By, Carrie Benuska

As I completed last week°òs article on water intrusion, I was forming ideas for a follow-up article on mold, the nasty by-product of water intrusion. With all of the rain that we were receiving, these topics seemed relevant and interesting. As I am formulating this article, the sun is shining and my daughter is heading off to the beach for some tanning. I am not going to allow this sudden Southern California warm spell to push me off course, though. Since we are still in the middle of winter, I would like to discuss the important topic of mold.

I call mold the “lead-based paint of the 21st century”. Lead-based paint became a hot button in the 1970°òs, when it was discovered that the substance was hazardous to our health. It became a topic of concern with home buyers, and multiple references to lead based paint were incorporated into residential real estate disclosure paper work. Since it was banned in 1977, most of these toxic walls have been painted over, making leadbased

paint less of a problem in residential real estate.

The new hot button for real estate buyers and the topic of several residential real estate disclosures, is mold. Mold or fungi is natural and exists both indoors and outdoors, most often where there is water. Anyone who spends time in the garden has been in contact with mold, because molds play a major role in causing decomposition of organic material. The dark dusty substance that you see on a leaf that has been lying in the wet soil is mold. There are thousands of species of mold, and they play an important part in our environment. Mold, like lead-based paint, first became a real estate hot button when it was discovered that it can be hazardous to our health. According to mold expert Mark Levy, owner of “The Mold Guy”, a commercial and residential mold inspection and testing company, “too much exposure to mold may cause or worsen conditions such as asthma, hay fever, or other allergies. The most common symptoms of overexposure are cough, congestion, runny nose, eye irritation, and aggravation of asthma. Depending on the amount of exposure and a person's individual vulnerability, more serious health effects - such as fevers and breathing problems - can occur but are unusual.” Levy points out that mold can grow almost anywhere there is water damage, high humidity, or dampness. He also claims that most types of mold that are routinely encountered are not hazardous to healthy individuals. Most homeowners have encountered mold at some point in an under-ventilated bathroom and quickly cleaned up the mold with an over-the-counter cleaning product. Problems occur when there is a chronic water intrusion problem or the presence of a leaky pipe or fixture. These water issues are not always easy to detect and can exist in a basement or within the walls. Homeowners need to keep on the lookout for signs of water intrusion, which include separated building materials, warped floors, or the presence of discolored, peeling or bubbling paint. The presence of a musty smell also is a great indication that mold might be growing. Anyone who is concerned about the presence of mold in their own home or a home that they are considering buying should consider a mold inspection. Levy°òs company will test for evidence of mold and develop a plan to remediate any problems found.

According to Levy, removing the source of the moisture is critical to preventing mold growth. Without fixing the source of the problem, mold can start growing back within 24 to 48 hours.

Levy said that hindering interior mold growth starts on the exterior of the house. He suggests looking closely at the perimeter of your home, verify that water is not gathering at the foundation or making its way through the walls. The soil should be graded so that water flows away from the house, and sprinklers should be located away from the foundation and their spray carefully directed away from the house. Levy also suggests that a well-operating gutter system with working down spouts is a must.

In addition to checking for water intrusion from the outside of your house, Levy suggests keeping a close eye on the interior “red zones”, which include under sinks, washers, and refrigerators. He suggests that every six months homeowners look in these areas to ensure that you don°òt have an unknown leak. In addition, make sure that your bathrooms are well-ventilated, and take time to wipe down the shower each day, to keep it free of excess water. There is no doubt that homeowners and buyers alike should be aware of the dangers of mold, but there is no need for panic. There are common sense practices that can keep your home free of any hazardous mold problems, and there are experts like “The Mold Guy” who can thoroughly diagnose any problems. A good place to start is to read through the valuable information on their website,www.themoldguyinc.com. Remember that without water problems, there most likely is not a mold problem.