Mold - A Growing Concern
There are more than 100,000 identified varieties of this tiny fungi growth. And not all forms of mold are bad. For example, mold is beneficial for digesting all kinds of organic matter outside our homes - such as leaves and fallen trees. Also, certain species are useful to man, providing us with such things as yogurt and penicillin.
Every so often you hear a story about people becoming chronically ill from mold in their home. This can happen from some molds, such as Stachybotrys.
The only thing mold needs in order to grow is moisture, a little heat and some food. The food that the dangerous Stachybotrys needs is high in cellulose and low in nitrogen. Foods that this mold loves are wood (structural or trim), fiberboard, sheetrock and paper that becomes chronically wet. The key to preventing indoor mold is moisture control.
If chronically wet material is part of the mold equation, you must first recognize the conditions that can allow moisture to enter the structure of the home.
On the exterior of the home, the most common defects include:
1. improper flashing at chimneys, skylights, vents and other breaches in the roof skin
2. gutters and fascia not properly installed or deteriorated
3. windows not properly flashed
4. siding or trim not properly installed including the notorious synthetic stucco.
Other areas receptive to mold growth include decks that are improperly flashed where they attach to the home and wood touching the ground-allowing it to wick up moisture and negative drainage around the foundation.
The conditions in the interior of a home that are conducive to mold growth include lack of adequate ventilation of bathrooms, crawl spaces and attics. Another condition for mold growth comes from moisture from leaking pipes and toilet flanges.
Fortunately all the conditions described in this article are frequently easy to recognize. #mold #dangerousmold #Stachybotrys #moistureandmold #ventilationandmold #importanceofventilation #controlmoisture #moistureproblems #howtocontrolmold #controlmold #flashing #flashingasapreventative
​
​