Summary:
Mold may be a small fungus, but it is aggressive, and it can quickly become a major and costly problem. This article discusses where and why mold grows, and it gives detailed instructions for the safe removal of mold in a home.

Details or Sample:
Mold is everywhere. At this moment, microscopic mold spores are drifting through the air outside, floating through your home’s ventilation system, and settling on your clothing. A highly efficient fungus, mold reproduces by sending these spores into the air. The spores then settle on any available surface and wait for the right conditions to grow. The good news is that most of these mold spores will remain dormant and will never become an issue.

Yet if the conditions are right, mold can grow into a major problem. Mold needs three things to thrive. It needs warm temperatures; an average room temperature is more than adequate for mold to reproduce. It needs a food source; most building materials, like drywall and wooden studs, provide the dead organic material that mold requires. And it needs moisture. Any part of your home that has seen water damage could be harboring mold. Water infiltrates a home through a leaking roof, a broken pipe, or an improperly vented bathroom fan. Even an over-watered houseplant can provide enough moisture for mold to grow.

Sometimes mold is visible, but often it is hidden behind walls and under flooring. The best way to find mold in a home is to smell it. Mold gives off a distinctive musty, damp odor. Once you’ve found the mold and fixed the source of the water damage, you must remove all mold, otherwise it will continue to grow. If mold has spread to an area larger than ten square feet, you should hire a professional to remove it. You can remove any smaller amount of mold yourself if you follow certain safety precautions. You should always wear proper safety gear. This includes a long sleeve shirt and pants, work gloves, goggles, and a respirator designed for protection against mold spores. Since spores can spread to other areas of your home, seal the affected room with polyethylene sheeting, covering the slit entry with another flap of sheeting. A high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) fan unit can prevent mold spores from migrating to other rooms by maintaining a negative air pressure in the space. Seal all air registers and ducts in the room.

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Written by: Amy W
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