Don't let mold creep into your home and wallet

[Guest guest]

Saturday, 05/20/06

Don't let mold creep into your home and wallet

Proper drainage and ventilation are keys

By VIRGINIA ROBERSON

For The Tennessean

on County Times - TN

http://www.rctimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?

AID=/20060520/FEATURES0301/605200307/1004/MTCN0303

Spring has finally sprung some warmer — and wet — weather for Middle

Tennessee, making conditions right for producing mold. While mold is

necessary for the ecosystem (it breaks down dead matter into soil),

it can be devastating if it gets inside your home.

Just ask Tyler, an interior designer who owns a farmhouse in

lin with her father, Lyon Tyler.

''I came back from a trip to Italy and noticed a bad smell coming

from the basement and storm shelter area,'' she says. ''It smelled

like a dead mouse or something.''

If you can smell mold in your home, it's time to call a

professional. Not only can mold cause structural damage, it can be

bad for your health. The elder Tyler began to develop allergies from

prolonged mold exposure, and the old farmhouse had to be completely

gutted after mold invaded the crawl space, air vents, interior walls

and even the furniture.

''We had to clean all their furniture and antiques, and we had to

send their books to Chicago, where they used a special freeze-dry

method to vacuum off the mold,'' says Don Knarr, owner of Groove

Mold, who was called in to clean the mold in the Tyler house.

''On a scale of 1 to 10 for a mold infestation, I'd say their home

was about a 9.5,'' he says.

The mold invasion began in the Tylers' crawl space, according to

Knarr. He says crawl spaces are prone to infestation because they're

close to the ground and usually near downspouts from rain gutters.

''You'd be amazed how much money you can save in the long run by

spending $15 on plastic tubing to divert your downspouts away from

your house,'' he says. But Knarr adds that if you suspect you

already have a mold problem, it's a good idea to get your house

tested by an air inspector.

''You need to call an inspection company to test for mold and then

have a remediator like myself come in and do the removal,'' he

says. ''They should be hired separately so there's no conflict of

interest.''

Knarr frequently works with Doug , owner of Air Test

Environmental, who conducts outdoor and indoor air quality tests and

swabs suspected problem areas. He uses spore traps to test the air

for mold and other pollens and conducts tests after remediation to

ensure the mold won't return.

''If something smells musty or moldy, we try to find out why it's

growing,'' says. ''If you don't stop the source of the mold,

it will just keep growing back.''

If you've noticed mold in a small area of your home, you can

probably clean it yourself. Knarr suggests using the Environmental

Protection Agency guidelines for mold removal, which advises seeking

professional assistance if the infected area is more than 10 square

feet.

''If you're not careful, you can spread it or make it worse,'' he

says. ''If you have a bad water break or an area larger than 10

square feet, call a professional.''

But with a few simple precautions, Knarr says, you can protect your

home from a mold invasion. Check your crawl space and make sure no

water or humidity is coming inside. There should be exhaust fans in

bathrooms and other areas that collect moisture. Inspect your

plumbing regularly for leaks and make sure dryer vents are well-

connected. Moisture can also get trapped in an attic, so be sure

it's properly ventilated.

''The key to preventing mold is proper ventilation, a properly

sealed crawl space and ensuring your downspouts don't flow toward

your house,'' Knarr says. ''If you're thinking of building a new

home, make sure the crawl space has a sealed moisture barrier.

You're better off spending a few thousand dollars over the period of

a mortgage rather than eating several thousand dollars when you try

to sell the home.''