Re: Mold in home can grow into health woes

[Guest guest]

Well, at least she recommends against cleaning mold with bleach. Thank you for

THAT... lol.

tigerpaw2c <tigerpaw2c@...> wrote: Mold in home can grow into

health woes

Greenwood Index Journal - Greenwood,SC*

By JENNIFER COLTON/Index-Journal staff writer

Saturday, January 12, 2008

http://www.indexjournal.com/articles/2008/01/12/news/news01.txt

From the space behind your washing machine to ventilation ducts

around your house, a common culprit might be contributing to your

cold-like symptoms this season: mold.

" There are some common symptoms that can happen from mold exposure:

watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, headaches, fatigue, upper

respiratory infections, " said Chanelle Webster, program coordinator

for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental

Quality Bureau of Air Quality.

" The more likely that you're exposed to it, the greater risk that

you're going to have these symptoms, and it could get worse. "

The extent of health effects varies with the sensitivity of the

person, Webster said, but mold problems are most dangerous for

pregnant women, the elderly, children and people with allergies.

Children in homes with high mold show persistent, cold-like

symptoms -- up to 300 percent more than average, according to DHEC

information.

Particles of mold are too small for humans to see, but mold spores

act like seeds and form new mold growth colonies when they find the

right combination of nutrients and moisture. Mold colonies can grow

on many substances, including wood, paper, carpet, insulation and

food. Since the ideal temperature for mold growth is between 60 and

86 degrees Fahrenheit, homes are the perfect location for a

metropolis of mold growth, said Josh , production manager

for the Greenwood SERVPRO office.

SERVPRO is a national company that offers services for building

cleanup and restoration, including mold mitigation and remediation.

Another Greenwood company, McWhorter Cleaning and Contracting

Service, also handles mold removal; however, a representative could

not be reached by press time.

Locally, said he sees mold most often in crawl spaces

underneath the house, but ducts, carpets and dry wall are also

common culprits.

" We see it all the time, " he said. " The houses today are sealed a

lot tighter than they used to be. The best temperature for mold to

grow is 60 to 80 degrees. With people wanting to be more

comfortable, they're providing the perfect atmosphere for mold to

grow.

" Any time you see some sort of growth on the wall or you have a

musty smell, it's never too early to call. "

Although proper mold remediation can be expensive, warned

against " quick-fix " home remedies such as spraying bleach on the

mold.

" The biggest problem we have with people trying to do it themselves

is they spread the spores, " he said. " When they're spraying or

scrubbing, they make the mold spores become airborne. Then those

spores can go through the heating and air-conditioning systems and

get everywhere in the house.

" It can be dangerous stuff, and you never know what kind it is. "

Once the mold gets into the ducts, it increases not only the health

risk, but also the removal cost.

" We've done removal where we've cleaned duct lines, but sometimes

you just have to replace them, " said. " Every single job is

100 percent different from the last job. "

The best way to limit mold damage to personal health and property is

to routinely check the home, said.

" You should be checking your attic, the crawl spaces. Check behind

your washing machine every now and then for leaks, " he said. " With

the proper conditions, it only takes 48 to 72 hours for mold to

start growing. There's not a lot you can do to prevent it other than

keep maintenance on your home.

" The big thing is, as soon as you notice something, go ahead and

call. "

Quickly drying out water damage is also important, said,

especially in carpets where padding can hold moisture. Other advice

he offered was to keep heating- and cooling-system filters changed

to prevent buildup and keep ducts clean.

To reduce moisture in your home, replace rubber washing-machine

hoses with steel mesh lines and leave space between large objects

like entertainment centers and the wall for air circulation. Running

bathroom exhaust fans and using dehumidifiers can also help prevent

moisture.

Once someone sees or smells mold in the home, the first step is to

have an industrial hygienist test the mold to find out what kind it

is and what levels are present in the home, said.

" In every room of every house, there are mold spores. Whether or not

the levels are elevated is what you should be concerned about, " he

said. " Depending on what kind of mold it is, it can range from not

very harmful to deadly, so there's a big gray area. You might see

something in your basement for 20 years and it never harms you, or

something can come up in a couple of days and (cause health

problems).

" We have calls all the time with, 'Ever since I've noticed this, I

can't stop coughing.' "

Some molds are more hazardous than others because they produce

chemical compounds call mycotoins, but all indoor mold growth is

potentially harmful, according to DHEC.

" Regardless of what kind of mold it is, we usually tell people that

it needs to be removed and the problem that causes it, which is

usually water, needs to be remediated, " Webster said. " Anything that

affects your health is serious, so if you think you have a problem

with it, you do need to contact a professional and get it looked at. "

For information and tips about mold, contact the SCDHEC Bureau of

Air Quality at (803) 898-4123 or e-mail airquestions@....

