NY Flooding article re mold

[Guest guest]

Fox Lake, IL, September 26, 2007 --(PR.com)-- Now that the waters

have receded from recent flooding of the Chain O' Lakes, Fox and Des

Plaines Rivers, homeowners may face yet another unpleasant

aftereffect — toxic mold.

Steve Beer, an Illinois certified and licensed home inspector advises

that homeowners stay on alert for biological growth. Beer is the

owner of Fox Lake based A Pro Team Home Inspections who offers

residential and commercial inspection services in the Chicago area

and Northern Illinois.

" The standing water and excessive moisture that accompanies flooding

causes all types of biological growth to flourish, " says Beer. " Even

with diligent clean up efforts, mold can still lurk behind walls,

above ceiling tiles, in duct work or under flooring, which can cause

structural damage to your home over time. "

There are also the potentially serious health effects to consider.

" While exposure to most mold does not necessarily result in health

problems, " says Beer. " If left unchecked, active indoor biological

growth does have the potential to cause very adverse effects. "

Beer cautions, mold can be serious. There are over 100,000 kinds of

mold. Even if one is not normally sensitive to mold, repeated

exposure to many types can cause allergic reactions like runny noses,

itchy eyes, and skin rashes. People with mold sensitivities,

respiratory conditions like asthma, and those with undeveloped or

weakened immune systems--infants, small children, the elderly, cancer

and HIV patients--may be at greater risk for much more severe

symptoms or infection. Additionally, very dangerous molds do exist

and can grow in your home, such as Chaetomium and Stachybotrys

chartarum, which produce toxins that have been linked to bleeding

lungs, neurological and immunological damage.

If you think you may have a mold problem, Beer recommends being

proactive and hiring a qualified inspector to test it. Not only can

testing find hidden mold, but it can also prevent homeowners from

spending unnecessary cash on remediation.

" A professional inspector looks for biological growth in places that

most homeowners would miss and knows how to collect valid laboratory

samples, " says Beer. " He can also determine the severity of the mold

problem: Is it an easy, inexpensive cleanup that you can take care of

yourself? Or, will it require expensive, professional remediation? If

you do have to go the remediation route, having a valid upfront test

will help you to establish whether or not the company you hired fixed

the problem correctly. "

Mold problems are of particular importance to home sellers and

buyers. Sellers should realize that the presence of mold is a

negative strike to most buyers. Beer recommends that a pre-listing

home inspection by a professional home inspector can help them to

identify and fix the source of a mold problem and other defects

before they place their home on the market.

Beer also advises that buyers always make certain that their offer to

purchase includes a home inspection contingency that covers

environmental concerns. " This ensures that they will be able to test

environmentally for mold, radon and other potential issues, " says

Beer. It will also allow them to back out of the contract if toxic

mold or other molds are detected. "

http://www.pr.com/press-release/53526