The effects of household mold in the Charleston, SC area...
As posted in Disaster Plus website!
Mold can be seen and felt by many in the Low Country! Mold is a type of fungus that works to break down organic material and return nutrients to the environment.
Mold needs moisture and a food source to grow and homes have plenty of both! An excellent food source for mold is any carbon-based substance. In today’
s home structures, food sources for mold are readily available (like on sheetrock, insulation, wood wall studs, linoleum, wood flooring). Mold-feeding moisture can be supplied through a variety of sources. If you live in a home where: your indoor humidity is higher than 50%, you have leaky pipes or water seepage during rainstorms, roof leaks, or your house has poor ventilation (trapping moisture indoors), you may have an environment that encourages mold growth.
Common places you may find mold include:
- bathroom tile
- areas around windows (where moisture condenses)
- leaky sinks or tubs
- laundry rooms
- bathroom/stairwell/crawl space sheetrock
- basement insulation
While some people have serious health reactions to mold, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends, "You should arrange for its removal." To get rid of the mold, you have to also eliminate the source of moisture, to ensure that your home or office is not an environment that is encouraging mold growth.
Immediate steps you can take are:
- Install gutters and extend the downspouts out away from the foundation
- Fix all plumbing and roof leaks as soon as they are discovered
- Vent dryers to the exterior of the home
- Be sure your AC system is properly sized and maintained – be sure to run the AC in the summer
- Have a moisture control expert dry your home in the event of a water disaster
- Install a dehumidifier
- Get a moisture control expert to dry your home in the event of a water disaster in your crawl space and close up the crawl space vents
Posted on: 2010/02/23 3:18:23pm by: Prarthana Sharma
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