Posted by George Salter on Fri, Oct 23, 2009 @ 09:19
People often ask me "what is the biggest cause of mold contamination in homes and commercial buildings?" The highly technical, scientific answer is "it all depends". There are a lot of factors that contribute to mold problems, but we know that there are some essential conditions without which mold has no chance: moisture, food source, oxygen, and temperature. So, what conditions produce the most mold problems? Here are my Top Three Causes of Mold:
1. Poor ventilation in the attic. Often mold in the attic isn't found
until the house hits the market and a home inspector pokes his (or her) head up there and sees the black spots or white fuzz. This is usually results of
poor ventilation, and can be compounded by
inadequate insulation or a bathroom ceiling
fan vented into the attic.
2. Damp and wet basements. We all love to finish our basements, don't we? Even if we live in areas with high water tables. So, what happens? The basement gets damp and stays damp. And that includes wood joists, carpeting, and wall board, all excellent food sources for mold.
3. Do-It-Yourself water damage clean-up. If you have the un
fortunate luck of experiencing water damage from a pipe burst, hot water tank break, washing machine hose pop out or any other source of emergency water damage, call an expert in water removal and drying. They will be able to find moisture hidden behind walls and under flooring, and they will use professional equipment to dry the area properly and thoroughly. If you try to do it yourself with a wet vac,you will almost certainly leave some moisture behind. And that's where you'll find mold later. As you may know, insurance coverage for mold is very limited, so don't take that chance.
Do you have a a question about mold? Get straight answers from an expert.
