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Molds are simple, microscopic organisms found virtually everywhere, indoors and out. Molds can be found on plants, foods, dry leaves, and other organic material, and are needed for breaking down dead material. Mold spores are very tiny and lightweight, which allows them to be airborne. Mold growths can often be seen in the form of discoloration, ranging from white to orange and from green to brown and black. When molds are present in large quantities, they can cause allergic symptoms similar to those caused by plant pollen.
You should be concerned if you believe that your house contains mold spores. If the contamination is extensive, airborne mold spores are present in large numbers; they can cause allergic reactions, asthma episodes, infections, and other respiratory problems for people and in some instances death. Exposure to high spore levels can even cause the development of an allergy to the mold. Mold can also cause structural damage to your home. Similarly, when wood goes through a period of wetting, then drying, it can eventually warp and cause walls to crack or become structurally weak. For mold to grow it needs a food source such as: leaves, wood, paper, dirt, moisture and a place to grow. The following are sources of indoor moisture that may cause problems:
- Flooding
- Backed-up sewers
- Leaky roofs
- Humidifiers
- Mud or ice dams
- Damp basement or crawl spaces
- Constant plumbing leaks
- House plants - watering can generate large amounts of moisture steam from cooking
- Shower/bath steam and leaks
- Wet clothes on indoor drying lines
- Clothes dryers vented indoors
- Combustion appliances (e.g. stoves) not exhausted to the outdoors
If you see moisture condensation on the windows or walls it is also possible that you have a combustion problem in your home. It is important to have sufficient fresh air available for fuel burning appliances, such as the furnace, water heater, stove/range, clothes dryer, and the fireplace. A shortage of air for these appliances can result in back drafting of dangerous gases like carbon monoxide into the home. To prevent back drafting of air you need either open vents or a ventilation system that brings fresh air into the home to replace air that is exhausted out. Have your local utility company or a professional heating contractor inspect your fuel-burning appliances annually.
Allergic reactions may be the most common health problem of mold exposure. Typical symptoms reported (alone or in combination) include:
- Respiratory problems, such as wheezing, and difficulty in breathing
- Nasal and sinus congestion
- Eyes-burning, watery, reddened, blurry vision, light sensitivity
- Dry, hacking cough
- Sore throat
- Nose and throat irritation
- Shortness of breath
- Skin irritation
- Central nervous system problems (constant headaches, memory problems, and mood changes)
- Aches and pains
- Possible fever
Allergic persons vary in their sensitivities to mold, both the amount and type needed to cause reactions. In addition, certain types of molds can produce toxins called mycotoxins, which inhibit or prevent the growth of other organisms. It is important that materials permeated with mold are removed, even after they are disinfected with cleaning solutions. Allergic and toxic effects can remain in dead spores. Exposure to mycotoxins may present a greater hazard than that of allergenic molds. Mycotoxins have been found in homes, agricultural settings, food, and office buildings.
If you can see mold, or if there is an earthy or musty odor assume you have a mold problem. Allergic individuals may experience the symptoms listed above. Visible mold growth is found underneath materials where water has damaged surfaces, or behind walls so look for previous water damage or discoloration and leaching from plaster.
Reliable sampling for mold can be expensive, and requires equipment not available to the general public. Residents of individual private homes must pay a contractor to carry out such sampling, as it is not usually done by public health agencies. Mold cleanup is usually considered one of the housekeeping tasks along with roof and plumbing repairs, sweeping and house cleaning. There are few available standards for judging what is an acceptable quantity of mold. If sampling is carried out an outdoor air sample needs to be taken at the same time as the sample indoors to provide a baseline measurement.
Once you know the problem exists, follow the procedure given next. Unless the source of moisture is removed and the contaminated area is cleaned and disinfected, mold growth is likely to reoccur.
- Identify and correct the moisture source
- Clean, disinfect, and dry the mold area
- Bag and dispose any material that has moldy residues, such as rags, paper, leaves, or debris.
After fixing the moisture source and removing excess moisture, the cleanup can begin: Wear gloves when handling moldy materials and remove porous materials (examples: ceiling tiles, sheetrock, carpeting, wood product.) Carpeting can be a difficult problem because simply drying does not remove the dead spores. If there is heavy mold, disposal of the carpet should be considered. Bag and discard the moldy substances and allow the area to dry 2 or 3 days. Visually inspect the wall interior and remove any other intrusive molds. (This step may have to be carried out by a licensed contractor).
Before disinfecting contaminated areas, clean the areas to remove as much of the mold (and food it is growing on) as possible. Always wear gloves when doing this cleanup and use a non-ammonia soap or detergent or a commercial cleaner, in hot water, and scrub the entire area affected by the mold with a stiff brush or cleaning pad. You can also clean with bleach by diluting 1.5 cups per 1gallon water. Never mix bleach with Ammonia - the fumes are toxic. Rinse area clean with water. (Use a wet/dry vacuum for this if one is handy.)
Cleaning up mold can be hazardous to your health. Exposure to mold can occur during the cleaning stage. Mold counts are typically 10 to 1000 times higher than background levels during the cleaning of mold damaged materials. Take steps to protect your health during cleanup: consider using a mask or respirator to protect you from breathing airborne spores, working over short time spans and rest in a fresh air location, and asking others in the area to vacate during cleaning process, and air your house out well during after the work
Duct systems can be constructed of bare sheet metal, sheet metal with an exterior fibrous glass insulation, sheet metal with an internal fibrous glass liner, or made entirely of fibrous glass. If your home's air duct system has had water damage it too can be contaminated with mold. The first step is to identify the type of air duct construction that you have. Bare sheet metal systems, or sheet metal with exterior fibrous glass insulation, can be cleaned and disinfected. If your system has sheet metal with an internal fibrous glass liner, or are made entirely of fibrous glass, the ductwork normally will need to be removed and discarded. Ductwork in difficult locations may have to be abandoned. If you have any questions, contact an air duct cleaning professional, or licensed contractor via our contractor directory.
Even after you have cleaned everything as thoroughly as possible you can still have mold odors. If odors persist continue to dry out the area and search for any hidden areas of mold. If the area continues to smell musty, you may have to re-clean the area again (follow the cleaning steps given above). Continue to dry and ventilate the area. Do not replace flooring or begin rebuilding until the area has dried completely. If you cannot find the source of mold or mildew odor contact a local cleaning professional.
To prevent damage to your home check regularly for the following:
- Moisture condensation on windows
- Cracking of plasterboard
- Loose drywall tape
- Warping wood
- Musty odors
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