The Good, Bad, and the Ugly About Mold
Molds are naturally occuring biological organisms. There are literally thousands of types of mold in the environment. The good news is that mold can be helpful! Mold helps to decompose dead plants and animals and it provides certain cheeses and medicines. The bad news is that molds are prolific reproducers! They send millions of spores into the air, and when they land in favorable areas, they reproduce at an amazing rate.
Outside, this is not necessarily a bad situation because mold is part of the natural process of decay. Molds work to break down dead plant materials into fertile topsoil.
However, when mold intrudes into a home due to an existing moisture problem, or dirty air conditioning ductwork, it can get ugly and health issues can begin to show up in those with underlying health conditions or compromised immune systems.
Mold, when left to grow, comes in a variety of colors, from a gray dust-like color to even orange and of course the more obvious brown and black. The bottom line: all molds growing in your home or office have the ability to undermine your health and compromise your immune system. In today’s world, we all need a strong immune system to fight off all the cases of flu, viruses, and other issues challenging our health. Don’t let your home or office make you sick!
The Unforeseen or Unattended
In homes or commercial facilities, leaks, humidity problems, condensation on pipes, air vents, or poorly maintained heating and air conditioning systems, structural damage to foundations and roofs, cracks around windows or window sills, or poor ventilation can lead to internal mold problems.
What else causes mold to grow in a building? Mold requires water and a food source. The food source is cellulose. Cellulose is found in many common household items such as wallpaper, cardboard boxes, old newspapers, drywall, insulation, and paneling.
Prevention and Remediation
The certified indoor air quality and mold specialists at Smart Healthy Homes of the Gulf Coast have more than 23 years of experience and have solved thousands of mold-related cases over the years. We not only can identify and remove the mold in your home, condo or vacation rental, but we can also mitigate the causes and help prevent it from coming back in the near future.
Mold Prevention Tips
Want to prevent mold from growing and spreading in your home or office? The key to mold control is moisture control. Solve moisture problems before they become mold problems! Follow these tips to ensure mold never happens!
- Fix leaky plumbing and leaks in the building envelope as soon as possible.
- Watch for condensation on your air conditioning registers and vent covers.
- Look for condensation accumulating on windows and run a dehumidifier year-round and set it on 45%, allowing it to kick on when it senses moisture over 45%.
- If you see wet spots on the ceiling please get to the root cause of this ASAP.
- Have your heating and air conditioning systems and related ductwork thoroughly cleaned and sanitized of mold and bacteria at least once a year.
- Don’t let foundations stay wet. Provide drainage and slope the ground away from the foundation.