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Structural mold: detection, cure require a professional

8/31/05

Southern Delaware

http://www.capegazette.com/storiescurrent/0805/lewesmoldlecture082605

..html

By Henry J. Jr.

Cape Gazette staff

Detecting the odor that many call mildew is often the first sign

that a potentially serious and possibly growing problem with mold

could exist in a home or business.

Finding the source of those odors and coming up with possible ways

to cure them is what White, an industrial hygienist and

certified microbial consultant does.

" There are lots of people who are in the mold business who don't

know what they're doing, " says White, owner of Sussex Environmental

Health Consultants near Lewes.

With more than 20 years in the business of detecting mold, White

said part of her job as an industrial hygienist is to be concerned

about air quality, one of many things mold can affect.On Aug. 25,

White was the third speaker in a series of lecturers sponsored by

the Southern Delaware Chapter of the American Institute of

Architects.With a presentation titled " Got Mold? What you need to

know, " White provided an outline of things homeowners and those in

the building business should know.

" Molds are everywhere, but we don't know how much it takes to make

someone sick. It's so individual, " says White.

She says the words " toxic mold " first captured national attention in

1993 after several children living in a low-income Cleveland housing

development died after breathing mold-laden air.

" That really got a lot of wheels turning, and the media also did a

lot to spread the story, " says White.

White says now a Google Internet search of the words " toxic mold "

will result in more than a million hits.

But, White says, along with all of that information, can also come

problems.

" There are no government standards but there are some guidelines, "

White says.

She says it's a good idea to use separate companies – one to assess

the extent of the mold problem and another to destroy the mold and

clean it from surfaces.

White says companies that spray any of a variety of substances –

claiming that annual treatments will control mold – are up to no

good.

She says the elderly and very young and those with compromised

immune systems or with respiratory disorders are most likely to be

affected by mold.

That's because molds release substances known as volatile organics –

which is what gives them their distinct odors – and mycotoxins – the

substances that can make those who are sensitive to them deathly

ill.White says beach homes in resort areas are especially prone to

mold problems because many of them can go unoccupied for weeks at a

time, giving mold an opportunity to get a foothold.

" It only takes 24 to 48 hours for mold to grow. All it needs is a

source of moisture, " says White.

An undetected leaking pipe hidden inside a wall is a common source

of moisture. White says much to a homeowner or builder's

displeasure, the best way of finding out what's going on is to cut

the wall open. " Nobody ever wants to start cutting anything but it's

much easier to replace a few inches of wallboard compared to

replacing the framing, " says White.

She said mold loves dark, moist places and grows readily in many

Sussex County homes with improperly ventilated crawl spaces, attics

and heating and air conditioning ventilation ductwork.

Additionally she said insurance companies are rejecting claims where

moldy conditions have existed for long periods before being

detected.The next lecture in the series will be at 5:30 p.m.,

Thursday, Sept. 29, featuring Joe Farrell a resource management

specialist with the University of Delaware's Sea Grant

program.Farrell's talk is entitled " Site planning that links land

use to water quality and saves infrastructure cost. "

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