Q: What is so dangerous about mold?

A: Mold is mainly dangerous to your health as it may cause light allergic reactions to serious illness. It is more dangerous to infants, children, elderly people, pregnant women, and people with respiratory diseases, a weakened immune system, and those who suffer from allergies. The common reactions to mold are nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, shortness of breath, wheezing, and in rare cases, mold infections.

Q: Will cleaning moldy areas stop the growth?

A: Cleaning is an important step when attempting to eliminate mold but it is not enough and will not stop mold growth. To stop mold you must remove the moisture source that promotes the growth. It is most recommended to keep the affected area dry and moisture free.

Q: How can I tell if I have mold?

A: Active mold growth is slimy or fuzzy and is usually green, black, orange or purple. Inactive mold is dry and powdery and is usually white. In early stages, mold may look like a web while in full bloom it looks bushy. Another indicator for mold presence is odor. Mold has a musty, earthy smell that can indicate its presence even if it cannot be seen.

Q: Where does mold grow?

A: Mold can be found everywhere, both indoors and outdoors. Usually, mold is found in damp areas, such as the basement or bathroom, as well as in the outdoor environment in grass, leaf piles, hay, and mulch.

Mold Prevention

Q: What are the basic steps to mold prevention?
 

A: To prevent mold from growing, you will need to keep humidity levels below 40-45 percent. Start with measuring air moisture using a humidity meter (hygrometer). To maintain adequate moisture levels, allow good air circulation and use dehumidifiers and your AC system.

Q: What are the techniques for mold prevention in the bathroom?
 

A: The most important technique for mold prevention is keeping low humidity levels. This can be achieved by:

1. Allowing good air circulation by opening windows and doors and by turning the exhaust fan whenever using the bathroom.
2. Keeping the bathroom in good condition by cleaning it frequently and keeping it as dry as possible.

What is Mold?

In order to better understand the risks and hazards of mold, you must have a better understanding of what exactly is mold and how you can recognize it.

What is Mold?

Mold is a type of fungus that grows from spores and is essential for the breakdown of dead plant and animal matter. Usually these spores are inactive, but they develop when the humidity exceeds 70 percent or when temperature goes above 65 degrees.

Mold can be found everywhere in our environment, both indoors and outdoors. Usually, mold is found in damp areas, such as the basement or bathroom, as well as in the outdoor environment in grass, leaf piles, hay, and mulch.

Mold is encountered daily and by everyone. It causes food to spoil, wood to rot, paper to smell musty, etc.

That fuzzy black growth on wet window sills is mold. Paper or fabrics stored in a damp place get a musty smell that is due to the action of molds.

Recognizing Mold

Active mold growth is slimy or fuzzy and is usually green, black, orange or purple. Inactive mold is dry and powdery and is usually white. In early stages, mold may look like a web and while in full bloom it looks bushy.

Even when mold is unseen, wet spots, dampness or evidence of water damage will indicate a moisture problem and mold will probably follow.

You can perform a simple test to detect if a suspected spot is moldy. Lightly touch the spot with a drop of household bleach. If the stain loses its color or disappears, it may be mold. If there is no change, it is probably not mold.

Another indicator for mold presence is odor. Mold has a musty, earthy smell that can indicate its presence even if it cannot be seen.

"Small" to "Moderate" to "Extensive" Area Mold

"Small" Area Mold
Up to 3 patches of mold, each smaller than 10 square feet, is considered a "small" area mold. However, keep in mind that small moldy areas will become larger over time, if neglected, so clean up and remove even small areas of mold.

"Moderate" Area Mold
If there are more than three patches but each patch is smaller than 10 square feet, it is considered moderate area mold. It is also considered moderate area mold, if there is one patch, larger than 10 square feet but smaller than 32 square feet.

"Extensive" Area Mold
A mold area is considered "extensive" if a single patch of mold is larger than 32 square feet.