Black and green mold: A problem child for Louisiana

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Black and green mold: A problem child for Louisiana

LSU The Reveille - Baton Rouge,LA*

Jay St. Pierre

Issue date: 7/1/08 Section: Opinion

http://media.www.lsureveille.com/media/storage/paper868/news/2008/07/

01/Opinion/Black.And.Green.Mold.A.Problem.Child.For.Louisiana-

3386776.shtml

Water, a little humidity and Louisiana-type heat is all you need to

make it.

And by " it, " I don't mean a dish you would serve your family and

friends for Christmas dinner.

" It, " is mold.

I received my first e-mail from one of my readers this past weekend.

It was an e-mail from a reader who found mold in her house. She

asked if I could write about the proper way to rid her house of mold

and the health issues the fungi can create.

Well she's in luck, because I've experienced the same thing.

I found mold growing on my bedroom wall, in my kitchen pantry and

behind my washing machine about a month and a half ago in my Campus

Crossing apartment on Brightside Drive.

After continuous attempts to get my apartment complex's maintenance

staff to take care of the problem, I took matters into my own hands.

I've worked and dealt with mold in people's houses for about four

years now. I've cut out drywall and wooden studs and have completely

gutted numerous houses prior to and after Hurricane Katrina.

One aspect about mold that people should know is that it can fester

on almost any substance. If moisture, oxygen and an organic source

are present, mold has the opportunity to develop.

Another aspect people should know about mold is the health hazards

living in a home with mold presents.

Effects of living in a house with mold include " asthma, nasal

congestion, fatigue, headaches and other symptoms. The exposure can

set off allergic mold side effects in people with allergies,

creating problems with wheezing, difficulty breathing, shortness of

breath, nasal and sinus congestion, irritated eyes, nose and throat,

coughing, skin rashes, irritation and other effects, " according to

the Oshman and Mirisola, LLP, Web site - a legal firm specializing

in personal injury.

But before mold can cause such effects, its spores must enter the

body and reach an appropriate site.

Once it reaches the intended site in the body, the mold starts a

metabolic process that produces, mycotoxin, a toxin that is

typically poisonous to humans.

Mycotoxins are one the reasons people develop inflammation,

allergies and infections.

Mold spores enter the body through inhalation, ingestion or can be

absorbed through the skin.

" Once they enter the body, they can become harmful depending on the

sensitivity of the individual, toxicity of the mold, and

susceptibility of the exposed individual, " according to the

Environmental and Occupational Health Web site.

There are a few things you can do to reduce the risk of becoming

sick.

The first thing you should do is discover the source of the mold.

The best spots to look are dark areas where there might be leaking

pipes or standing water.

" All molds share the characteristic of being able to grow without

sunlight; mold needs only a viable seed (spore), a nutrient source,

moisture, and the right temperature to proliferate. This explains

why mold infestation is often found in damp, dark, hidden spaces;

light and air circulation dry areas out, making them less hospitable

for mold, " according to the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational

Safety and Health Administration.

The source of the mold in my kitchen and pantry was from my washing

machine's pipes leaking behind the unit. The mold in my room

appeared after Campus Crossing - Brightside's incompetent facilities

manager failed to shut off a leaking spigot on the water heater.

With that in mind, the first place you should check is around those

types of areas. Start in your bathroom and kitchen and work your way

from there.

Once you have discovered the source of the mold, you should

determine what type of mold it is.

There are two types of mold - black and green. Green, which grows in

the presence of freshwater, is less toxic than black mold, which

grows in the presence of waste water.

The next thing you should do to ensure you rid you home of mold is

find the source and fix it.

Fixing leaking pipes, removing standing water or having you air

ducts for your homes heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC)

cleaned are some of the first steps to fixing the problem.

Which one of these remedies depends on the severity and may differ

from one case to the next.

After finding and correcting the problematic source, the second

thing you should do is prepare a solution to kill any visible mold

growing on your drywall or baseboards.

A highly chlorinated solution, such as bleach, should be mixed to

mask the smell and remove the visible mold growing on the walls and

baseboards.

Contrary to popular belief, a bleach solution will not kill all the

mold in your home. The most efficient way to kill mold and stop it

from spreading is by killing its roots. Killing the roots may mean

ripping up carpet, tearing off baseboards of removing drywall or

tile.

Although a chlorine-bleach solution works well as a mold

disinfectant for kitchen and bathroom counter tops, tubs, show glass

and ceramic floors, it is not recommended for wood or wood-based

materials, according to OSHA's Mold Remediation/Clean Up Methods

guidelines.

Once the area is clean, you should cut out the infected area to

ensure it will not spread any further.

" You need to remove at least two feet of sheet rock above the

affected area, " said HVAC technician Mickey s. " If you decide

not to do this, the whole building has the possibility of becoming

contaminated. If that happens, then the clean-up is far more

expensive. "

It is important to cut the drywall out. If the infected area is not

removed, mold can return and can have adverse effects on a person's

health. Allow at least 48 hours for the molded area to dry once the

drywall is removed, s said.

Once the area has dried, s suggests painting the studs with

KILTZ to prevent further outbreak.

After painting the studs, you - or someone who deals with drywall -

should replace the missing drywall and seal it up.

Of course every case is different, and other instances may need

more/less intervention, but the problem should be corrected if

proper measures are taken.

If mold continues to appear, you may want to look into getting your

house mold tested.

Mold tests can run anywhere from about $200 to $1,000, depending on

the size of the house and the company. Though they can be costly,

mold tests are one of the only ways to find the mold and rid your

house of it.

And if you find mold early enough with a mold test, your health -

and pocket book - will thank you.