Storms bring in mold

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Oct 3, 11:39 PM

http://www.floridatoday.com/!NEWSROOM/localstoryN1004CREEPINGMOLD0.htm

Storms bring in mold

Fungi trigger allergic reactions, respiratory problems in residents

BY RICK NEALE

FLORIDA TODAY

Roy Harden pulls wet drywall and insulation from the hurricane-

damaged home of Clara and Don in Melbourne. (FLORIDA

TODAY/Craig )

Ten things to know

1. Potential health effects associated with mold exposures include

allergic reactions, asthma and other respiratory complaints.

2. There is no practical way to eliminate all mold and mold spores in

the indoor environment; the way to control indoor mold growth is to

control moisture.

3. If mold is a problem in your home, you must eliminate the mold and

moisture.

4. Fix the source of the water problem or leak to prevent mold growth.

5. Reduce indoor humidity (to 30 to 60 percent) to decrease mold

growth by venting bathrooms, dryers and other moisture-generating

sources to the outside; using air conditioners; increasing

ventilation; and using exhaust fans when cooking or cleaning.

6. Clean and dry damp building materials and furnishings within 24 to

48 hours to prevent mold growth.

7. Clean mold from hard surfaces with water and detergent, and dry

completely. Absorbent materials -- such as ceiling tiles -- that are

moldy might need to be replaced.

8. Reduce the potential for condensation on cold surfaces by adding

insulation.

9. In areas where there is a perpetual moisture problem, do not

install carpeting.

10. Molds can be found almost anywhere; they can grow on virtually

any substance where moisture is present. There are molds that can

grow on wood, paper, carpet and foods.

Source: Environmental Protection Agency

SATELLITE BEACH -- The musty, mildewed stench wafts through the

windows, warning visitors to keep out.

Inside the apartment, ugly dark splotches cover practically every

inch of wall and ceiling in all the rooms. The home is uninhabitable

and dangerous to enter. Mold has overtaken this Sea Villa apartment

since hurricanes Frances and Jeanne struck, like athlete's foot run

horribly amok. Yuck.

Water damage from the storms have hatched a creeping plague of mold

problems across Brevard County, particularly beachside and along the

Indian River Lagoon.

The Sea Villa example represents the extreme of mold infestation --

" it's a penicillin factory, " neighbor Beatty quipped -- and the

apartment's interior likely will be a total loss.

" That is completely gone. That is 100 percent, " said Tim Maier, who

does part-time maintenance at the oceanfront complex. " They'll bring

a crew with an 8-foot Dumpster. They'll reduce it to two-by-fours and

block walls.

In Florida, about 40 varieties of mold grow on unattended damp

surfaces, said Dahlke, a certified indoor environmentalist for

Florida Property Inspection Services. Microscopic airborne spores

land in moist areas, then begin digesting food sources such as

drywall, fabric and carpeting. And the mold spreads.

Dahlke said the hurricanes have produced a spike in household mold

service calls.

" If the roof has lost its integrity and there's water intrusion,

almost 100 percent of the time you're going to have fungal spore

activity, " he said. " There's been a lot of damage, especially down in

the Melbourne Beach area. "

Some toxic molds can cause illness or even death, particularly the

dreaded stachybotrys strain of black mold. Carlson,

president of the Melbourne Area Association of Realtors, knows these

hazards firsthand.

Her mother, , lives in Satellite Beach. Water from

Hurricane Frances seeped inside her cement-block home, entering

undetected through a small masonry crack in her bedroom closet wall.

was admitted at Holmes Regional Medical Center with pneumonia

Sept. 16.

" She actually had black mold spores in her lungs, " Carlson said. " She

was not the only patient up there on the seventh floor with the same

problems.

" The elderly and those with breathing problems are going to be

seriously affected first. By the time you see it, it's almost too

late. Once it's in your drywall, it's in your wall. If you're seeing

it, it's on the back side, too. "

was released from the hospital and admitted to a nursing home

last week for further recovery.

Carlson's daughter-in-law's home in Satellite Beach was stricken

after Hurricane Jeanne when the ceiling collapsed: Black mold now

grows on the walls. In Indian Harbour Beach, Carlson said a friend's

ceiling fell in and mold now infects walls in the family, living and

dining rooms.

" You just can't get people out there fast enough to do something.

There's just too many people in need of repairs. It's a perfect

situation for mold and mildews, " she said. " I'm seeing it and hearing

it from so many people. There's a lot of these same horror stories. "

Carlson recommended Brevard residents use flashlights to check the

edges of ceilings, baseboards, windows and doors for signs of

dampness.

Florida's fungus outbreaks have created " a major backlog " and a two-

to four-week customer waiting list for MicrOscope, a St. Augustine-

based mold cleaning firm that works across the state.

" We've had situations where we've gone in from the first hurricane

and performed services, then we've gone in after the second hurricane

and performed the same services, and then we've gone in after the

third hurricane because of the water intrusion, " partner Mark

L'Hommedieu said.

" So it's an anomaly for us, for sure. "

L'Hommedieu and Dahlke said mold grows faster in homes with blacked-

out power because of poor air circulation and higher temperatures.

Contact Neale at 242-3638 or rneale@...