Online, visit http://www.cehrc.org/tools/moldmoisture/index.cfm,

http://www.scdhec.gov/environment/baq/indoorair.aspx or

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/molds/moldresources.html.

[Guest guest]

Bleach can and is useful in cleaning mold IF IT IS DONE KNOWING

EXACTLY WHERE AND HOW TO USE IT.

the problems are in that the people who explain these things always

seem to not know what they are talking about and especially the

instructions also always have these problems. They " forget " to tell

people that moldy POROUS building materials like sheetrock ALWAYS

should be replaced, not 'cleaned with bleach " Bleach is the most

useful with soap for cleaning wood structural members and the soap

should be used with wire brushes to SCRAPE THE MOLD OFF, then

everything needs to be completely rinsed off. THE BLEACH SHOULD NEVER

BE LEFT ON ITEMS TO DAMAGE PEOPLES LUNGS...

Bleach can also be used diluted with water in detergent (at higher

strengths than you would normally use for clothes) and used to wash

clothes BUT AGAIN, IT NEEDS TO BE COMPLETELY RINSED OUT AT THE END..

Stuff like Tilex that contains LOTS of bleach can and is used to

remove mold BUT IT ALWAYS NEEDS TO BE USED WITH SERIOUS VENTILATION

GOING ON.. fans that suck the POISONOUS fumes away immediately..

This is not very complicated, one would think, but somehow the DANGERS

of the situation seem to ALWAYS get minimized or even left out by the

idiots who repeat these instructions. They always seem to want to

minimize the importance of removing and replacing the moldy materials.

They never want to emphasize the most important thing which is the

elbow grease, the workm of removing the mold. Everyone wants a magic

spray they can spray on mold, and then leave it there, WHICH DOESN'T

EXIST. And leaving dried up, caustic BLEACH on surfaces instead of

RINSING ALL OF IT ALONG WITH ALL THE SCRAPED OFF MOLD AWAY WITH LOTS

OF WATER down the drain - thats important, not letting it just dry up

somewhere, is probably from worse (if the bleach was not strong enough

and the water/bleach mold is left to dry ) or as bad as leaving mold

there.

Soap and water AND REMOVAL OF SAME AND FUL RINSING is safer to

describe to the less intelligent of people because its simpler.

But the proper use of the appropriate soap and bleach together, with

extensive abrasive action, (wire brushes) and then total removal of

same, and then thorough rinsing (2 times is best) ALWAYS USING THICK

GLOVES is better.

[Guest guest]

Oh, I forgot and this is VERY important. The sheetrock that is removed

should IMMEDIATELY go into THICK PLASTIC BAGS that are taped shut, and

removed from the area, taken immediately to the dump.

That is really important. All removal of sheetrock should take place

wearing PPE, especially N-100 if possible, masks (the expensive kind

that tape around the edges to the face) and disposable paper clothing

taped at the wrists and ankles, as well as something to cover the hair

(important!) Then afterward, people should shower immediately.

The area where the work is being done should be power ventilated to

the outside and not where the fan will exhaust into people's windows.

If windows are in close proximity, the fan should exaust into a 6 inch

flexible duct (not smaller, it wont carry enough air) that is long

enough to bring the air up and away from all living quarters of

people.

The doors to the work area should be covered with plastic and a

negative pressure maintained (with the fan) to make the work area

negatively pressurized relative to the other rooms in the building.

[Guest guest]

Greenwood is just down the road from my neck of the woods. I know I

have mentioned several times that we have lived in lots and lots of

houses with mold. It is so bad, we had to buy new just so we won't

have a mold problem. I feel this area in the upper state of SC must

be more likely to get mold in the homes due to the enviroment. Even

though we are in a major drought, there is still indoor mold. I was

talking to a lady from Wisconsin the other day and she said she feels

this area has more of a mold issue than most area. It is bad here.

--- In , " tigerpaw2c " <tigerpaw2c@...>

wrote:

>

> Mold in home can grow into health woes

> Greenwood Index Journal - Greenwood,SC*

> By JENNIFER COLTON/Index-Journal staff writer

> Saturday, January 12, 2008

>

> http://www.indexjournal.com/articles/2008/01/12/news/news01.txt

>

> From the space behind your washing machine to ventilation ducts

> around your house, a common culprit might be contributing to your

> cold-like symptoms this season: mold.

>

> " There are some common symptoms that can happen from mold exposure:

> watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, headaches, fatigue, upper

> respiratory infections, " said Chanelle Webster, program coordinator

> for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental

> Quality Bureau of Air Quality.

>

> " The more likely that you're exposed to it, the greater risk that

> you're going to have these symptoms, and it could get worse. "

>

> The extent of health effects varies with the sensitivity of the

> person, Webster said, but mold problems are most dangerous for

> pregnant women, the elderly, children and people with allergies.

