Whistler
Real Estate Co Ltd, #137- 4370 Lorimer Road, Whistler, BC V0N 1B4
PREVENTING MOLD GROWTH
Question
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I have a son who seems to be allergic to everything -- but especially mold and mildew. We are moving into an older home. Is there anything I can do to keep mold and mildew to a minimum?
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Answer
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Although mold is always with us, we want to keep mold in its place --preferably outdoors. While we will always have some spores in our homes, the goal is to keep the spores from growing to problem levels.
Four things have to be present to have a mold growth:
- Mold spores
- Temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees F
- A moisture source.
- A food source. This is wood or gypsum board, or that old bread in your bread box.
So, how do we control mold growth?
- We have said that mold spores are everywhere. So is their food. We can’t control those.
- People are not comfortable in their homes at temperatures below 40 degrees or above 140 degrees, so this is no help.
- The only thing left is moisture. The best way to prevent mold from growing is to control moisture. This is lucky in a way because controlling moisture is something we want to do in homes anyway.
Sources of moisture in homes include:
- Leaks into or through roofs walls, door, windows, basements, etc. The leaks that come through usually get corrected quickly. The leaks that stay in walls, for example, often don’t get corrected because they are not noticed.
- Leaks from plumbing or heating systems.
- High humidity from cooking, bathing etc., resulting in condensation.
- Air conditioning systems, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, sump pits and other places where moisture is commonly present.
Step One - remove the mold
Most molds can be cleaned up easily with soap and water, or a mild bleach solution.
If the mold species is allergenic or toxic and present in large quantity, special procedures may be necessary to assure that cleanup is performed safely and to prevent contamination of other building areas or contents.
A word of caution
People who are allergic, asthmatic, infant, elderly, immune-impaired, etc., should not disturb mold and should not be in the area where mold remediation is being performed. Consult with your doctor, health department or other professional before tackling this job yourself.
Specialists with respirators, skin protection and eye protection should be called in to clean up large amounts (more than 30 square feet, an area 3 feet by 10 feet, for example) of toxic mold.
Step Two - remove the moisture
Once we get rid of the mold, the next step is to remove the moisture source that allowed the mold to grow. Curing leaks, improving drainage and drying things up are important steps in controlling mold.
Maintenance is important
Don't forget to clean your refrigerator, including gaskets, coils, and evaporator tray. Regular furnace and air conditioning service will help ensure that standing water or chronic moisture is not an issue. Gutters and downspouts should be kept clear and leaks should be corrected.
Finding mold
Mold comes in many colours and may be visible and distinct. It can also be very subtle. Mold on a surface may be the tip of an iceberg, with considerable mold concealed behind the wall, for example. In other cases, the mold is only on the surface. The toughest situation is when the mold is entirely out of sight.
The best clues to look for are areas susceptible to mold. As we have discussed, these include high moisture areas.
To check more carefully and thus more successfully for mold, shine your flashlight along the wall surface in an area that has been damp or wet. Don't shine it right at the wall or you won't see much. Look where things have been wet or damp, regardless of whether it was a single event (washer flood) or one that happens at every rainstorm.
Here are a few areas that you might not have considered: under carpets that have been wet - check for moldy tack strips; previously wet cardboard boxes; at ceiling penetrations like smoke detectors; at the top of poorly-insulated exterior walls; behind wallpaper below windows. Take a careful look at your air conditioner as well as any heating or cooling air handlers and ductwork. Check especially "downstream" of the air handler on cooling systems since condensation there may promote mold growth. Ducts buried in concrete floor slabs are also susceptible. Look at humidifier trays attached to the furnace, and at heat recovery ventilators.
One indication of a problem is higher levels of spores inside the house than outside. This requires air sampling, of course.
Mold can be significant problem, but in most homes, good maintenance and common sense are the best weapons. Moisture is the biggest enemy of homes. Mold is just one of the results of high moisture levels
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