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How to Know if Your Home has Mold

Are you a present homeowner, or considering buying your first home? Because buying a home is one of the most important investments you will make in your lifetime, it is just as important to make sure you’re making a GOOD investment without having to deal with mold problems in the future.

So how can you tell your home, or prospective home is contaminated with mold?

According to Michael Pugliese, author of “The Homeowner’s Guide to Mold,” there are 2 general indicators that a home may be mold infested :

• A Musty Smell (Approximately 90 % of homes with mold have this)
• Evidence of a water leak or condensation

What Kinds of Questions Should I Ask?

When buying a home, it is important to find out from the previous owner or realtor if there has ever been moisture or mold problems. Know this kind of information before signing any contracts or paying for your home.

Pugliese in his same book, also lists 16 questions that can guide the conversation with your realtor to get all of the important information :

• What is the condition of the home’s roof? How old is it? Has it ever been replaced or patched? If the roof was replaced because of leaking, how long had it leaked?
• Have you had a chimney, dormer, vent pipe, or other flashing repairs done?
• Have you had window casings or trim replaced?
• Have you had any repairs made to your siding?
• Have you ever replaced the hot water heater? When? Was it due to leaks?
• How is your air conditioning unit functioning? Have you ever had any condensation line or pump back up?
• Is the heating and/or central air conditioning system in the crawlspace or attic? If so, has it ever leaked?
• Has the dishwasher ever overflowed?
• Have any of the sinks or toilets leaked?
• Has the refrigerator or icemaker ever leaked water?
• Has the washing machine ever leaked, backed up, or overflowed?
• Have you ever had sewage back up?
• Have you ever had a broken pipe anywhere in the house?
• Have you ever had flooding throughout the home?
• Have you had any problems with moisture in your crawlspace?
• Have you replaced the shower unit or tile? (Shower leaks share top billing for causes of water damage)

Already a Homeowner?

You should know most if not all of these questions. Ask yourself each question, and if any of the above have been a problem it may be a good idea to test and think about remediation procedures.

Further Recommended Reading :

• Economical Changes That Can Be Made to Prevent Mold
• Top 3 Sources of Water Damage and Tips to Avoid Them

Joslyn from the MoldBlogger Team

Source: Pugliese, Michael. “The Homeowner’s Guide to Mold.” 15-17.

Moisture : Key Ingredient for Mold to Grow

One of the most important necessities mold needs to grow, is water.

It does not take a whole lot of water, just a small amount of condensation or moisture will do the trick.

The conclusion then, is that if moisture is prevented or eliminated, the chances of mold growth decrease greatly.

In Vicki Lankarge’s book “What Every Home Owner Needs to Know About Mold & What to Do About It”, she gives 12 tips that can prevent the collection of moisture from a few different sources.

12 Moisture Prevention Tips

• Vent bathrooms, dryers, and other moisture generating sources to the outside.
• Use air conditioners and dehumidifiers.
• Increase ventilation throughout the home.
• Use exhaust fans whenever cooking, dishwashing, and cleaning.
• Fix plumbing leaks immediately.
• Keep your home’s exterior painted.
• Keep flower beds away from exterior walls so the soil doesn’t touch your home’s siding
• Don’t wet walls with lawn sprinklers for a long period of time. This can allow the fungus to from rhizomorphs, so even when the sprinklers are off, the decay continues.
• Make sure the grade of your lawn slopes away from your home and there is adequate drainage. You don’t want water form sprinklers or heavy rain to pool around your home.
• Don’t pile wood or other debris in crawl spaces or against the side of your house.
• Further inspect your home if you see evidence of bugs such as roaches or termites. Remember where you have bugs, you have water.
• Further inspect your home if you see evidence of the fungus. Remember: The fungi can be tricky. The place where you see the fungus may not be the point of origin.

Moisture -> Mold’s Best Friend

If you fall these 12 simple tips, the chances of mold growth in your home will be severely minimized.

Prevention is always the best answer. If a problem is prevented, you will never have to deal with the consequences.

Further Recommended Reading :

• Top 3 Sources of Water Damage & Tips to Avoid Them
• Popular Mold Prevention Products

Joslyn from the MoldBlogger Team

Source: Lankarge, Vicki. “What Every Home Owner Needs to Know About Mold & What to Do About It.” 37-38.

Where Should I Look For Mold?

You know that mold is bad, ugly, and that it can be dangerous. You also know, of course, that it is something that needs to be removed immediately from your home if found growing there.

You even know that you should try a do-it-yourself mold kit if mold contamination is even suspected.