> Children in homes with high mold show persistent, cold-like

> symptoms -- up to 300 percent more than average, according to DHEC

> information.

>

> Particles of mold are too small for humans to see, but mold spores

> act like seeds and form new mold growth colonies when they find the

> right combination of nutrients and moisture. Mold colonies can grow

> on many substances, including wood, paper, carpet, insulation and

> food. Since the ideal temperature for mold growth is between 60 and

> 86 degrees Fahrenheit, homes are the perfect location for a

> metropolis of mold growth, said Josh , production manager

> for the Greenwood SERVPRO office.

>

> SERVPRO is a national company that offers services for building

> cleanup and restoration, including mold mitigation and remediation.

>

> Another Greenwood company, McWhorter Cleaning and Contracting

> Service, also handles mold removal; however, a representative could

> not be reached by press time.

>

> Locally, said he sees mold most often in crawl spaces

> underneath the house, but ducts, carpets and dry wall are also

> common culprits.

>

> " We see it all the time, " he said. " The houses today are sealed a

> lot tighter than they used to be. The best temperature for mold to

> grow is 60 to 80 degrees. With people wanting to be more

> comfortable, they're providing the perfect atmosphere for mold to

> grow.

>

> " Any time you see some sort of growth on the wall or you have a

> musty smell, it's never too early to call. "

>

> Although proper mold remediation can be expensive, warned

> against " quick-fix " home remedies such as spraying bleach on the

> mold.

>

> " The biggest problem we have with people trying to do it themselves

> is they spread the spores, " he said. " When they're spraying or

> scrubbing, they make the mold spores become airborne. Then those

> spores can go through the heating and air-conditioning systems and

> get everywhere in the house.

>

> " It can be dangerous stuff, and you never know what kind it is. "

>

> Once the mold gets into the ducts, it increases not only the health

> risk, but also the removal cost.

>

> " We've done removal where we've cleaned duct lines, but sometimes

> you just have to replace them, " said. " Every single job is

> 100 percent different from the last job. "

>

> The best way to limit mold damage to personal health and property

is

> to routinely check the home, said.

>

> " You should be checking your attic, the crawl spaces. Check behind

> your washing machine every now and then for leaks, " he said. " With

> the proper conditions, it only takes 48 to 72 hours for mold to

> start growing. There's not a lot you can do to prevent it other

than

> keep maintenance on your home.

>

> " The big thing is, as soon as you notice something, go ahead and

> call. "

>

> Quickly drying out water damage is also important, said,

> especially in carpets where padding can hold moisture. Other advice

> he offered was to keep heating- and cooling-system filters changed

> to prevent buildup and keep ducts clean.

>

> To reduce moisture in your home, replace rubber washing-machine

> hoses with steel mesh lines and leave space between large objects

> like entertainment centers and the wall for air circulation.

Running

> bathroom exhaust fans and using dehumidifiers can also help prevent

> moisture.

>

> Once someone sees or smells mold in the home, the first step is to

> have an industrial hygienist test the mold to find out what kind it

> is and what levels are present in the home, said.

>

> " In every room of every house, there are mold spores. Whether or

not

> the levels are elevated is what you should be concerned about, " he

> said. " Depending on what kind of mold it is, it can range from not

> very harmful to deadly, so there's a big gray area. You might see

> something in your basement for 20 years and it never harms you, or

> something can come up in a couple of days and (cause health

> problems).

>

> " We have calls all the time with, 'Ever since I've noticed this, I

> can't stop coughing.' "

>

> Some molds are more hazardous than others because they produce

> chemical compounds call mycotoins, but all indoor mold growth is

> potentially harmful, according to DHEC.

>

> " Regardless of what kind of mold it is, we usually tell people that

> it needs to be removed and the problem that causes it, which is

> usually water, needs to be remediated, " Webster said. " Anything

that

> affects your health is serious, so if you think you have a problem

> with it, you do need to contact a professional and get it looked

at. "

>

> For information and tips about mold, contact the SCDHEC Bureau of

> Air Quality at (803) 898-4123 or e-mail airquestions@...

> Online, visit http://www.cehrc.org/tools/moldmoisture/index.cfm,

> http://www.scdhec.gov/environment/baq/indoorair.aspx or

> http://www.epa.gov/iaq/molds/moldresources.html.

>

[Guest guest]

The key to cleaning out the mold is to be sure to scratch the surface

and get rid of the spore/s. I have found a mixture of hydrogen

peroxide sprayed onto the moldy corners or doors loosens the mold

junk. Then I take something like a putty knife and scrap off all the

stuff that looks like mold--whatever color it may be. (this is on a

hard and not absorbable surface) I've seen blackish mold, greenish

mold and brownish mold. Wipe off the knife and wipe off the area with

a clean wash cloth and rinse it all off in sink. If you leave the

spore/s on the surface, it will reactivate first chance it gets. I can

assure you of that!