If The Affected Area Is Large:
- Take precautions to protect your health.
- Consider hiring a professional to clean it up, especially if there is a large amount of mould or if the mould keeps coming back after you clean it.
- A large amount of mould is often the result of a larger problem , which you may need a professional help to fix.
Once clean-up is done, be sure to fix the underlying cause to prevent more mould from growing again.
Reporting Black Mold In Your Rented Home
Has Epa Issued Specific Recommendations On How Frequently Carpet Should Be Cleaned
No. EPA recommends that consumers and others follow manufacturer recommendations and industry standards for keeping carpet clean to protect indoor air quality wherever carpet is installed. A number of carpet cleaning companies have been under the incorrect impression that EPA issued official carpet cleaning recommendations in a 1989 letter from the then-Deputy Director of EPA’s Environmental Criteria and Assessment Office in EPA’s Office of Research and Development. That official provided a response based on his own expertise and investigation. However, the table at the end of the letter identifying specific carpet cleaning frequencies for different indoor environments was not intended to and does not convey an official EPA position, and therefore should not be construed or represented as EPA carpet cleaning recommendations.
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How Does Mold Affect People With Asthma
Molds can trigger asthma episodes in sensitive individuals with asthma. People with asthma should avoid contact with exposure to molds.
Molds are microscopic fungi that live on plant and animal matter. Molds can be found almost anywhere, and grow best in damp places such as kitchens, bathrooms, and basements.
For information on mold and asthma, visit .
How To Prevent Mold In Your Home
As previously mentioned, mold grows in areas where there is increased moisture and limited exposure to light. The following are various ways to prevent mold from growing in your home:
- Repair water leaks immediately: take the time to mop up any excess water and use fans to dry the area completely
- Use air conditioners & dehumidifiers: these will help you maintain low humidity in your home. Make sure you are changing filters and maintaining the equipment as recommended
- Avoid carpet in certain areas: dont use carpet in rooms where mold is more likely to grow, such as bathrooms, laundry rooms and basements
- Avoid piles of wet fabric: dont leave wet clothes or towels in a pile and avoid leaving clothes in your washing machine for long periods
- Keep your home ventilated: open windows or use exhaust fans in rooms such as bathrooms to keep your home well ventilated
While there is no way to eliminate the possibility of mold in your home, there are ways to reduce the chances of it happening.
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Mold Is Bad For Your Health
The presence of mold in the home can make allergies and asthma worse. Even members of the household that dont have respiratory conditions can start experiencing unpleasant symptoms. This is because mold reproduces by releasing spores into the air. When these spores are inhaled, they can cause all sorts of issues like coughing, sneezing, wheezing, throat irritation, eye irritation, skin irritation, and a stuffy or runny nose.
Is Mold Inspection Necessary
Mold in your home is not only stressful, but an unfortunately common problem for homeowners. Maybe you’re not sure if you have mold, or if you do, there’s not very much. Do you even need a mold inspection? Mold is persistent and can recur if not properly found and dealt with. A mold inspection is a great first step to keep you, your home and family safe.;
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What About Mold In Large Buildings
EPA has a number of resources available, you can start with the Indoor Air Quality Building Evaluation and Assessment Model . I-BEAM updates and expands EPA’s existing Building Air Quality guidance and is designed to be comprehensive state-of-the-art guidance for managing IAQ in commercial buildings. This guidance was designed to be used by building professionals and others interested in indoor air quality in commercial buildings. I-BEAM contains text, animation/visual, and interactive/calculation components that can be used to perform a number of diverse tasks. See .
