Protecting Your Home from Black Mold

December 15, 2008
by Michael Bains

Water intrusion and mold can cause extensive property damage and could possibly impact your family's health.  Keeping your home dry and free of water problems should be a goal of all homeowners.

There is a difference between a small amount of "normal" household mold and mildew and an actual mold and moisture problem.  Most normal mold in a home is found in shower enclosures.  This is generally caused by excessive humidity and condensation.  This type of mold is usually cleaned during normal housekeeping.

An actual mold problem occurs when a structure suffers consistent and long-term moisture intrusion.  This water intrusion can come in many shapes and sizes.  Most often, it is from roof leaks, plumbing leaks, improper grading, and kitchen and bathroom fixture leaks.  Other culprits are washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators, and hot water heaters.

Below are some photos of a home where the hot water heater had a pin hole leak.  You can see that this caused a considerable amount of mold both from the heat and humidity and the mist of water that landed on the walls and ceilings.  This situation could happen on any level of the home.  This particular closet was in the baement.  Basement mold can occur a bit more frequently as the areas are below grade.  This can cause a variety of unique moisture intrusion problems.

mold on ceiling/wall - broken hose	closer view of mold growth

Mold testing was performed in this water heater closet and in the adjoining playroom.  It should be noted that the ambient spore counts were significantly higher than normal.  In a situation like this, it is highly unlikely that a homeowner can safely and effectively remove and clean this mold, scrub the air, and return this room to a normal space. 

Should you see this type of problem in your own home, you should contact a mold professional.  You will need a professional inspection and sampling and subsequent mold abatement.

For much smaller problems, it is sometimes possible for a homeowner to perform their own mold clean up.  See our blog entry on do it yourself mold remediation.  Should you need assistance in finding a mold professional, you can search our database of mold inspection and mold remediation professionals.