Toxic Mold
This page is a review of what toxic mold is and is not.
There are millions of different kinds of molds; only a very few are toxic. Molds are more correctly referred to a toxigenic, which means that molds may produce mycotoxins some of the time under certain conditions which may not always be the same. Mycotoxins effect people and animals differently. The medical consensus of opinion is that mold is links to respiratory health problems. Though everyone responds differently to mold, it should always be removed. The water that is causing the mold to go is damaging the building.
Getting rid of toxic mold can be as painful as a divorce – and sometimes more trouble. For your sanity and your finances, please follow the diagram shown above. You must fix all the water leaks or the best remediation (professional removal of the mold) may not remain mold free. If the water leaks continue there is a significant probability that mold will return.
If you live in a condo or an apartment or share a wall with your neighbor you may be “inheriting” their mold problem.
Mold grows because water is getting into places it doesn’t belong, like from a stucco crack, building defect, broken window, roof leak or a plumbing leak.
Sometimes elevated interior humidity alone is enough to trigger elevated levels of toxic mold inside occupied areas. This occurs usually in un-insinuated dwellings that have several occupants, extensive contents, single paned windows and no kitchen or bath exhausts. Sometimes the dryer is venting into the living space further contributing to elevated interior humidity.
When certain molds grow inside buildings it can trigger allergic responses in the people that occupy the space. Some people can become very, very sick from mold, while other people show no reaction. It may depends on how long and how much you have been exposed to and to which mold families.
These are a few molds may cause health concerns in immunocompromized people:
- Fusarium/Alternaria
- Chaetomium/Cladosporium
- Penicillium/Aspergillus types
- Stachybotrys
There are several “first cousins” to the molds listed above that may under certain conditions also produce mycotoxins.
Read what the Institute of Medicine’s Damp Indoor Spaces and Health has to say.
Water leaks damage the structure and may contaminate the contents.
Minimize the possibility/probability of mold growth by starting professional drying as soon as possible. See who does this work.
The foundation of our work relies on a visual inspection of your specific problem.
We start with a Mold Status Inspection and Report. This identified if a microbial problem is present and, in simpler problems, how to eliminate it. See more.
If mold is found, preliminary lead and asbestos testing is indicated before remedial work begins.
Each inspection is focused on solving your specific problem. If that problem involves a commercial building or a very complex set of problems in a residence, a protocol may need to be written. This document is a blue print for properly removing microbial contamination. See more.
After any remedial work post validation testing with a report is always suggested. See more.
