A lot of us suffer from allergies due to pollen, grasses, dogs, cats, and any number of items, but mold can be the cause of allergy symptoms just as much as any of these. These symptoms are common in individuals from spring all the way into late fall and even though some molds can grow at freezing temperatures, most cannot. Any plants or animals that have been killed by the winter elements are a feeding ground for mold.
In some areas of the United States, such as the far southeast where it remains warm almost year round, mold can grow throughout the year and aggravate the allergies of anyone nearby. Molds that are allowed to grow inside the home or workplace can cause perennial allergic rhinitis.
The symptoms of mold allergies can be brought about or even made worse by eating foods that have been processed with fungi such as mushrooms or foods containing yeast such as bread or beer. Having an allergy to the mold penicillium can be held accountable for problems occurring when a person receives a dose of penicillin at the doctor’s office.
Generally only if mold spores are in large quantities do they aggravate a person’s allergies. Being easily carried by the air or being a specific kind of allergenic mold are also important factors. There are only a few dozen kinds of mold that are significantly allergenic. Alternaria and Cladosporium (Hormodendrum) are two of the frequently found molds indoors and outdoors and are allergenic. Penicillium is also a kind of mold that is allergenic and people with an allergy to the drug penicillin know this all too well.
Mold counts sometimes exist on the news or other weather reports and these exist to determine what kinds of mold and how much of it is in the air at a certain time or place. These reports aren’t always accurate because as the weather changes, the mold spores will spread out or collect in other areas. The time of day that you plan your activities is also important when it comes to planning around mold counts because research has indicated that dry mold spores tend to favor the daytime and wet spores tend to favor the night.
There are many different ways to determine if a mold health related condition exists in a person. There are x-rays that can be done, blood tests, examination of sputum, or a swab of a sore on the skin can be examined to determine if fungus exists living inside the body.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration companies and
Dallas Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Keeping a Bathroom Free of Mold
We want our bathrooms to stay as clean as possible and the idea of something unsanitary such as mold living in it is a little gross to most of us. Bacteria is bad enough, but when you start thinking about the fact that fungi might be growing in what’s supposed to be one of the cleanest places in your home, you tend to wonder what you can do to prevent it from happening to you. How can you do that? Here are a few tips.
Don’t put carpet in your bathroom. If your toilet overflows, having carpet at its base will prevent you from being able to soak up all the water and if it isn’t cleaned up properly and is allowed to dry naturally, mold can start to grow within 48 hours. The best kind of floor to have in the bathroom is a tile one and caulking around the bathtub and walls will make sure the water can’t escape into the wood behind it.
One of the most important purchases you can make if you buy an older home is a bathroom vent that will allow steam and warm air to escape outside into the atmosphere instead of collecting and causing condensation on your ceiling. The sheetrock on your ceiling will absorb this condensation and become water damaged over time if the steam from your shower or bath has nowhere to go. If you don’t have a vent like this installed in your bathroom, it will save you money to have one installed as quickly as you can gather the funds to do so.
Throwing wet or damp towels and rags into your bathroom closet and leaving them in contact with the floor, even if you do have a tile one, will cause mold to grow if they’re not removed regularly. It’s best to use a clothes hamper or something else to put the clothes into besides just leaving them on the floor. Dirty clothes baskets or bins should be emptied often, at least every two days. Even if they’re in a bin instead of on the floor, mold can still start to grow.
If you discover mold growing anywhere in your bathroom on the sheetrock or around the floor, it’s best to assume that the mold is also growing inside the wall, ceiling, or floor. Most of these building materials will need to be replaced as soon as possible.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of
Emergency Water Damage Restoration and
Houston Water Damage Restoration Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
Don’t put carpet in your bathroom. If your toilet overflows, having carpet at its base will prevent you from being able to soak up all the water and if it isn’t cleaned up properly and is allowed to dry naturally, mold can start to grow within 48 hours. The best kind of floor to have in the bathroom is a tile one and caulking around the bathtub and walls will make sure the water can’t escape into the wood behind it.