You know how to look for mold, and maybe even what to look for.

But do you know where to look for mold growth?

According to Vicki Lankarge in her book, “What Ever Home Owner Needs to Know About Mold & What to Do About It”, she tells us that there are 8 places where mold growth is most common.

8 Most Common Places for Mold Growth

• Basements or cellars that have been flooded
• Underneath kitchen and bathroom sinks
• Underneath or behind refrigerators
• Behind walls that also house plumbing
• Stacks of damp or wet newspaper or cardboard boxes
• Around air-conditioning units
• Wallboard or around windows that leak
• Under carpeting that may have become wet

Mold Growth: Moisture & Cellulose

Mold growth is of course not limited to these 8 places, however there is a common principle that links all of these common mold environments together: moisture and cellulose - not to be confused with cellulite.

“Cellulose is mold’s favorite food source” says Vicki Lankarge in her book.

Along with moisture, anywhere there is cellulose, there could be mold growth.

Further Recommended Reading :

• 7 Ways to Know if a Mold is Dangerous
• Moisture & The Conditions for Mold Growth

Joslyn from the MoldBlogger Team

Mold Thrives with Moisture

In order to grow and thrive, mold needs moisture. This creates a problem for homeowners that don’t want to share their space with mold. The trick, is getting ahead of mold.

That means knowing where to look and then learning how to prevent the growth of mold in those areas.

The top three sources that can attain water damage, and thus a mold problem are :

• Washing Machine Hoses
• Shower Tile Grout
• Water Heaters

How to Avoid These Mold Invitations

One of the most important things to do in order to avoid mold growth in any of these areas, is to maintain a regular “check-up system” in your home.

Ignorance can lead to bigger problems, so be sure to know if there is a chance of mold growth.

Washing Machine Hoses

According to Vicki Lankarge, author of What Every Homeowner Needs to Know About Mold (And What to Do About It), washing machine valves should be turned off after each use to prevent bursting and leakage.

Shower Tile Grout

It is very important to make sure tile grout is applied properly, especially in showers or other water present areas. If the grout you already have is not up to par, replacement could be your best option.

To do this :

• Remove old grout with a grout saw
• Clean the surface of the tiles
• Mix grout according to the instructions on the package
• Apply grout to the surface with a grout float, spreading in a diagonal direction
• Allow the grout to sit for 10 minutes or according to directions
• Wipe the surface of the tile with a damp sponge to remove any excess grout
• Allow to dry for another 10 minutes until you see a white haze, wipe this haze with the sponge

Water Heaters

When dealing with water heaters, it is important to know how much water is in your heater. Every 6 months, it would be wise to completely drain your water heater.

Here’s How:

• Turn off the electricity or gas supply
• Attach a hose to the drain valve at the base of the heater, and the other end to a drainage bucket
• Allow the water to drain until it becomes clear
• Close the drain valve and and open the cold water valve to refill the tank
• Restore electricity or gas

Regular Maintenance

Remember to check each of these items in your home as well as other water related appliances. Regular maintenance is the key ingredient to keeping your home safe and free of mold.

Further Recommended Reading :

• Find Mold, Stop Mold, Prevent Mold
• 3 Ways to Decrease Mold in the Home

Joslyn from the MoldBlogger Team

Information Source : What Every Home Owner Needs to Know About Mold (And What to Do About It)
by Vicki Lankarge Pages 39-43.

Mold Remediation in Florida

Janie Porter, a dignified reporter from Tampa Bay 10 News, writes about a specific local mold remediation problem :

Visit Mold in Your Home to read the local story.

How to Find, Stop, and Prevent Mold

She also offers a list of steps to find mold, and then remove and prevent further growth.

Read the following :

• Finding Mold

1. Mold is usually associated with a musty smell in the house.

2. Small surface patches of mold on bath tiles or around the shower usually aren’t a problem, unless the mold has reached the wallboard underneath.

3. To find mold, check beneath carpets and around windows. Also, check water hoses on appliances like refrigerators, water heaters and laundry machines.

Source: Consumer Reports

• Stopping Mold

1. Use plastic sheeting to contain and prevent mold spores from spreading.

2. If the mold covers less than 10 square feet, you may be able to take care of the problem yourself.

3. Begin by protecting yourself with an N-95 disposable respirator approved by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health; goggles; and heavy-duty rubber, neoprene, or PVC gloves. Packages of N-95 respirators cost about $12 to $25 and are available in hardware and building-supply stores, by mail, and online.

