My Husband and I are renting an upstairs apartment. It is actually a house that has been divided into apartment units. The house is 110 years old. We have been living here for about 4 months going onto 5 months now. I have been noticing that my husband’s allergies have been intensifying double and even triple at times. The last 3 months alone, he has gone through 2 bottles of cold medicine, a bottle of allergy medicine, and 2 boxes of sinus and congestion medicine. At first we thought maybe he got the H1N1 flu, but tested negative. When we went out of town, things got much better, the air was nicer, it was fresh as though we were on a mountain top. We got to the point that we dreaded going home because the air was so thick and musty you could cut it with a knife. My husband went to the doctor again and explained all his symptoms again, and this time the doctor suggested we have our apartment checked out for mold. It makes sense, because the house is pretty old and does have this earthy musty smell about it. Also, our down stairs neighbors had been living there for more than 10 years and they complain of sinus and allergy issues constantly. I brought this to the attention of my landlord, and she sent the maintenance guy up to my apartment. He cleaned the air conditioning filter, pulled up a corner of the rug to check for any water leakage or damage, there was none, and that was it. He didn’t do much else. Can mold be present without water, or can moisture from the air conditioning unit enough to cause it? How can I find out if I have mold or not? Someone please help, I can use some advice right about now.
Melinda – Anderson, SC
Monday December 14, 2009
Hey there Melinda…
Sorry to hear of your troubles with what sounds to be a very strong mold possibility. Yes there is a mold kit out there you can purchase. The one that I used in the past was from Pro-Lab. They are not expensive either. It cost me a few years ago, about $15. They probably cost between $15 to $25 now. The process takes about 2 days. It’s pretty cool because it lets you test in several different ways, such as testing the air, and visually like on a petri dish. Sometimes they could be a little difficult to read. You might want to consider calling a professional Mold Company to come out and check out your place. Many places will come out and inspect your area as little or no cost to you. They will answer any questions you may have regarding mold, what symptoms they cause, and especially the long term effects of mold exposure. Mold doesn’t always have to have water to grow, sometimes it can be just slight moisture, but because of the combination of dirty environment, mold can still form. When I say dirty environment, I mean things such as old wood, dirt in crevices that have been there for a long time mixed with tiny bits of food that have fallen through, and over the long years have hardened into the floors or walls. Anyway, the symptoms you describe are similar to ones caused by mold, such as stachybotrys or penicillium. I know because I went through the same thing many years ago. I am no doctor, but for your own sake, your family, and children, if you have any, call a professional and get your place inspected ASAP!
J. Candice – Brewton, GA
Monday December 14, 2009
Two words… Executive Restoration
Hey Melinda, I noticed you are in South Carolina, bordering close to North Carolina. I am unsure if Executive Restoration serves your area, but you should give them a try. They were on Fox News not too long ago, and they seemed very knowledgeable and professional. www.executiverestoration.com I think they might be able to help you. Good luck!
Big Mike – Charlotte, NC
Monday December 14, 2009
Can Mold Grow in my Backpack?
Can mold grow in my backpack? I put my lunch in my backpack and carry it around with me all day. I have 4 classes at the college and a part time job. Sometimes the food spills out and I clean it up best as I can. After some time, I see there are greenish grey stains inside the fabric of my bag. Is this mold? If so, how harmful can this be? I put the backpack into the washer, with bleach, but the color discoloration is still there. Should I just through my bag away and get a new one?
Student by Day – Danville, TN
Monday December 14, 2009
This is for Student by Day…
Throw it out! It’s moldy, what do you want with it anyway??! I would not even mess with it, just throw the thing OUT!
Simple is the Answer – Pine Hill, GA
Monday December 14, 2009
Hey there Student by Day,
Clean the food out, scrap out any leftovers, boil some hot water and pour it over the moldy areas. Use soap and non bleach, because bleach damages the fabric or nylon, dry it out in the sun under lots of UV rays, expect some stains to remain, but it should be safe.
Kay – Albany, GA
Monday December 14, 2009
Keeping Clean is an Absolute Necessity
I am a germ-a-phobic, did I spell that right? Anyway, I know many people who have gotten sick, vomiting, diarrhea, the works from ingesting things such as moldy foods or touching mildew and not washing up afterwards, and ingesting it. Oh my gosh, especially in children. If you guys have children, you have to be extra clean to pretend health problems for your children in the future. Its so important to keep clean.
Here are some tips of keeping clean in your home:
Mildew is caused by mold, which are plants that require moisture and warm temperatures to grow. Mold develops on non-synthetic fabric, wood and paper. Where you find mold, you’ll usually find mildew. In home, this usually occurs in damp, warm areas with poor light and poor air circulation. Closets, cellars and bathrooms are the usual culprits.
Although mildew removers don’t work on paper and fabrics, mildew on a hard surface can be eliminated by spraying a mildew remover solution onto it. Bleach solutions effectively kill mold and mildew as well.
