Ten Toxic Mold Mistakes to Avoid

  • 1. Ignoring possible toxic mold health symptoms being experienced by one or more residents or co-workers. Think “mold” if occupants experience unexplained health problems like ongoing itchy eyes, bloody nose, sinus problems, headaches, nose congestion, runny nose, skin rashes, skin sores, coughing, breathing difficulties, memory problems, feeling disconnected, chronic fatigue, and many other mold symptoms.
  • 2. Not realizing that perhaps only one or a few occupants may experience toxic mold health symptoms, while others may have none, with all living or working in the same mold-infested area. People differ significantly in their sensitivity and body reaction to mold.
  • 3. Not inspecting for mold maintenance problems and toxic mold clues. Inspect your home and workplace regularly for roof leaks, plumbing leaks, water damage, mold smells, visible mold growth, high humidity [above 50 to 60%, and a wet or damp basement, crawl space, or attic.
  • 4. Assuming there is no toxic mold problem if there is no visible mold. The worst mold infestation problems are often the ones you cannot see inside floors, ceilings, walls, basement, attic, crawl space, and the heating/cooling equipment and ducts. In addition, airborne mold spores are invisible to the eye.
  • 5. Not knowing that new homes and workplaces often have built-in toxic mold infestation from moldy building materials; no builder mold inspection during construction; storing materials on the ground or during construction with no protection against rain, high humidity and ground moisture; and no application of a fungicidal coating to wood building materials.
  • 6. Believing that simply drying wet building materials is enough. If toxic mold spores and mold colony growths run out of moisture, they do not die. Instead, mold becomes dormant, patiently waiting for high humidity or a future water leak to resume mold growth. Even dormant mold and its smell can make some mold-sensitive persons sick.
  • 7. Not realizing that bleach is ineffective to kill toxic mold on and in porous surfaces like building materials. In addition, bleach is not an EPA-registered fungicide. Find out much more about why mold is inappropriate for mold remediation at http://www.bleach-mold-myth.com
  • 8. Using other ineffective products to kill toxic mold—such as paint primers that hide water stains but are inappropriate for mold remediation, regular paint [which mold eats as a snack food, paint containing a mildicide [if used as the sole mold remediation treatment, ammonia, and most other household cleaners and disinfectants.
  • 9. Thinking that just spraying something on the toxic mold will take care of the problem. You need to both kill all visible toxic mold growth and invisible mold spores encountered in mold remediation, and remove and discard the mold-damaged building materials. In addition the mold remediation area needs to be protected with a fungicidal coating.
  • 10. Not understanding that many mold remediation contractors’ efforts fail because of: (a) failure to find and fix all of the hidden toxic mold infestation locations in a home or workplace due to incomplete and unprofessional mold inspection and mold testing; (b) inadequate worker training; (c)not using effective mold containment procedures and mold remediation techniques; (d) taking shortcuts; and (e) sometimes fraud and dishonesty.
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3 Responses to “Ten Toxic Mold Mistakes to Avoid”

  1. Daryl Watters Says:
    March 21st, 2008 at 1:02 pm

    I just completed a mold inspection report for someone living on Fort Lauderdale Beach, Florida. They reside at an ocean front condo just part of the year. Many Mold problems we face result from humidity problems at seasonal properties.

    Often people who live in ocean front condos have serious mold problems that result from simple mistakes.

    THE EARLY WARNING SIGNS

    First condensation streams down the AC registers, or black mold such as cladosporium cladosporium or more often cladosporium spherisperium starts to grow on the AC register. In other cases white or greenish white mold spots start on clothes and leather objects in the closet. Some old timers call this harmless mildew, this is when people thought DDT, PBC, and lead paint were halmless. It is not mildew, nor is it harmless, it is a few hardy allergy causing species of aspergillus or penicillium.

    Next thing you know the client returns from up north after being away 6 months only to find that the black spots & condensation on the registers is worse, and the white spots have spread to other items it specializes in growing on such as furniture, wicker items, luggage and lamp shades. The occupants find nearly invisible mold all over the place. 90% of it they never see because it is like powder.

    This stuff is much harder to get rid of than stachybotrys (toxic Black mold) because stachybotrys is easier to see and stays near water, this stuff is like a light powering of dust and is almost invisible to the un trained eye, it spreads out hiding in every room of the property.

    Below are a few basic tips on how to prevent this humidity related mold nightmare from occurring.

    I just took it out of our mold inspection report program and revised it slightly. For inspectors a demo of the report software can be found at freemoldinspectionreporting.com

    HUMIDITY CONTROL RECOMMENDATIONS

    The fact that you have lots of mold of the genera Cladosporium on your AC registers indicated periodic high humidity, this tells the inspector that you sometimes have high humidity. In a seasonal ocean front property excess humidity can get way out of hand very fast and result in much or all of your property being covered in humidity loving molds.

    1) Lowering the indoor humidity with a proper working AC is often the best cure, if you have humidity problems have your AC checked to see if it is working properly.

    2) Have your AC person check for holes in the AC closet, even small holes of an inch or so at the AC closet walls and ceilings can allow the AC to pull humid air from inside the AC closet walls or attic.

    3) A dehumidifier is often helpful as the ultimate root of the problem is usually periodic high humidity.

    4) Keeps doors and windows tightly closed when not in use. Air infiltration through the sliding glass doors and windows in breezy humid ocean front areas does result if serious humidity and mold problems.
    This was not occurring at the time of your inspection thus was not a problem at all. If your doors or windows ever start leaking air, repair or replace them asap. Ocean front air leaks can be detected by listening for air and feeling for air leaks with hands a few inches from the doors when the doors are closed tight and locked.

    5) Use bathroom vent fan after each shower till bathroom air looks & feels free of steam and condensation.

    6) Use thermostat set to auto. Setting the thermostat to the on setting may be fine in dry areas but can cause problems in humid climates.

    7) Make sure a humidistat is installed and set it at 60%RH when you are away and set it to on when you are home. If someone tells you to set it at 65% do not listen to them ever, this is a old standard that caused lots of trouble.

    8)Metal AC registers directed towards walls and ceilings at close range may cool these surfaces to dew point and cause condensation and mold. Redirect register louvers that are directed towards walls or ceilings.

  2. Carolyn Says:
    May 21st, 2008 at 1:26 pm

    I have evidence of moisture on the back wall on dry wall in AC closet, what is this from?

    And why is this 6) Use thermostat set to auto. Setting the thermostat to the on setting may be fine in dry areas but can cause problems in humid climates.
    so?

  3. Jack Says:
    September 22nd, 2008 at 1:22 pm

    Good information, dead on. I’ve made these mistakes before, as has most people I know

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