Molds may look like furry growth, black stains, or specks of black, white, orange, green or brown. When a growth of mold appears, it can send clouds of invisible bits of mold through the air. These bits of mold can cause infections, allergies, asthma and other breathing problems. To avoid these health problems, keep your home as mold-free as possible.
The more people who live in a home, the more likely it is that molds will grow inside it. This is because we release a lot of moisture in the air when we breathe. When we take long hot showers, cook with uncovered pots, dry clothes on an indoor clothesline, or use humidifiers, we also make more moisture for molds to grow. Storing wet firewood, watering many plants, and storing many vegetables like potatoes and squash can make a mold problem more likely, too. Use protective equipment when working around mold.
Mold digests the carbon in the surface it is growing on. While doing this, it breaks down the material bit by bit. The digestive enzymes eventually destroy the material , and the mold grows and spreads further to consume energy from more material. Some of the most common molds are listed below. The exterior surfaces they are commonly found on are also identified.
Aspergillus: Aspergillus is one of the most common molds. You can find its spores virtually everywhere — from Antarctic soil and the interior of spacecraft to homes throughout the USA.
Found both inside and outside homes, this mold often grows on painted surfaces, wood, many types of paneling, painted masonry including brick and masonry block , and poured concrete foundations. Penicillium : Another common type of mold, Penicillium also thrives both inside and outside of the home. It commonly infests vinyl, paneling, wood, painted masonry, and poured concrete foundations. Cladosporium : This mold is one of the most common types of mold found on external surfaces of buildings.
No matter what type of mold is present, you should remove it. Since the effect of mold on people can vary greatly, either because of the amount or type of mold, you cannot rely on sampling and culturing to know your health risk. Standards for judging what is an acceptable, tolerable or normal quantity of mold have not been established.
Sampling for mold can be expensive, and standards for judging what is and what is not an acceptable quantity of mold have not been set. The best practice is to remove the mold and work to prevent future growth.
If you do decide to pay for environmental sampling for molds, before the work starts, you should ask the consultants who will do the work to establish criteria for interpreting the test results. They should tell you in advance what they will do or what recommendations they will make based on the sampling results.
Hazards presented by molds that may produce mycotoxins should be considered the same as other common molds which can grow in your house. Not all fungi produce mycotoxins and even those that do will not do so under all surface or environmental conditions. Mold growth, which often looks like spots, can be many different colors, and can smell musty.
Color is not an indication of how dangerous a mold may be. Any mold should be removed and the moisture source that helped it grow should be removed.
There are very few reports that toxigenic molds found inside homes can cause unique or rare health conditions such as pulmonary hemorrhage or memory loss. These case reports are rare, and a causal link between the presence of the toxigenic mold and these conditions has not been proven.
Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Basic Facts about Mold and Dampness. Minus Related Pages. How common is mold in buildings? How do molds get in the indoor environment and how do they grow? How do you know if you have a mold problem? Large mold infestations can usually be seen or smelled. How do molds affect people? Who is most at risk for health problems associated with exposure to mold?
Our homes and cars are susceptible to mold growth for a variety of reasons, but no matter what the cause, mold can lead to both illness and compromised real estate values. I spent the next three days in bed, overcome by flu-like symptoms, coughing, sneezing, headache and exhausted. The subject of mold seems to come up more often these days.
Is it becoming more plentiful or are we simply becoming more aware? Since Hurricane Katrina made landfall on August 29, , and devastated New Orleans and much of the surrounding region, our personal radar about mold has grown more sensitive.
Who can forget the images of all the flooded, condemned homes with toxic black mold creeping up the walls? Mold is a type of fungi that grows in the natural environment.
Tiny particles are indoors and out, thriving on moisture and high humidity levels, the very conditions we often experience here on the Vineyard, especially in the summer. Mildew is a type of fungi as well and is referred to as a kind of mold or mold in its early stages. It can be downy or powdery. Downy mildew appears as yellow spots that become brighter, then turn brown.
Powdery mildew is whitish, turning yellowish-brown before becoming black. Mold has a fuzzy appearance and can be orange, green, black, brown, pink, or purple in color. Mold produces spores — microscopic cells that spread through the air, by water or insects, acting like seeds, creating new mold colonies when they land in just the right setting. The most commonly reported health problems from exposure to mold are respiratory in nature — sneezing, stuffiness, coughing, wheezing, and throat irritation.
Rashes and eye irritation are also typical reactions for those who are sensitive to mold. People with actual mold allergies may have more severe reactions, including shortness of breath, and more vulnerable populations — those with immune system problems and the elderly — may be more likely to get serious infections in their lungs. One local physician, Dr. Lisa Nagy, has built an environmental medicine practice treating what she believes are mold-related illnesses after experiencing debilitating symptoms herself that she links to mold exposure in a former home off-Island.
According to Phil Regan, principal at Hutker Architects in Vineyard Haven, we experience a wide range of climatic conditions that can lead to moisture intrusion in our homes. Tim Boland, executive director of Polly Hill Arboretum, blames our abundance of atmospheric moisture for the overpopulation of mold on the Island as well. He cites close proximity of plantings to building foundations as another culprit.
Brian Nelson, a principal and mechanical engineer at Nelson Mechanical Design in Edgartown, specializes in installing all types of climate control systems in homes and businesses across the Island.
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