Health Effects of MoldMold and Mildew
Mold has become a big issue in recent years -- the subject of lawsuits, closed schools, and the impetus for the growth of a "new" industry, mold testing and remediation. Discover how mold affects your indoor air quality and your health. Pure House Dynamics can help you understand how and why mold grows, and how to prevent it in your home. Mold IntelligenceMold is actually a natural part of the earth. Everything that has died can be decomposed by mold. Without mold, organic matter from both plants and animals would simply continue piling up. Mold knows why it was put here. If its organic, dead, and wet, mold knows to eat it. Organic means it is a material that was once living, such as wood. Mold sends out its spores everywhere, which can lay dormant for many years. So when something is organic, dead and wet, mold grows on it and eats it. When we say "mold", we mean any mold or other fungi, of which there are many thousands of varieties. Since mold spores are everywhere, and our building materials and contents of our homes (furniture, boxes, clothes, etc.) are made from organic materials, this factor cannot be controlled. The only factor that we can control in our homes is the moisture. Mold needs above 50% relative humidity (RH) to grow; this will help your home . In many cases, like in a crawl space, the RH of the surrounding air, and the RH of the surfaces are two different things because of temperature differences between air and surfaces. Mold Growth
Mold likes processed organic fibers best. In other words, it will grow on paper and cardboard first. Paper is like "mold candy”. After that it will grow on fiberboard and chipboard, and then plywood, and finally on framing lumber. Sheetrock has paper on it. Mold loves sheetrock. Mold Allergies and HealthMold releases airborne spores or “seeds", which are so light they float on the slightest air currents, off to find more suitable places to grow. Most people are not allergic to mold spores, but some are. The higher the concentration of mold spores, the greater percentage of people who will be bothered by them. There is plenty of information out there on the health effects of mold, and they will not be explained here. One thing is for sure, mold growing in your house is not good. Its not good for your health, and it is increasingly not good for your property value. Who wants to buy a house with mold? Nobody. Structural Repair
There is another industry that has vented dirt crawl spaces to thank for its existence: structural repairs to replace floor joists, girders, and sill plates - basically the entire floor framing system under your house. These repairs aren't cheap. You can imagine a carpenter figuring out how hes going to crawl under your home and get new 16 foot long 2" x 10"s in place, with all the duct work, wiring, plumbing, and bridging (cross bracing) that are attached to the old rotted joists, all while operating on his back in a low crawl space. Its not easy on him, and its not going to be easy on your bank account. Most of the time, these structural repairs are done without ever fixing the problem! So its only a matter of time before the new framing rots out, and it has to be done again. What is the design life of a house? In other words, how long do you want your house to last without needing major repairs? If the answer is longer than 10 or 15 or 25 years, then the answer is to actually fix your dirt crawl space. The Solution
There are three things that destroy organic materials in general, and wood in particular:
Of these, water is by far the worst for your home. Furthermore, it is not the water you see that is the biggest concern. It is the water that you don’t see - humidity that is the biggest issue. Water leaks, moisture, or high humidity levels in a home can be devastating. Plus, water vapor moves easily upwards into the house environment. A damp environment is highly conducive to mold development. Mold thrives and reproduces by producing airborne spores by the millions, and some molds are toxic. Insects and critters of all kinds love damp environments and wet materials. Rot and decay also occur in damp environments causing structural damage. The natural airflow in much like a chimney, as in air starts at the bottom and flows towards the top. This sucks the moist air and everything in it from a crawl space or basement up into the living areas of the home. Mold spores, odors, humidity and critters create a very unhealthy environment for people. Many people are allergic to these things, and experience a host of symptoms and don realize that their dirt crawl space is affecting their health. By stopping water leaks and removing humidity from the air these things can be prevented. Schedule with PHD Carolinas for a Free Inspection and Estimate to find out how to solve these problems in your home. If you have any questions or would like to schedule a free estimate, please contact Pure House Dynamics today. |