4. Bag and discard any carpet, ceiling tiles, wallboard, paper, insulation, or other porous materials that have been wet for 48 hours or more.

5. Scrub other materials with a strong solution of detergent and water or 1 cup of chlorine bleach per 5 gallons of water.

6. Wood studs and exposed joists may have to be wire-scrubbed with bleach, sanded, and dried out before reinstalling wallboard and flooring.

7. If the mold covers more than 10 square feet, you’ll need to hire a professional mold remediator.

Source: Consumer Reports

• Preventing Mold

1. Check water hoses on things like refrigerators and water heaters once a month.

2. Don’t use wallpaper or carpets in bathrooms and other damp areas.

3. Repair leaky roofs, poor or missing chimney and window flashing, missing or damaged shingles or siding, and leaky pipes.

4. Repair or replace damaged gutters and leaders.

5. Keep humidity levels in the house between 30 and 50 percent by running the air conditioner and installing outside-venting fans in bathrooms. Also, invest in a dehumidifier. For tips on buying a dehumidifier, click here.

6. To grow, mold needs about 65 percent relative humidity for three to six days. You can measure relative humidity using a hygrometer, which can be purchased at hardware stores for $10 to $50.

Source: Consumer Reports

Further Recommended Reading :

• Tips for Mold Cleanup
• 3 Tips for Do-It-Yourself Mold Removal

Joslyn from the Moldblogger Team

Source: Janie Porter from Tampa Bay 10 News

Mold Spores are Everywhere

According to Phoebe Yin, mold spores are everywhere, floating in and out of our homes. These spores reproduce in moisture which is why limiting moisture in our homes is so imperative for mold prevention.

Besides from just seeing the red, green, and black colors of mold, it also gives off a musty smell and causes asthma like symptoms.

She says there are six main ways of preventing moisture build up:

• Run a fan or open a window for 20 minutes after showering or bathing.
• Make sure to ventilate whenever doing laundry.
• Wash your bathtub or shower as well as the toilet with borax as often as possible. Borax kills mold.
• Use a Dehumidifier.
• Once a week, wash windows with a solution of 20% white vinegar.
• Every once in a while sprinkle baking soda on basement carpets followed by a good vacuuming. (Or remove the carpet all together)

Further Recommended Reading :

• How to Check Your Home for Mold Problems
• Control Moisture - Control Mold

Joslyn from the MoldBlogger Team

Source: Phoebe Yin, ND

10 Approved Tips to Prevent Mold :

The following 10 tips are EPA approved and will help you prevent any mold contamination before the spores even think to settle and spread through your home!

1] As soon as a liquid is spilled, no matter the surface, make sure to clean up immediately. Mold most likely will not grow within the first 24-48 hours if moisture is removed.

2] Surround pipes and other cold surfaces with insulation.

3] When looking for a home or to build one, make sure the ground slopes away from the base house to avoid moisture collecting at the foundation.

4] Make sure air conditioning drains are kept clean and flowing properly.

5] Keep humidity levels in homes below 60%, preferably between 30% and 50%.

6] Store appliances like stoves and dryers outside where they get plenty of airflow, and vent moisture from collecting inside.

7] Be watching for moisture collection. This includes on appliances, windows or any furniture piece.

8] Periodically open doors and windows to increase airflow through your home.

9] When showering or bathing be sure to open a window or turn a bathroom fan on.

10] Clean and repair roof gutters as often as possible.

Further Recommended Reading :

• 7 Tips for Preventing Mold in Your Home
• Is Black Mold Dangerous?

Joslyn from the MoldBlogger Team

Source: Mary Beth Almond

Did you know your chances of mold risk increases drastically after a storm? If not, its ok! There are still some tips that will help decrease and prevent mold from growing in your home!

MOLD PREVENTION

“To prevent mold growth, wood and other hard materials involved in a flood may be cleaned with a steel brush and disinfectant. Softer materials, such as sheetrock and insulation, should be removed and replaced. If you’re sure the water was clean and not floodwater, these materials can be preserved if dried within a few days. Fans, dehumidifiers and space heaters can hurry the process along.”

What is the Best Way to Treat Household Mold?

The best way to treat household mold is through prevention. Once mold has taken up residence in your home, you may find that you are fighting an uphill battle.

If instead you find a way to prevent mold from occurring in the first place you’ll never have to face the task of removing it.

Many popular products on the market are designed to prevent mold.

Each claims to have the best approach, but it’s ultimately up to the homeowner to decide which is for them.