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Identify And Fix The Moisture Problem
The most important step in solving a mold problem is to identify and correct the moisture sources that allowed the growth in the first place. Common indoor moisture sources include:
- Flooding
- Inadequate venting of kitchen and bath humidity
- Improper venting of combustion appliances
- Failure to vent clothes dryer exhaust outdoors
- Line drying laundry indoors
- House plants – watering them can generate large amounts of moisture
To keep indoor surfaces as dry as possible, try to maintain the home’s relative humidity between 20-40 percent in the winter and less than 60 percent the rest of the year. You can purchase devices to measure relative humidity at some home supply stores. Ventilation, air circulation near cold surfaces, dehumidification, and efforts to minimize the production of moisture in the home are all very important in controlling high humidity that frequently causes mold growth in our cold climate.
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You Visibly See Mold Spores
Of course one of the most obvious ways to determine that you have mold in your house is if you can see it. The downside? If you see a ton of visible mold, it can be an indicator that you have a big problem on your hands.
“Once you see it, you’ve got a big mold problem because what you’re seeing is literally just the tip of the iceberg,” Kelly Hayes-Raitt, a housesitter and the former director of the HomeSafe Campaign in California, told INSIDER.
Simply scrubbing the visible mold with soap and a sponge won’t actually get rid of the mold. So if you see visible mold, you need to reach out to a mold remediation company or another expert to help you get things under control, including any leaks that may have caused the issue in the first place.;
And Does Light Destroy Mold
Mold is an unwelcome visitor to all DC area homes, but it doesnt become a real problem until it decides to stay and set up shop. Mold can affect your familys health with a wide range of symptoms and can even harm your pets. Many homeowners think that mold only grows in the dark areas of their homes, but that just isnt true.
Where To Report Mold Problems As A Tenant
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California is one of a handful of states that strictly regulates mold growth in rental properties. The presence of mold in your apartment or home can affect the indoor air quality, causing you to suffer from a range of harmful health effects from the spores. When you suspect mold growth, you have several methods available to report it. Once the mold is reported and verified, the landlord can take steps to eradicate it.
What Is The Difference Between Mold And Mildew
Mildew refers to certain kinds of mold or fungus. The term mildew is often used generically to refer to mold growth, usually with a flat growth habit.
Molds include all species of microscopic fungi that grow in the form of multicellular filaments, called hyphae. Molds can thrive on any organic matter, including clothing, leather, paper, and the ceilings, walls and floors of homes with moisture management problems. Mildew often lives on shower walls, windowsills, and other places where moisture levels are high. There are many species of molds. In unaired places, such as basements, they can produce a strong musty odor.
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Look For Signs Of Moisture Or Mold
- Mold can have a cottony, velvety, granular or leathery texture
- The color of mold can vary from white, gray, brown, black, green or other colors
- Mold damage may look like discoloration or staining on the surface of building materials or furnishings
- Noticeable mold odors are described as musty or earthly
Mold Clauses In Leases
Some landlords include clauses in the lease that purport to relieve them from any liability resulting from mold growth. At least one court has refused to enforce such a clause, ruling that to do so would be against public policy. More cases from other parts of the country are sure to arise as mold litigation makes its way through the courts. Some states require landlords to disclose information about mold to tenants.
A smart landlord will try to prevent the conditions that lead to the growth of moldand tenants should be the landlord’s partner in this effort. This approach requires maintaining the structural integrity of the property , which is the landlord’s job. You can help by preventing mold problems in your home in the first place and promptly reporting problems that need the landlord’s attention.
Addressing Moisture And Mould In Your Home
Health Canada considers indoor mould growth to be a significant health hazard. The word mould is a common term referring to fungi that can grow on building materials in homes or other buildings. Damp conditions and mould growth in homes increases the risk of respiratory allergy symptoms and exacerbate asthma in mold-sensitive individuals. It is important to know how to identify, address and prevent moisture and mould in your home.
People living in homes with mould and damp conditions are more likely to have:
- eye, nose and throat irritation
- coughing and phlegm build-up
- wheezing and shortness of breath
- worsening of asthma symptoms
The level of concern depends on the extent of mould, how long it has been present and the sensitivity and overall health of the residents. Some people are more susceptible than others. For example, infants, children, the elderly and those with health problems such as breathing difficulties are more at risk from mould and dampness.
