water damage and prefers to grow in dark places like wall cavities. You should be especially concerned if anyone in your home is experiencing difficulty breathing, dizziness, memory loss, hearing loss, gastrointestinal tract infections, depression, headaches, tremors, skin rashes, Chronic Fatigue or flu-like symptoms.

It also damages vital organs. Farmers have reported unknowingly feeding their cattle hay contaminated with this toxin and witnessing the cows hemorrhaging from their eyes… just before… they dropped dead like flies.

Penicillium: Another disease causing mold responsible for a host of infections including CANCER. Listen: there are dozens more toxic molds (all found within the South East) which mirror these horrible effects. The EPA notes that mold can cause health risks if left untreated.

WARNING SIGNS!!!

A good indicator that your home could be sick and potentially dangerous to your health is if your house has suffered past or recent water damage. Wet Basements (or even damp basements not yet trickling onto the floor) , Roof leaks , Plumbing leaks, window and door leaks, high humidity can all be sources of moisture which can cause the mold to grow! But that’s not all, mold can even lurk in the hidden areas growing behind the walls due to mold creating condensation in places that are rarely discovered ….before its too late. Not only that your furnace or air conditioning system can be contaminated too! That often means that every time you turn on your furnace or your air conditioner, you could potentially be spreading harmful mold spores throughout the house for you and your loved ones TO BREATHE!

YOU PROBABLY THINK THAT I’M JUST TRYING YOU SCARE YOU, RIGHT?

WRONG! 4 of my clients have died from mold!!!

"A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home"

Mold growing on the back side of wallpaper.

Water stain on a basement wall -- locate and fix the source of the water promptly. Click on the image for a larger version.

Hidden Mold

Suspicion of hidden mold

You may suspect hidden mold if a building smells moldy, but you cannot see the source, or if you know there has been water damage and residents are reporting health problems. Mold may be hidden in places such as the back side of dry wall, wallpaper, or paneling, the top side of ceiling tiles, the underside of carpets and pads, etc. Other possible locations of hidden mold include areas inside walls around pipes (with leaking or condensing pipes), the surface of walls behind furniture (where condensation forms), inside ductwork, and in roof materials above ceiling tiles (due to roof leaks or insufficient insulation).

Investigating hidden mold problems

Investigating hidden mold problems may be difficult and will require caution when the investigation involves disturbing potential sites of mold growth. For example, removal of wallpaper can lead to a massive release of spores if there is mold growing on the underside of the paper. If you believe that you may have a hidden mold problem, consider hiring an experienced professional.

Cleanup and Biocides

Biocides are substances that can destroy living organisms. The use of a chemical or biocide that kills organisms such as mold (chlorine bleach, for example) is not recommended as a routine practice during mold cleanup. There may be instances, however, when professional judgment may indicate its use (for example, when immune-compromised individuals are present). In most cases, it is not possible or desirable to sterilize an area; a background level of mold spores will remain - these spores will not grow if the moisture problem has been resolved. If you choose to use disinfectants or biocides, always ventilate the area and exhaust the air to the outdoors. Never mix chlorine bleach solution with other cleaning solutions or detergents that contain ammonia because toxic fumes could be produced.

Please note: Dead mold may still cause allergic reactions in some people, so it is not enough to simply kill the mold, it must also be removed.

(a) Conflict of interest.

(1) A licensee shall not perform both mold inspection and mold remediation on the

same project.

(2) A person shall not own an interest in an entity that performs mold inspection

services and an entity that performs mold remediation services on the same project.

(b)
(1) perform only activities allowed under subsection (b) of this section;

(2) comply with mold sampling protocols accepted as industry standards, as

presented in training course materials,

(3) utilize the services of a laboratory that is licensed by the department to provide

analysis of mold samples; and

(4) provide to the client a mold inspection report following an initial (preremediation

or pre-sanitization) mold inspection.
(c)

(1) sources of, conditions necessary for, and prevention of indoor mold growth;

(2) potential health effects

(3) workplace hazards and safety, including personal protective equipment, and

respirators;

(3) technical and legal considerations for mold inspection, including applicable

regulatory requirements, the role of the mold inspector, and the roles of other

professionals

(4) understanding of areas in the construction process where mold might be present

and potential moisture intrusion might cause mold problems, including plumbing, roofing, HVAC,

and foundation concerns.

(5) utilization of physical measurement equipment and tools, including moisture

meters, humidity meters, particle counters, data-logging equipment, and visual and robotic

inspection equipment;

(6) biological sampling strategies and methodologies, including sampling locations

and techniques, and minimizing cross-contamination;

(7) sampling methodologies, including bulk, surface (including tape, swab, and

vacuum sampling), and air sampling (including the differences between culturable and particulate

sampling, sampling times, calibrating pumps, selecting media for culturable samples, and sampling

for fungal volatile organic compounds);

(8) state-of-the-art work practices and new technologies that provide sanitization

solutions and screening methods;

(9) proper documentation for reports, including field notes, measurement data,

photographs, structural diagrams, and chain-of-custody forms;

(10) an overview of mold remediation projects and requirements, including PPE,

containment, and air filtration and oxidation technologies; and

(11) clearance screening and procedures, including review of mold remediation

protocols, work plans, visual inspections, and sampling strategies.