Do your research people. Keep any place where mildew is likely to grow–such as a closet or bathroom–as clean as possible. Eliminate dampness by heating the room for a little while; then open doors and windows, or use air conditioners and dehumidifiers to dry the air or cool it down so that the moisture is removed. Ventilate closed off or poorly ventilated spaces by opening doors and windows and using electric or exhaust fans (in closets, make sure clothes are dry and hang them loosely to allow air to circulate around them). Inhaling or ingesting mildew can trigger asthma or allergies (even in people who have no allergies, if the concentration of mildew and mold is high enough). For people who have chronic lung or immune system problems, mildew and mold can increase the likelihood for fever, infections and pneumonia-like symptoms.
Guys, again, I can’t stress enough how important it is to keep your area clean. Cleanliness equals Health..thats the truth! Melinda, this applies to you too. This will help keep those symptoms at bay!
W. Hymalian – Orlando, FL
Tuesday December 15, 2009
The Article that Scared Me…
I just read an article in USA WEEKEND announcing a serious Mold Health Alert. It’s about a Texas woman named Melinda Ballard, her 3 year old son, Reese, who was on daily medication to treat scarred, asthmatic lungs, her husband, Ron, who has lost his memory AND his job, and their 11,500 square foot home. They had a never battle with their insurance company. The problem? Household mold.
The family has since then moved out of the house and is living out of their suitcase down the street. Though the house has been abandoned, they still have to check in on the air conditioning of the house once a week, with a HEPA respirator of course. That’s the only thing keeping the mold at bay. The house somehow ended up having Stachybotrys. Melinda truly believes that her child or husband would have died if providence had not intervened. Back in 1998 their house’s copper plumbing sprang a series of leaks. By December, they started to notice the hardwood floors in the living and dining rooms beginning to warp. By March of 1999, the family, as well as the groundskeeper and nanny, were suffering from headaches, dizziness, and fatigue, then respiratory and sinus problems. And this is not your ordinary runny noses, but bloody runny noses.
While in Austin one day, Melinda ran met Bill Holder, an indoor air quality consultant. After running a test, they were found to have level 4 Stachybotrys, in which the family had to evacuate the house immediately.
Till today, they are still fighting with their insurance company, and even more so with their health due to the Stachybotrys. This article really opened my mind to how serious mold can be. I sure hope the insurance will finally step up and help this family poor family out!
D. Lenorad – Calvin, TX
Tuesday December 15, 2009
How to Protect your Home and Yourself…
Here are some vital tips on how to protect yourself and your home from bad mold.
- Keep water out. Fix any leaks within 24 hours.
- Be on the lookout for discoloration of walls, ceiling, or anything made of wood or paper. Mold growth can be almost any color: white, black, green, fluorescent.
- Look behind cabinets or pictures on cold outside walls, where condensation can occur. Keep furniture away from outside walls.
- Check around air handling units (air conditioners, furnaces) for stagnant water. Keep these units serviced with regular cleaning of ducts and air filters.
- Be aware of odors. Mildew has been described as pungent, or “aromatic.”
- Know the symptoms of mold-related illness, which can range from chronic sinus infections and asthma to nosebleeds, extreme fatigue, severe headaches, dizziness, rashes and central nervous system problems. Do the symptoms get better when you go on vacation and worse when you come home?
- To get your house checked for mold!
This really helps. I have come across a place, and by using these simple tips, have been able to detect and nip mold in the butt before it worsened. There is nothing worse than feeling sick, fatigue, and not know why.
Jennifer G. – Crystal Lake, FL
Tuesday December 15, 2009
More to the Melinda Ballard Story too…
Looking further into the type of mold from Melinda’s story, I found this out. Stachybotrys atra is an especially lethal mold. It’s part of a family of molds (others are Memnoniella and Aspergillus versicolor) that produce airborne toxins, called mycotoxins, that can cause serious breathing difficulties, memory and hearing loss, dizziness, flulike symptoms, and bleeding in the lungs. In 1996 and 1999 studies by Eckardt Johanning, M.D., of the Eastern New York Occupational and Environmental Health Center, people with prolonged exposure to mycotoxins from Stachybotrys and other fungi experienced chronic fatigue, loss of balance, irritability, memory loss and difficulty speaking. “These were college graduates who had been functioning at a high level, and now they can’t,” Johanning says.
Fortunately, Stachybotrys isn’t found in homes as often as milder molds such as Cladosporium, Penicillium and Alternaria. Those are common, especially in damp states such as Texas, Louisiana, Florida and Oregon. Yet even they can cause health problems, including chronic sinus and respiratory infections and asthma. A 1999 Mayo Clinic study pegged nearly all the chronic sinus infections afflicting 37 million Americans to molds. Recent studies also have linked molds to the tripling of the asthma rate over the past 20 years.
How common are these molds? A 1994 Harvard University School of Public Health study of 10,000 homes in the United States and Canada found half had “conditions of water damage and mold associated with a 50 to 100% increase in respiratory symptoms,” says Harvard’s Jack Spengler.
