Web site offers ideas on mold control

[Guest guest]

http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/living/7578496.htm

Sat, Dec. 27, 2003

Web site offers ideas on mold controlBy KEN SHEINKOPFKNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS

Someone asked me the other day what I considered to be the most serious energy-related problem in homes today. What stands out is the issue of mold and mildew, a potentially huge problem that could have a serious effect on health.

My cousin recently spent almost $28,000 to have his home repaired following a significant mold problem. He lives on the west coast of Florida, and he seldom uses his air conditioner.

So here's this home in a hot, humid climate, closed tightly with the thermostat set somewhere in the low 80s and the drapes closed. He goes out of town for a short trip that turns into a full month away. When he returned, everything inside the home was covered with mold. It took a crew a couple of weeks to repaint, recarpet and otherwise clean the home.

You may have heard stories like this from friends because this is not an isolated case. Molds grow well at temperatures that people prefer, so you can't control mold growth in your home by controlling the temperature. And when the temperature gets much warmer than people typically prefer, mold grows like crazy.

Throw in the fact that most molds also require considerable moisture for growth, and you can see how high humidity levels can add to the problem.

Researchers at the Florida Solar Energy Center have conducted many projects on ways to control mold. They've come up with a lot of tips on ways to reduce mold growth in hot, humid climates, and you can get their recommendations at fsec.ucf.edu/bldg/science/mold/index.htm. Most of their ideas are easy to implement and deal with thermostat settings, air-conditioner operation and the use of fans.

One idea for homes in hot, humid climates has to do with maintaining proper space pressurization in the home, with respect to the outdoors. The use of exhaust fans in your bathrooms and kitchen, operation of clothes dryers, leaks in your cooling system's supply ducts and the closing of interior doors can result in insufficient return air pathways, causing depressurization in a home.

As a result, hot, humid outdoor air is pulled through openings in the walls, ceilings and other parts of the home, resulting in moisture accumulation in the wallboard that can lead to mold growth. In hot, humid climates, homes need to be slightly over-pressurized so that the dry, cool indoor air is pushed out of the home rather the hot, humid outdoor air being sucked inside.

Tips on the Web site include directing the water from your lawn sprinklers away from the walls of your home, sealing even small rainleaks, removing water condensation on windows and leaving closet doors open or closet lights turned on.

There's also a great guide from the Environmental Protection Agency titled "A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home." The guide, available at epa.gov/iaq/molds/moldguide.html, gives homeowners and renters more ideas on ways to clean up mold and to help prevent its growth.

[Guest guest]

Its simpler than that to stop mold grwoth in space. Operate a

dehumidifier and keep the space below 50%RH. Use 1 pint

dehumidification capacity per 20 sq.ft. of floor space. This also

works for the school problems on material in the occupied space. It

does not stop mold form water leaks in walls. This is preventive

maintaince and should be part of maintaince in all green grass

climates.

> http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/living/7578496.htm

>

> Sat, Dec. 27, 2003

>

>

> Web site offers ideas on mold control

>

> By KEN SHEINKOPF

> KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS

>

> Someone asked me the other day what I considered to be the

most serious energy-related problem in homes today. What stands out

is the issue of mold and mildew, a potentially huge problem that

could have a serious effect on health.

>

> My cousin recently spent almost $28,000 to have his home

repaired following a significant mold problem. He lives on the west

coast of Florida, and he seldom uses his air conditioner.

>

> So here's this home in a hot, humid climate, closed tightly

with the thermostat set somewhere in the low 80s and the drapes

closed. He goes out of town for a short trip that turns into a full

month away. When he returned, everything inside the home was covered

with mold. It took a crew a couple of weeks to repaint, recarpet and

otherwise clean the home.

>

> You may have heard stories like this from friends because

this is not an isolated case. Molds grow well at temperatures that

people prefer, so you can't control mold growth in your home by

controlling the temperature. And when the temperature gets much

warmer than people typically prefer, mold grows like crazy.

>

> Throw in the fact that most molds also require considerable

moisture for growth, and you can see how high humidity levels can add

to the problem.

>

> Researchers at the Florida Solar Energy Center have conducted

many projects on ways to control mold. They've come up with a lot of

tips on ways to reduce mold growth in hot, humid climates, and you

can get their recommendations at

fsec.ucf.edu/bldg/science/mold/index.htm. Most of their ideas are

easy to implement and deal with thermostat settings, air-conditioner

operation and the use of fans.

>

> One idea for homes in hot, humid climates has to do with

maintaining proper space pressurization in the home, with respect to

the outdoors. The use of exhaust fans in your bathrooms and kitchen,

operation of clothes dryers, leaks in your cooling system's supply

ducts and the closing of interior doors can result in insufficient

return air pathways, causing depressurization in a home.

>

> As a result, hot, humid outdoor air is pulled through

openings in the walls, ceilings and other parts of the home,

resulting in moisture accumulation in the wallboard that can lead to

mold growth. In hot, humid climates, homes need to be slightly over-

pressurized so that the dry, cool indoor air is pushed out of the

home rather the hot, humid outdoor air being sucked inside.

>

> Tips on the Web site include directing the water from your

lawn sprinklers away from the walls of your home, sealing even small

rainleaks, removing water condensation on windows and leaving closet

doors open or closet lights turned on.

>

> There's also a great guide from the Environmental Protection

Agency titled " A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home. " The

guide, available at epa.gov/iaq/molds/moldguide.html, gives

homeowners and renters more ideas on ways to clean up mold and to

help prevent its growth.