Mold inspectors are getting a work out after this wet spring and summer, high humidity and shade. Mother nature is providing mold and mildew a near perfect ecosystem in a place many homeowners never consider–on the siding.

A good rinse with a highly diluted bleach solution and your garden sprayer will probably take care of the problem, though you might need to put in a little elbow grease.

Just be careful if your siding is on the geriatric side, because if it contains lead or asbestos, it may be degrading and need professional attention or replacement. Lead poisoning –and for that matter, asbestos poisoning–are a very real concern, and so is the dirty (read contaminated) water running off of degraded siding.

If you’re planning on handling this yourself, the EPA provides guidelines regarding avoiding lead.

http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovaterightbrochure.pdf

If this is your situation too, and you’re in California, you might want to give us a call and see about getting an assessment from Byebyemold.

The honeymoon is really over when you come home to your dream home that is making you sick. Which is what happened to Danielle Beety who refers to her experience as like an episode of HOUSE. Her mystery illness was a 5-centimeter abscess in her neck (surgically removed) and fever that returned every time she and her newlywed husband returned to their new home.

The environmental engineer who did air and wipe testing in their leaky basement and found elevated levels of mold and gram-negative bacteria – resistant superbugs that cause respiratory and other ailments. Doctors and the environmental engineer told them to grab their dog and move out.

So they did.

Foreclosure on their house will begin soon, but they’re leaving everything behind. The builder denies that the house caused the illness. Internationally known microbiologist Chin S. Yang links the housing boom and environmental-health issues. He believes that rapid building to keep up with the housing boom resulted in less than high quality buildings suffering with sick building syndrome. Toxic bacteria and mold are a trigger of health problems. For some of these toxic homes, demolition is the only solution.

Inquire about an Inspection

Mold mold everywhere, coming out of the vents, on the ceilings, making it hard for people to breathe. Residents of Sovereign Townhomes complain of a mold infestation that they are calling a “mold invasion.” Managers claim they remove mold when it is discovered. Some of their tenants receive Houston Housing Authority assistance.

The HHA has 12 inspectors performing about 12 daily inspections. 44% of the 29,000 yearly inspections performed for Houston Housing Authority fail.

Inquire about an Inspection

Believe it or not, the National Association of Home Builders maintains a website on mold.

The site is called NAHB Household Mold Resource Center

No one out there knows more about remediation than a qualified contractor. (No one knows less than an unqualified one.) The site discusses significant information about mold, conditions, prevention, mediation. Understandably, they don’t focus much on mold testing.

It does make sense that an association of contractors might gloss over the importance of testing. Mold testing can provide a legal record of mold conditions, mold which might have come into being because of shoddy workmanship or materials. So if the homeowner has repairs made, but does not keep a complete record–including testing, photographic proof, etc–the homeowner might find themselves unable to bring a case that they might have otherwise, given proper record-keeping.

However, the National Association of Home Builders can and will recommend “a qualified laboratory, technician or industrial hygienist.”

Testing also can help doctors pin down whether a mycotoxin originated from home or workplace, or even simplify making a diagnosis, especially if a particular allergen or obscure toxin is involved.

Wet basements and crawlspaces are mold’s playground. If you’re experiencing allergy symptoms, you should probably investigate your basement and crawlspaces–or have it done for you–to see if hidden moisture has provided a breeding ground for mold. Mycotoxin exposure is not good for your health.

Standing water and moisture must be eradicated if you want to live in a healthy environment. Consider a variety of solutions if you find water–remediation should include removal of all water-damaged building materials, repair and prevention of leakage, a vapor barrier that prevents condensation and construction of top of the line materials that exceed state and local standards.

Telluride,CO–Mountain Village loses 18 units of housing to mold.  Even the 12 remaining units in the complex will be lost if the complex is not brought up to code in the next 180 days.  Problems include mold,  faulty plumbing, smoke alarms that don’t work.  Management paid $5,572 for a a permit to cover $300,000 in repairs. However earlier this year, inspectors found permit-less workers using fungicide on mold in walls, on walls, carpet, and in the insulation.

1. Potential health effects and symptoms associated with mold exposures include allergic reactions, asthma and other respiratory complaints.

2. There is no practical way to eliminate all mold and mold spores in the indoor environment; the way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture.

3. If mold is a problem in your home or school, you must clean up the mold and eliminate sources of moisture.

4. Fix the source of the water problem or leak to prevent mold growth.

5. Reduce indoor humidity to 30 to 60 percent to decrease mold growth by venting bathrooms, dryers, and other moisture-generating sources to the outside; using air conditioners and dehumidifiers; increasing ventilation; and using exhaust fans whenever cooking, dishwashing and cleaning.

6. Clean and dry any damp or wet building materials and furnishings within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth.

7. Clean mold off hard surfaces with water and detergent and dry completely. Absorbent materials, such as ceiling tiles, that are moldy, may need to be replaced.

8. Prevent condensation: Reduce the potential for condensation on cold surfaces (i.e., windows, piping, exterior walls, roof, or floors) by adding insulation.

9. In areas where there is a perpetual moisture problem, do not install carpeting (i.e., by drinking fountains, by classroom sinks or on concrete floors with leaks or frequent condensation).

10. Molds can be found almost anywhere; they can grow on virtually any substance, providing moisture is present. There are molds that can grow on wood, paper, carpet, and foods.

SOURCE: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

People test for mold to find peace of mind. Mold testing enables you to know that you have eliminated mold sources inside your residence, plus it gives you the specific species of mold to test for if allergic mold reactions are a family problem. Reactions are contingent on how susceptible to mold allergens individuals are, so it is difficult to determine a specific mold threshold. In general, the threshold is relative to the level in outdoor air. And the level in outdoor air can vary significantly depending on the season and of course, locale.

For years, Bobby Kennedy Jr. and his wife, Mary, have battled a deadly fungus that had infested their Westchester County home. But finally, they gave up the fight and moved to a rental while they raze their property.

They are replacing it with a state-of-the-art green home whose construction will be supervised by “This Old House” star Bob Vila for a 13-part TV series.

One question though.

Is recycling every nail and piece of plasterboard from their old, mold-invested place really the smartest thing to do? It may bring a whole new meaning to “green” building.

They will also be using recycled materials from a Dutchess County mental institution.