When molds grow, it’s usually in damp places, behind walls and under floors, above ceiling tiles or behind shower walls — wherever there are wet cellulose materials they can feed on, such as wood, ceiling tiles, plasterboard, or accumulations of organic material inside air-conditioning and heating systems. Water is the key. Without it, molds can’t get started, much less spread. But when water is left to sit for even 24 hours, common molds can take hold. If water continues to sit and areas become completely saturated, that’s when a more lethal mold, such as Stachybotrys, can move in.
In Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota in the mid-1980s, thousands of middle-income families fell ill when their homes developed mold problems. This year in New York City, 125 families at Henry Phipps Plaza South filed an $8 billion mold lawsuit against their landlord. And four years ago in Cleveland, Stachybotrys growth from unrepaired storm damage was suspected of causing pulmonary hemorrhage in 14 children, killing two.
Again, everyone should be more aware of these hidden dangers. It has definitely opened my eyes more. Take care y’all.
D. Lenorad – Calvin, TX
Tuesday December 15, 2009
Concerned Mother of Three
I was reading the Melinda Ballard article, and man oh man did that put a fright in me. Thank you for posting that D. Lenorad. I use to think that mold only happened in old homes. Apparently, NOT AT ALL. I did some research after reading your article and found out that new houses are more prone to mold problems than older houses. Really, a bad leak in any house anywhere can cause mold if its not taken care of right away.
Get this, the reason why new homes are prone to mold is because the modern home design, including materials used, such as fake stucco (great mold food when wet), the way insulation can trap moisture behind walls, and the fact that today’s homes, like office buildings, are more airtight, with air conditioning and heating systems recirculating contaminated air. Crazy isn’t it? This means families can go for months, and even years, without knowing where their symptoms are coming from. Now that is extremely scary.
What is even crazier is in Melinda’s case, lets say they were to tear down the house. They couldn’t even do that until the house has been treated for mold first. NO ONE will touch it until the men in moon suits have come out to carry the danger away. Its too much of a health hazard. That’s how serious it can be. In this case, it’s the only safe way to get rid of it, and that would be calling in the professionals, no doubt.
Thanks for sharing your stories people.
Ms. Mom – Apopka, FL
Tuesday December 15, 2009
Summing It All Up
Here is another sum up of an article I read from the NCMA. The fear of mold and mildew has taken on a new life creating havoc not only in the building industry, but also in the insurance industry, real estate sales, the court systems of the nation, and the world of medical science. For example, mold was at the center of a criminal investigation of child endangerment charges in Texas against an insurance company for improper handling of a water damage claim resulting in a house that is now uninhabitable and a family complaining of coughing up blood and suffering from a cognitive dysfunction. The family alleges that neither the insurance company nor the company’s expert informed them that the home contained the deadly mold until their health was irreversibly damaged. In other parts of the country, real estate agents fear that mold will be a “deal-breaker” causing potential buyers to walk away from a house because mold has been discovered.
In an article written for Claims Magazine, authors Everette L. Herndon, Jr. and Chin S. Yang, tell us, “The consensus of opinion from the EPA, FEMA, the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, mycologists and microbiologists is that mold may start to grow and spread within 24 to 48 hours in structures damaged by water. Mold can grow exponentially, given the right conditions of temperature, moisture and food sources, such as sheetrock.” What no one in the concrete masonry industry should doubt is that mold can and does start to grow on the surface of concrete masonry products. However, once it has consumed whatever food source was present on the surface, it can go no further. Simply put, concrete masonry does not provide a food source for mold. Further, mold can be cleaned from its surface, an option not available to other construction materials. Note, however, in the quote from authors Herndon and Yang from Claims Magazine who specifically identify “sheetrock” as a food source for mold. Mold settles on and quickly permeates “sheetrock” or gypsum walls requiring that the entire wall be torn out and replaced. Mold and mildew is not a new subject. It was discussed at length in chapters thirteen and fourteen of the book of Leviticus where priests called for houses made of plaster and wood infected with mold be torn down and the debris taken to an unclean place outside the city. In more recent history, articles and studies about mold began appearing in the late 1970s. A 1986 report written by W. A. Croft, who studied a family in Chicago, stated that mold “could be commonly found in homes with water damage,” and “could grow undetected behind walls and could grow profusely on sheetrock.”
You guys have to definitely do your research out there.
D. Lenorad – Calvin, TX
Tuesday December 15, 2009
Picture Grotesque
Has anyone seen any photos of mold lately? It’s more than PRETTY BAD, its out right disgusting! The way it forms in circular patches on the walls, grey, greenish, and black looking. Spots everywhere! I can’t imagine what it could smell like. It gives me the itchies! Try googling mold photos online. You will be pretty grossed out. Those are the ones with obvious signs, imagine all the time in between before those visual signs were made available to you. All that rotting danger lurking in the air and in the walls, and you been inhaling it like no tomorrow. Disturbing isn’t it?
Jimmy – Nowhere Land, USA