Real estate: Tips to prevent costly summer mold problems

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Real estate: Tips to prevent costly summer mold problems

Friday, July 1, 2005

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Alertness and quick action during hot humid summer days can do much

to prevent indoor mold growth and potentially costly clean-up

efforts.

While mold can grow inside any enclosed structure, locations

that are especially vulnerable to indoor mold problems during the

summer include empty commercial facilities and school buildings.

" Early detection is one of the most effective ways to control

indoor mold growth, but an empty building means fewer people are

available to spot early signs of mold, " according to

Cochrane, president of Cochrane Ventilation Inc., Wilmington.

Most important to keep in mind is that high humidity combined

with the right temperature can create the ideal conditions for mold

growth as it did last summer in much of New England.

To help prevent indoor mold growth, especially where fewer

people are around, Cochrane recommends turning on the heating system

briefly when hot humid conditions arise.

" During very hot and humid conditions, as we typically

experience in the northeast during the summer, concrete floors,

carpeting, and other interior surfaces can be cooler than the

surrounding air, " says Cochrane. " This lowers surface temperatures

to or below the dew point, which can result in mold growth. Turning

on the heat, even for a few hours, can nip indoor mold problems

before they get going. "

Putting on the heat, he says, can warm interior building

surfaces above the dew point and lower the relative humidity. This

makes it less likely that indoor conditions will reach the dew

point, and therefore reduces the risk of mold growth.

As a rule of thumb, one should be especially alert to the

possibility of indoor mold growth when outdoor temperatures reach

the mid 80s during days of high humidity.

Because turning on the heating system during a hot summer day

may sound counter-intuitive, it is helpful to explain to interested

parties that this is a cost-effective preventative measure.

Cochrane notes that the cost of starting up the boiler or

furnace is often considerably less than the cost of investigating

and cleaning up a serious mold problem.

For more information, click on www.cochraneventilation.com.