Take care of mold before it strikes Officials provide tips to avoid fungus in ho

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Take care of mold before it strikes

Officials provide tips to avoid fungus in homes.

South Bend Tribune,IN*

TOM MOOR

Tribune Staff Writer

http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/articleAID=/20080118/Ne

ws01/521893524

SOUTH BEND -- Stan Molenda, of South Bend's Department of Code

Enforcement, recently walked into a home where the owner had spray-

painted the mold on his bathroom ceiling, hoping it would magically

go away.

" I told him that's not how you get rid of it, " Molenda said.

" I said, 'How about you use a ventilation fan to get rid of the

moisture,' " which is a common cause of mold.

" No, " the man told Molenda. " My family likes a warm, moist bathroom. "

The man never called Code Enforcement, or Molenda, again.

" He either started using his fan or he's living with a ceiling

covered with mold, " Molenda said.

Whether it's growing in your refrigerator, under the carpet or on

the basement wall, the fungus can strike at anytime.

" And the longer you wait, the more trouble it is to fix it, " said

Becky Carpenter, of the St. ph County Health Department.

A small group gathered this week at the United Way of St. ph

County to talk about common causes of mold and ways to prevent and

remove it. The meeting was held in the wake of the flooding that hit

the area earlier this month.

During a presentation Carpenter gave on mold, she said the first

misconception is that it's toxic.

" There's no proof of such a thing, " she said.

It can, though, cause a number of ailments, including allergies,

headaches, sore throat, dizziness and asthma.

Mild temperatures and water sources -- such as leaks, flooding,

breathing, showers and humidifiers -- are all likely causes of mold,

Carpenter said.

Carpenter said if your home or residence has received water

damage, " act quickly within 24 to 48 hours " and use a wet vacuum to

collect the water and do repairs to stop water intrusion.

She recommends scrubbing the mold off hard surfaces with detergent

and water and revisiting it after the cleanup to make sure it's not

growing back. Carpenter also said don't paint or caulk moldy

surfaces.

" Reduce indoor humidity and vent to decrease mold growth, " she said.

As far as flooding, Pinter, of the American Red Cross, has seen

many homes during the past two weeks that were damaged by the

flooding. Those are the homes that are likely to be threatened by

mold.

Staff writer Tom Moor:

tmoor@...

(574) 235-6187