However, there are other products that you may not think to consider when it comes to preventing mold:

• A humidity meter (hygrometer): Although this may not seem like something that can work to prevent mold that is exactly what it does.

  A relative humidity meter measures the moisture within your home.

  Moisture is mold’s best friend and is the cause for a large majority of the mold spores that are found within homes.

  The meter should be read regularly and if the homeowner notices an increase in moisture, they need to find the cause and treat it.

• New roof gutters: Roof gutters helps keep the rain flowing away from your home.

  If the gutters are old and rusting, they can spring leaks. This results in water falling close to the foundation of the home.

  Water can seep in through basement windows or cracks in the foundation causing the growth of mold.

• New plumbing: If you live in an older home you may notice a tiny leak in a pipe from time to time.

  This is inevitable but it’s important to consider the fact that a pipe may spring a leak while you are at work during the day, or away on vacation.

  The resulting leak can cause moisture damage which then becomes a ripe area for mold growth. If the plumbing in your home is beginning to show signs of wear, consider slowly replacing it.

• New ceiling tiles: If any of the ceiling tiles in your basement are showing signs of water damage, they need to be replaced as soon as possible.

  Even though they may appear to be dry, they still can retain some moisture from the initial incident. By replacing the tiles with fresh ones, you will be throwing out any chance of mold developing in your ceiling.

Doing routine maintenance on your home will help to prevent mold from growing. If you notice any water-damaged areas consider replacing the material if at all possible.

Another area that you’ll need to address is flooring. Mold can grow beneath carpeting and that is why it is advisable to replace carpeting in damp areas with flooring.

Having bathroom carpeting may provide for a cozier feeling, but it also encourages mold growth. The same can be said for carpeting found in the kitchen.

Flooring is a much better and healthier choice in these areas.

Preparing your home through prevention will result in a decreased risk of mold.

Keep areas clean, dry, and thoroughly clean, or replace any water-damaged surfaces as soon as possible.

Further Recommended Reading :

• Types of Mold Cleaners
• Manage Mold for Good Health

Joslyn from the MoldBlogger Team

Mold Growth in the Home

Mold growth can be a serious problem when it happens in the home. Mold in a home can cause serious health problems for the people that live there; mainly pulmonary and respiratory problems.

This can be especially dangerous for infants and young children, although it can affect people of all ages. If you notice that there is mold in various places in your home, there are certain things that you can do to decrease the mold and prevent any further spreading.

What Can I Do to Prevent the Mold from Spreading?

• Mold thrives in a warm, humid climate

  During the hot summer months, be sure to use a dehumidifier or air conditioner to keep the humidity level in your home at a minimum. Air conditioner and dehumidifier filters should be changed frequently.

  If mold is already present in your home, then be sure to change the filters more often than is recommended by the manufacturer. You want to make sure that these appliances are working at maximum efficiency.

  Be sure to buy and use the right size air conditioner or dehumidifier for the size of your home – the right investment now can mean much less trouble in the future.

• 2 Rooms Containing the Most Humidity

  The two rooms in your home that tend to have the most humidity are the kitchen and the bathroom. It is important that these rooms be well ventilated as often as possible.

  On cooler days when you will not be using your air conditioner, keep windows open in these rooms to let the cooler air in. In addition, if your air conditioner or dehumidifier is located far away from the kitchen or bathroom, you may want to consider installing extra units nearer to these rooms.

• Kitchens and bathrooms

  Should be cleaned regularly and thoroughly with a solution of one cup of bleach to one gallon of water.

  Make sure that there is no standing water in either room for long periods of time, especially during the hot summer months when standing water can evaporate and cause humidity levels to rise.

  After baths and showers, wipe down all wet surfaces, and spray with the bleach solution, or a commercially prepared solution that is designed to inhibit the growth of mold.

  If there are any other rooms in your home or yard that may experience higher than normal humidity, such as a pool changing room, sunroom, or greenhouse, take the same measures and precautions with these rooms as you would with your kitchen and bathrooms.

What should I do If Mold Contamination is Increasing?

If you find that the mold in your home is increasing even with all of the precautions you have taken, you can call your local state Health Board and ask them to recommend the services of professionals who specialize in the removal of mold in the home.

You may have to start out by having your home professionally inspected for mold. Professional inspectors may find mold in your home that you have not yet discovered, and it is important to know where all the mold is so it can be successfully and completed eradicated.

Further Recommended Reading :

• 10 EPA Mold Prevention Tips
• 7 Tips for Preventing Mold in Your Home

Joslyn from the MoldBlogger Team