Common Mold Questions

As a home inspector I receive my share of mold questions. Having a mold/air quality test is a good start, but controlling moisture in your home is the key to mold prevention. Here is a sample of the mold questions I receive:

Question:
I saw your article on crawlspaces and found my vents closed and about a quarter of an inch of black mold completely covering the wooden beams and insulation. I had a couple of questions. When I turn on the heat I smell a rich sweet smell; is this mold? I had the entire heating system cleaned and sealed but the smell is still there, though lessened. Is this the mold problem? What can be done to take care of this problem?
Also, do you know if they make white vapor barrier? I found a copperhead in the crawlspace and thought that if the vapor barrier were white, I would avoid nearly picking them up in the future.

Thanks for any help!!!


Answer:
I am glad you opened your vents, but that may not take care of your mold problem. If you have a quarter inch of mold on the wood beams, you have two concerns. The first is that mold will try to digest your wood. Not only is mold eating away at your house, it could be eating away at your health. Mold and mildew need only a damp moist environment and organic material to thrive. They can breed and thrive in drywall backing, carpet backing, in the moist dust particles in your heating system, wood beams, bottom of sheathing, baseboards, and wallpaper to mention the most common.




With exposure to mold and mildew it is common to experience headaches coughs, skin rashes, nausea, runny noses and other sinus problems, and in some cases memory loss. The sweet smell could be mold or mildew; the duct cleaner also has a sweet smell. The duct cleaning surely will help, but it may not completely cure your problem. Here are some things you may consider doing;

Ø Open all the crawl space vents
Ø Make sure your vapor barrier is covering the entire earth portion under the house
Ø Make sure all gutters and downspouts are working properly
Ø Make sure that the earth around the foundation slopes away from the house
Ø Change the furnace filter often

To conquer mold and mildew, you must first conquer moisture. The best defense is good ventilation and water management. Also checking the trouble spots such as the furnace and the bathrooms.
Check your bathroom for plumbing leaks and make sure the exhaust fan works properly and is vented to the outside.
When you have your furnace serviced, have your service tech check the condensate tube; to make sure it is draining properly.

If you or your family are still experiencing any of the aforementioned health symptoms, you may consider having a professional home inspector perform a mold test. You can find some excellent sites on the web, just type “mold” in your search engine, and you will find a lot of good information.
About your snake troubles, you have two choices; You can get a king snake under there and you will not have any poisonous snakes including copperheads. Or perhaps you may prefer to purchase some six-mill white poly sheeting. You can find this at your local building supply. This material comes in different widths; find the size that works best for your size of house. It is fine to install the new poly over the existing, just make sure that the old poly is laying flat.