Mold In Indoor Environments

This is an article I found online. I think it's the epitome of how the media has sensationalized and turned people manic when it pertains to mold or indoor air quality. It is really not necessary in most cases. The author of this article talks about an Australian reality show which is going to be shown on The Sundance Channel. It is this kind of misinformation and sensationalism that makes the job so much harder for people in my industry. But it is on TV, so people believe it. They never give the rational side of things because it doesn't sell.

This Moldy House
An Australian reality show turns up the domestic paranoia Comments (2) Thursday, June 04, 2009 By John Adamian

Environmentalist scientists Cedric Cheong and Peter Dingle discuss household toxins with a family on "Is Your House Killing You?"

Is Your House Killing You? Tuesdays at 9:30 PM on the The Sundance Channel

Like we needed more shit to worry about. If you weren't already cowering in a corner about the slow groaning death of the economy, the viral threat of swine flu, poisonous Chinese toys or the pole-melting effects of global warming, now you can start freaking out about everyday household threats to our health. Mostly just start wigging out about mold. But there's more. Thanks to an Australian reality show airing this month on the Sundance Channel, American viewers can now begin wringing hands (those of you who haven't already been knee-deep in the subject on webMD) over the leaching of heavy metals from treated lumber, the particles of dust that colonize on your glasses and silverware, the poor quality of your ventilation system, noxious chemicals contaminating the air in our work rooms and kitchens, and, most ominously, the effect of mold — all kinds of the stuff — that grows in bathrooms, basements, roofs and drywall and which sometime requires the practical demolition of a house to be eradicated. The alarmist title "Is Your House Killing You?" gives you an idea of the show's pulse-racing and hypochondriac attitude.


Each episode begins with a family spelling out a litany of health problems. Some have suspicions about ways that the air quality might be affecting their breathing or their moods. Some appear oblivious to the fact that they're living surrounded by potentially poisonous chemicals. Some families are virtually coming apart because one member fears their home is making them sick and others — usually a spouse — thinks their sickly partner is slightly bonkers as well. "Is Your House Killing You?" is basically a home-fixing fantasy for germaphobes. And just when you think the show is pitched to paranoids, the two environmental scientists show up on the scene, driving a nifty compact hybrid. The experts put on their protective HazMat suits, goggles, breather units, and trot out the cool futuristic gizmos for collecting air samples, or swabbing for particles in the household dust and measuring whether moisture levels are conducive for mold.

The experts don't think it's funny. And they find safety concerns almost upon arrival at most houses. In the first episode, the Hatfield family is living in a home filled with hidden mold, and the husband (a chronic asthmatic) is making matters worse by doing his work as a sign painter in a poorly ventilated studio and without the proper safety gear. "You've got to move out of the house, and we suggest as soon as possible," the experts tell the family.
Not every episode requires that the family evacuate the house. Some problems — like unsealed chemically-treated lumber — can be solved by a day with a paint brush and a roller, and sometimes the culprit is a poorly ventilated basement. And while "Is Your House Killing You?" provides some handy tips — turns out it's best to get rid of mold using vinegar rather than bleach — the overall effect is one that will probably just make the average adult a little more manic. What about that creeping gray mildew on the shower curtain? The thin layer of white dusty mold that shows up on my shoes at the back of the closet? That lumpy bit of dry wall near the leaky roof? None of it's good. And some of it might be aggravating your asthma, causing things like eczema or worse. The gist is that it's probably not a bad idea to dust and do a little disinfecting wipe-down now and again.

Sorry to be the one to relay that news. One other lesson to learn from the show is that if you're the weekend warrior type, read the warnings on that treated lumber or those paints and cleaning agents you bought down at the local hardware store. You might be saving a few bucks, but the run-off from your new deck might be making your tomato patch toxic. And watch out for all that mold.


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Now let me first state a few things. I am not a scientist. I am not a doctor. I do not have a degree in mycology. Never even finished college myself. I am not even allowed to state legally that a suspected fungal growth is mold unless I have had it tested by an independent 3rd party.

I can only talk from my own experience and from what I have learned from dealing with qualified Indoor Air Quality Professionals.


With that being said, as I have stated before, mold is EVERYWHERE. Mold is in every environment. We breathe mold every time we go outside. Every time we walk into a flower shop or down the Gardening aisle at Home Depot. When they test for mold contamination, they do not test for just the presence of mold in an environment but the quantity, type, and how the quantity compares to the adjoining exterior environment. Ideally, you would like the interior levels to be at or below the exterior levels. See earlier post on "Pre-Testing In Possible Mold Contamination Situations" for a more detailed explanation.

Now the "specialists" in this TV show told one family they had to move out of the house. That doesn't happen too often specifically due to health concerns. When it comes to healthy adults, I feel that if it comes down to it, it should be your decision. And you should base that on, "Is your 'sick' house affecting your quality of life?" But if there are occupants of the structure that are children, sick, or elderly, greater care should be used in making decisions when it comes to mold contamination. These Susceptible Groups have one thing that a healthy adult doesn't have: a underdeveloped or compromised immune system. They have a a harder time fighting infections from anything they breathe into their system.


Mold has the ability to cause illnesses. I am not stating that it doesn't have that ability. But if there are ten people in a room that is contaminated, there is a good bet you will have ten different reactions to the contamination. That is where the "Quality of Life" comes in. Personally, I have only been in two structures that have given me a "reaction" from being in the contaminated area. And one of them was under a hospital in a crawlspace that I could barely squeeze into to cleanup a sewage contamination. The other was a house that was full of stachbotrys. This type is one of the dangerous "black molds" that we never want to find even one spore of inside the area in question.


My recommendations for anyone that thinks they have a mold problem or thinks that are sick due to the possible contamination: Seek a your local physician. Also, schedule an appointment with an Allergist to see what you may be possibly allergic to. Call in an Industrial Hygienist to have the area tested. Don't panic. This is all common sense stuff. But for some reason we tend to believe the sensationalism on TV.

Here are some other helpful hints to help prevent moisture mold problems taken from the EPA website.

Moisture and Mold Prevention and Control Tips

When water leaks or spills occur indoors - ACT QUICKLY. If wet or damp materials or areas are dried 24-48 hours after a leak or spill happens, in most cases mold will not grow.

Clean and repair roof gutters regularly.

Make sure the ground slopes away from the building foundation, so that water does not enter or collect around the foundation.

Keep air conditioning drip pans clean and the drain lines unobstructed and flowing properly.

Keep indoor humidity low. If possible, keep indoor humidity below 60 percent (ideally between 30 and 50 percent) relative humidity. Relative humidity can be measured with a moisture or humidity meter, a small, inexpensive ($10-$50) instrument available at many hardware stores.
If you see condensation or moisture collecting on windows, walls or pipes ACT QUICKLY to dry the wet surface and reduce the moisture/water source. Condensation can be a sign of high humidity.

Actions That Will Help To Reduce Humidity
Vent appliances that produce moisture, such as clothes dryers, stoves, and kerosene heaters to the outside where possible. (Combustion appliances such as stoves and kerosene heaters produce water vapor and will increase the humidity unless vented to the outside.)

Use air conditioners and/or de-humidifiers when needed.

Run the bathroom fan or open the window when showering. Use exhaust fans or open windows whenever cooking, running the dishwasher or dishwashing, etc.

Actions That Will Help Prevent Condensation
Reduce the humidity.

Increase ventilation or air movement by opening doors and/or windows, when practical. Use fans as needed.

Cover cold surfaces, such as cold water pipes, with insulation.

Increase air temperature.

Visit Advanced Restoration Corporation if you need any further assistance.