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mold: Facts About Mold - 01/16/11 11:40 PM
Facts About Mold
Sometimes molds are not easy to recognize. They often look like a simple stain or smudge. Mold growths have a variety of appearances ranging in color from white, orange, green, gray, brown or black. An easy way to identify a mold is to dab suspected areas with a drop of chlorine bleach. If it changes colors or disappears, the stain is likely organic and probably mold. Molds can live for years in a dormant state. However, once there is enough moisture present (from increased humidity or moisture intrusion) and they have a food source, they once again can … (1 comments)
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mold: Efflorescence... It Isn't Mold, But It Could Indicate A Problem - 12/26/10 08:06 PM
Efflorescence... It Isn't Mold, But It Could Indicate A Problem Do you see some white chalky stuff around the outside of the house? Worried it is mold? Chances are, it is efflorescence, an accumulation of minerals and salts on brick and cement. We can see it on bricks and blocks, inside and outside, on old and new houses around Michigan. While it is unsightly, efflorescence itself is not dangerous... but it does indicate there is excess water, which can lead to serious structural and health issues. How Efflorescence Forms Natural salts are present in the raw materials that make up … (1 comments)
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mold: Toxic Chemical Releases Decreasing - 12/19/10 04:44 PM
Toxic Chemical Releases Decreasing
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing its annual national analysis of the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), providing all Americans vital information about their communities. The TRI program publishes information on toxic chemical disposals and releases into the air, land and water, as well as information on waste management and pollution prevention activities in neighborhoods across the country. In 2009, 3.37 billion pounds of toxic chemicals were released into the environment, a 12 percent decrease from 2008. TRI was recently recognized by the Aspen Institute as one of the 10 major ways that EPA has strengthened … (0 comments)
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mold: A Brief History of Mold - 12/19/10 04:00 PM
A Brief History of Mold
Mold problems get a lot of attention in the news, but did you know that they've existed throughout history?
And despite all of our modern technology, the remediation strategy hasn't changed over all those years: fix the source and remove the contamination.
Moses
Moses is one of the best known figures in the Bible. A man who was called "a friend of God," he shared some Divine insights about the problem of fungi in the Book of Leviticus.
Leviticus 13:47-50 Now suppose mildew contaminates some woolen or linen clothing, woolen or linen fabric, the … (1 comments)
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mold: What Causes Ice Dams? Part II - 11/07/10 11:20 PM
What Causes Ice Dams?
Part I is here.
What causes different roof surface temperatures?
Most ice dams form at the edge of the roof, where it is colder. Approaching the top of the roof, the temperatures rise, heated by the warm air rising through the house, into the attic.
In a house, heat moves through the ceiling and insulation by conduction (heat energy going through a solid) through the ceiling. In many homes, there is little space in regions like this for insulation, so it is important to use insulations with high R-value per inch to reduce … (4 comments)
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mold: How To Keep The Air Inside Your House Clean (part I) - 09/25/10 11:22 PM
How To Keep The Air Inside Your House Clean
Have you ever gone into a house or building and smelled, for the lack of a more scientific term, yucky air? Not a pleasant sensation, and one that can ever cause health problems in the long run.
Potential Problem #1: The Coils
One of the problems can be the heating or cooling coils in the HVAC system. These coils regulate the temperature of the air that passes by. In the case of the AC, the cooling coil also provides dehumidification. After passing through the filters, warm air is blown across … (5 comments)
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mold: Moisture Control: The Key To Beating Mold - 09/05/10 05:11 PM
Moisture Control: The Key To Beating Mold
Yuck. Mold's a nasty problem. But it can be beaten. The key to mold control is moisture control.
It is important to fix any water intrusion problems right away, and to dry water-damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours (to prevent mold growth).
Mold spores are part of the natural environment. Outdoors, they play a part in nature by breaking down dead organic matter, such as fallen leaves and dead trees. But while we find spores indoors, we don't want to see colonies grow.
Molds reproduce by means of tiny spores; … (13 comments)
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mold: Beating Mold: Understanding and Controlling Humidity - Part II - 08/24/10 12:29 AM
You may be interested in Part I of this post. But continuing on... here are some of the problems when indoor humidity gets out of control. High Humidity and Indoor Air Quality
Fungi (that means mold!) Bacterial growth Viruses Biological growth Asthma Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) off-gassing VOC chemical interaction Wet windows Rotting sills Damage to pictures, books, furniture Dust mites Uncomfortable living conditions "Humidity promotes mold growth and dust mite population growth. Both are significant indoor allergens and can set off allergic sensitivity..."
--American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology
Problems With Low Humidity Levels
Static electricity (ouch!) Dry skin, … (5 comments)
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mold: Beating Mold: Understanding and Controlling Humidity - Part I - 08/24/10 12:06 AM
Humidity in a house affects health, building materials, and personal comfort. Too high, and mold can grow and things can warp (among other things). Too low, then noses bleed and static electricity zaps (to name a few problems).
Relative humidity (RH) is the amount of water in the air compared to how much the air can hold (at that given temperature). The measurement is given as a percentage.
The warmer the air is, the more moisture it can hold. If I had a 100 gallon container and filled it full of water, it would be similar to a 100-degree F day … (2 comments)
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mold: Control Moisture, Beat Mold - 08/23/10 12:12 PM
What causes the stuff?
Mold... what an awful word. There are four things that influence mold growth. But before we dive into those, realize that mold spores are ubiquitous (that fancy word we haven't seen since we took the SATs all those years ago -- it means mold is everywhere!). When we walk inside a house or building, mold spores on our shoes follow us in.
When we turn on the whole house fan on a summer night, mold comes in through the window.
Mold is in Antarctica and the Arctic. As long as we stay on plant Earth, we … (6 comments)
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Jason Channell, The House Sleuth
Troy,
MI
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Diadem Property Inspections - Serving Southeast Michigan
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