Posts Tagged ‘Mold Spores’

How does mold grow?

Posted in Mold Growth, Mold Problem on May 5th, 2009 by admin – 1 Comment

Basically four items are needed for mold growth – water, food, ideal temperature and air.

basement-moldDifferent mold might need different quantities of these four eg. Some mold require more water to survive and grow than others.

Planet Earth readily supplies air to support living organisms, so that condition for mold to grow is always present. However, if mold spores settle on dry surface, it cannot grow due to the absence of water.

wood-moldMost of the places inside our homes are dry, thus not providing ideal situations for mold to grow. Nevertheless, other parts of our homes may turn out to be ideal places for mold to flourish. These places are usually damp and wet, located in basements and toilets, probably resulting from piping leaks or floods.

If mold finds air and moisture, but no food, it can’t grow either. Mold feeds on dead organic matter. However, mold is good at getting food in our homes by having microscopic threads to absorb nutrients.

mold-grow-on-ceramic-tilesHence, we can find mold on :

  • Fabric
  • Paper
  • Cardboard
  • Ceramic tiles (containing particles of food and dust on its surface)
  • Paint
  • Drywall
  • Fiberglass insulation (dust-covered)
  • Wood framing
  • Floors

ceiling-moldSo, we don’t only hate mold for being unsightly; mold can cause structural damage to our homes. We may have to fork out tons of money to repair our homes overgrown with molds. Not only that, we also may have to pay dearly for the damage it does to our health.

Symptoms from mold growing in our homes

Posted in Mold Sensitivity, Mold Symptoms on May 4th, 2009 by admin – Be the first to comment

symptoms-may-caused-by-mold-presenseWhen we are exposed to mold growth in our home environment, such symptoms may occur :

  • Respiratory irritation
  • Joint aches
  • Headaches
  • Cough
  • Blocked or runny nose
  • Eye irritation
  • Skin allergies
  • Fatigue

These symptoms may or may not be caused by mold presence. But where mold is found in homes, the rate of these symptoms surfacing is high. If your children have eye irritations, ask whether they have been touching places with mold growing and whether they had subsequently rubbed their eyes without washing their hands first. And if you found your family constantly having cough or runny nose, check your home for mold existence.

Of course, there are other factors linked to the above symptoms, and they may not be associated with mold at all. But if you suspect that your health is being affected by mold, do see your doctor for confirmation.

Mold – How they affect our health

Posted in Mold Sensitivity on April 29th, 2009 by admin – Be the first to comment

When we see mold, our initial thought would be our health. Would we fall sick as a result
of mold presence in our environment? Well, the answer is yes and no. That depends on the diversity factor.
mold-causing-headache

Two people standing near a moldy window in a room will react differently. One may feel stuffy and start to get a headache, while the other may feel nothing at all. This actually depends on their individual level of sensitivity to molds.

It is a well-known fact that there is differing sensitivities between healthy grown-ups compared to children, the elderly and the sick. The former obviously have robust immune system while the latter will react stronger to mold. This may or may not be the case but it is highly likely to happen.