Any respiratory health concerns should be discussed with a physician if you suspect that these could be caused by poor indoor air quality. Your physician is best suited to determine if your symptoms may be related to environmental factors or some other underlying cause.
Health Canada recommends controlling dampness indoors and cleaning up any mould regardless of the type of mould presentFootnote 1.
Who Is Most At Risk For Health Problems Associated With Exposure To Mold
People with allergies may be more sensitive to molds. People with immune suppression or underlying lung disease are more susceptible to fungal infections. Individuals with chronic respiratory disease may experience difficulty breathing. Individuals with immune suppression are at increased risk for infection from molds. If you or your family members have these conditions, a qualified medical clinician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment.
How To Prevent Mold
Whether you just got rid of the mold or you dont ever want to see it in your house you need to know the mold prevention rules. To prevent mold from appearing in your house:
Small investments in prevention can go long waysand keep a lot of cash in your pocket!
Prevent Mold And Moisture
You can keep molds from growing by making sure that your home stays dry; promptly fixing leaky roofs, windows, and pipes; ventilating shower, laundry, and cooking areas; and thoroughly cleaning and drying the area after flooding. If you can see or smell mold, clean it up. Also, be quick to investigate any signs of water damage:
Remove And Dispose Of Mold Contaminated Materials
Items which have absorbed moisture , which have mold growing on them need to be removed, bagged and thrown out. Such materials may include sheet rock, insulation, plaster, carpet/carpet pad, ceiling tiles, wood products , and paper products. Likewise, any such porous materials that have contacted sewage should also be bagged and thrown away. Non-porous materials with surface mold growth may be saved if they are cleaned well and kept dry .
Take Steps to Protect Yourself – the amount of mold particles in air can increase greatly when mold is disturbed. Consider using protective equipment when handling or working around mold contaminated materials. The following equipment can help minimize exposure to mold:
- Rubber gloves
- Eye goggles
- Outer clothing that can be easily removed in the work area and laundered or discarded
- Medium-efficiency or high-efficiency filter dust mask – at a minimum, use an N-95 or equivalent dust mask
Take Steps to Protect Others – plan and perform all work to minimize the amount of dust generated. The following actions can help minimize the spread of mold spores:
- Enclose all moldy materials in plastic before carrying through the home
- Hang plastic sheeting to separate the work area from the rest of the home
- Remove outer layer of work clothing in the work area and wash separately or bag
- Damp clean the entire work area to pick up settled contaminants in dust
What Can You Do
To prevent and get rid of mold:
- Keep your house clean and dry.
- Fix water problems such as roof leaks, wet basements, and leaking pipes or faucets.
- Make sure your home is well ventilated and always use ventilation fans in bathrooms and kitchens.
- If possible, keep humidity in your house below 50% by using an air conditioner or dehumidifier.
- Avoid using carpeting in areas of the home that may become wet, such as kitchens, bathrooms and basements.
- Dry floor mats regularly.
To find mold that might be growing in your home:
- Search for moisture in areas that have a damp or moldy smell, especially in basements, kitchens and bathrooms.
- Look for water stains or colored, fuzzy growth on and around ceilings, walls, floors, windowsills and pipes.
- If you smell a musty odor, search behind and underneath materials such as carpeting, furniture or stored items.
- Inspect kitchens, bathrooms and basements for standing water, water stains and patches of out-of-place color.
To control moisture problems and mold:
- Fix any water problems immediately and clean or remove wet materials, furnishings or mold.
- Clean up spills or floods within one day. If practical, take furniture that has been wet outside to dry and clean. Direct sunlight prevents mold growth.
- Dry all surfaces and fix the problem or leak to prevent further damage.
- Install a dehumidifier when a moisture problem is evident or when the humidity is high.
What Are The Basic Mold Cleanup Steps
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