One of the most important purchases you can make if you buy an older home is a bathroom vent that will allow steam and warm air to escape outside into the atmosphere instead of collecting and causing condensation on your ceiling. The sheetrock on your ceiling will absorb this condensation and become water damaged over time if the steam from your shower or bath has nowhere to go. If you don’t have a vent like this installed in your bathroom, it will save you money to have one installed as quickly as you can gather the funds to do so.
Throwing wet or damp towels and rags into your bathroom closet and leaving them in contact with the floor, even if you do have a tile one, will cause mold to grow if they’re not removed regularly. It’s best to use a clothes hamper or something else to put the clothes into besides just leaving them on the floor. Dirty clothes baskets or bins should be emptied often, at least every two days. Even if they’re in a bin instead of on the floor, mold can still start to grow.
If you discover mold growing anywhere in your bathroom on the sheetrock or around the floor, it’s best to assume that the mold is also growing inside the wall, ceiling, or floor. Most of these building materials will need to be replaced as soon as possible.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of
Emergency Water Damage Restoration and
Houston Water Damage Restoration Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
Employees, Tenants, and Mold
As if mold invading our homes wasn’t enough, it also invades other buildings such as the places where we work. Anyone who owns a rental property or hires employees to work in a building that he or she owns must ensure that the building is free and clear of mold infestations not only because this can cause significant structural damage, but because they can be held legally liable for any and all medical bills associated with mold health complications resulting from working in a mold infested environment.
The list of health complications that can be blamed on mold are almost endless. You’d have a better chance of picking a winning roulette number than you would of guessing the health effect(s) mold will cause in you. You can become sick with anything from chronic dandruff, skin rashes, to bleeding in your lungs and aspergilloma (fungus balls that grow in cavities within the body). The list of conditions caused by or aggravated by mold is longer than can be listed here. What can employers and landlords do to ensure the safety of their workers and tenants?
First of all, take the claims that mold exist on the property seriously. Check out the areas where your workers or tenants claim mold exist yourself and if you see even the slightest evidence that they could be right, you should be quick to have a professional test for mold. If the test comes back as positive, you’re required to inform your workers that mold exists on the property and when remediation of it will begin and a general idea of when it will be concluded. As soon as the property has had the mold removed, you need to have another test done to prove that the mold is gone. Getting your employees back to work and your tenants back in their rental as soon as you can will restart your cash flow.
You should encourage any of your employees that suffer health effects that could be attributed to the mold in your workplace or your rental property to see a doctor. Any mold infestation that you detect should be dealt with as quickly as possible because you can be held responsible for more than just their medical bills associated with the mold. If they’re your tenants, you can also be held responsible for their relocation bills and moving expenses.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of
Emergency Water Damage Restoration and
Houston Water Damage Restoration Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
The list of health complications that can be blamed on mold are almost endless. You’d have a better chance of picking a winning roulette number than you would of guessing the health effect(s) mold will cause in you. You can become sick with anything from chronic dandruff, skin rashes, to bleeding in your lungs and aspergilloma (fungus balls that grow in cavities within the body). The list of conditions caused by or aggravated by mold is longer than can be listed here. What can employers and landlords do to ensure the safety of their workers and tenants?
First of all, take the claims that mold exist on the property seriously. Check out the areas where your workers or tenants claim mold exist yourself and if you see even the slightest evidence that they could be right, you should be quick to have a professional test for mold. If the test comes back as positive, you’re required to inform your workers that mold exists on the property and when remediation of it will begin and a general idea of when it will be concluded. As soon as the property has had the mold removed, you need to have another test done to prove that the mold is gone. Getting your employees back to work and your tenants back in their rental as soon as you can will restart your cash flow.
You should encourage any of your employees that suffer health effects that could be attributed to the mold in your workplace or your rental property to see a doctor. Any mold infestation that you detect should be dealt with as quickly as possible because you can be held responsible for more than just their medical bills associated with the mold. If they’re your tenants, you can also be held responsible for their relocation bills and moving expenses.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of
Emergency Water Damage Restoration and
Houston Water Damage Restoration Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
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