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How Can I Prevent Mold???

Good preventive maintenance can reduce the risk of a problem with molds growing inside the home and other buildings. Homes with water damage should be repaired and all moldy material should be removed. Some causes and contributors of high humidity may include leaking pipes, water damaged dry walls and ceiling tile (due to leaking pipes, leaking roof or flooding), faulty or obstructed dryer vent connections, use of steaming hot water in washing machines, many showers, faulty or obstructed bathroom/kitchen ventilation fans, boiling water for long periods of time, canning or pressure cooking, hand washing and rack drying knit and delicate laundry, use of humidifiers and excessive sealing of the home so that there is inadequate air exchange.

The most important consideration to keep in mind is that mold needs a moist, wet, or damp environment in order to thrive. By maintaining a clean, dry home or workplace, dangerous mold species cannot begin to grow. Sources in and around homes that can create a dangerous environment include leaky or broken pipes, windows or older doors that lack good seals, roofs that leak, and any cracks or holes in the building. If flooding has occurred, it is extremely important to make sure that the water is thoroughly dried up to avoid festering water or dampness within 24 to 48 hours.

Some molds can be killed by cleaning the moldy surface with chlorine, (few) however, stachybotrys often has a germ mycelium that is buried inside the water damaged surface that is often inaccessible to chlorine. In fact, bleach often does not kill Stachybotrys entirely when directly applied to it. Changing the humidity may lead to limited death of the stachybotrys colony. However, changing the humidity may also induce heavy sporulation. Burning the building that has undergone stachybotrys contamination has been an idea of many people but some experts state that not even a fire of 500 degrees could destroy the spores of this deadly enemy. If anything, it could spread it and worsen the condition. The ground around these buildings can also become heavily contaminated with stachybotrys from a sick building. It is recommended that the ground (dirt) be removed at least one meter prior to rebuilding any new foundation.

To avoid such problems before a potential catastrophe, all buildings should undergo scheduled maintenance that includes inspection for water leaks, problem seals around windows and doors, as well as checks for visible mold in moist or damp parts of the building.

There are air sample, tape, swab, and DNA tests that can be done on any premises to determine if stachybotrys is present. Because stachybotrys doesn't spore the same way other toxigenic molds do, it does not show up in a standard blood antibody test; therefore, serum tests are not very accurate. There are some other tests to determine stachybotrys exposure. CLICK HERE to read more on "Confirming Fungal Exposure"

CLICK HERE Article from EPA "Ten Things You Should Know About Mold"