When talking about mold, there are a few words and phrases everyone needs to know the meaning of and here are the most important ones.
“Mold”. Mold is a kind of fungus (belonging to the kingdom fungi) that grows both indoors and outdoors all around the world and there are many different species and colors. To some people the words fungi and mold are used interchangeably, but not all fungi are molds. Other fungi besides molds include something that most of us eat all the time: mushrooms. Certain kinds of mold are also used in the creation of specific kinds of cheese, so it is incorrect to think that all molds are bad for us.
Most of us don’t know what “mycotoxin” means, but it is what makes some kinds of molds dangerous. Mycotoxins are a compound that are produced by fungus that are dangerous to living things. The mold itself is not toxic, but the mycotoxins produced by the mold are and these are what cause health complications for some people.
When mold inspectors talk to you about “remediation”, you might not understand exactly what that means. The word “remediation” means to solve a problem and when it comes to mold, this means fixing the moisture and heating problem in the building where there is a mold infestation.
Stachybotrys is a genus of mold that has about 10 members and this grows mainly on dead plant materials. When it’s found indoors, it often grows on things like paper and canvas (this includes sheetrock that has a paper covering). This kind of mold is toxic and it is the mold that most people are thinking of when they say “black mold”, even though a few different kinds of mold are black. Not all black mold is stachybotrys.
Hidden mold is found in areas that you cannot see readily. They are colonies that can be found inside walls or in ventilation systems like inside air conditioners or inside the ducts themselves. Hidden mold in your ventilation system is important to get rid of because it’s distributing the mold throughout your home or business and spreading the infection to other areas where it will likely take root and grow.
The word “biocide” is a term that is meant to denote chemicals that kill organisms such as fungi or at the very least, slow their growth. The word “fungicide” is often used interchangeably with “biocide”.
Showing posts with label mold facts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mold facts. Show all posts
Saturday, January 26, 2008
A Few Quick Facts About Mold
Something that a lot of people don’t know about mold is that it is everywhere we are. It’s hard to escape mold entirely, because it’s in the air we breathe. It is a form of fungi that grows all around the world and there are countless species of it that can be almost any color you can think of. A lot of them are harmless, but the ones that aren’t, such as toxic black mold, are the ones that most people are concerned about growing in their homes. Along with being unsightly, it can cause many health complications, especially if someone living or working in the affected area is allergic to it.
How does it get into your building? It usually comes from outdoors, either due to water leaking into the house from outside or because the humidity in a home is too high. Areas with water damage such as roofs, flooded areas, crawl spaces, and plumbing leaks are often sites for mold infections.
Why should you worry about it? Aside from the health complications that some molds can cause, it has been known to grow on furniture, clothing stuffed into the backs of closets, and even children’s toys. All these items need to be cleaned thoroughly and sterilized before being used again, if they’re used again at all. Some items like clothing are easier to throw away than they are to clean. The structural damage that mold can cause to your home overtime can be substantial and as soon as you discover a mold infestation, it’s best to either call in a professional to get rid of it or, if it’s a smaller infection, remove the mold and clean the area yourself using the different testing and cleaning kits that are available on the market today.
Who should worry about mold the most? The people who are most affected by mold in their homes or places of business are infants and small children, the elderly, people with respiratory conditions such as asthma or emphysema, anyone with a weakened immune system, such as people with HIV or AIDS, chemotherapy patients, anyone who has just had surgery, and pregnant women.
How do you prevent mold? The easiest way to prevent mold is to make sure your home is a cool and dry environment. Bathrooms and kitchens should be paid special attention to. Clean up spills and leaking water quickly and do not allow standing water in any part of your home, even the basement, because the infestation can and will spread to other areas of your home. Do your best to direct heat and moisture from clothes dryers, dish washers, stoves, and bathrooms outside your home with the appropriate fans and vents.
How does it get into your building? It usually comes from outdoors, either due to water leaking into the house from outside or because the humidity in a home is too high. Areas with water damage such as roofs, flooded areas, crawl spaces, and plumbing leaks are often sites for mold infections.
Why should you worry about it? Aside from the health complications that some molds can cause, it has been known to grow on furniture, clothing stuffed into the backs of closets, and even children’s toys. All these items need to be cleaned thoroughly and sterilized before being used again, if they’re used again at all. Some items like clothing are easier to throw away than they are to clean. The structural damage that mold can cause to your home overtime can be substantial and as soon as you discover a mold infestation, it’s best to either call in a professional to get rid of it or, if it’s a smaller infection, remove the mold and clean the area yourself using the different testing and cleaning kits that are available on the market today.
Who should worry about mold the most? The people who are most affected by mold in their homes or places of business are infants and small children, the elderly, people with respiratory conditions such as asthma or emphysema, anyone with a weakened immune system, such as people with HIV or AIDS, chemotherapy patients, anyone who has just had surgery, and pregnant women.
How do you prevent mold? The easiest way to prevent mold is to make sure your home is a cool and dry environment. Bathrooms and kitchens should be paid special attention to. Clean up spills and leaking water quickly and do not allow standing water in any part of your home, even the basement, because the infestation can and will spread to other areas of your home. Do your best to direct heat and moisture from clothes dryers, dish washers, stoves, and bathrooms outside your home with the appropriate fans and vents.
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