When was the last time you gave even a momentary thought to the existence and potential health risks of mold in the home? California is about to enact the Toxic Mold Protection Act that will require mold disclosures for residential and commercial real estate transactions. Mold now belongs on your list of home buying and selling variables.

What to know

Mold is a fungus that performs a useful service by decaying and recycling dead matter. It requires two things to flourish: an organic food source and water. Materials contaminated with mold will eventually be devoured by it.

Are you one of the many buyers who bought "As Is" during our recent seller's market? If so, check your termite report. Not addressing this now, may be asking for serious health and structural problems later.

Mold releases millions of microscopic spores, particularly when it starts to go dormant. All molds have the potential to create health problems by producing allergens.

If mold is present, you may experience flu-like symptoms, headaches, memory loss, nausea and fatigue. Short-term exposure to high levels of mold, or long-term exposure to lower levels, can both result in sickness. Those with asthma or immune deficiencies may have serious adverse reactions to relatively small amounts of mold where others may not even notice it.

Approximately 100 molds are known to produce toxins that are extremely dangerous to humans. These are called mycotoxins, and their damage to health is not yet fully understood. It is thought that the greatest concentration of toxins exists in the spores.

Stachybotrys chartarum is the mycotoxin that has made recent headlines because of its potentially devastating effects. This black, shiny mold grows vigorously on water-soaked sheetrock, cellulose insulation, ceiling tiles and wallpaper.

Stachybotrys might be the result of an unknown or ignored condition of excessive moisture that has existed for a protracted period. If the mold dries up, its spores could become airborne. In extreme cases, contamination is so pervasive that tearing down the structure is actually more cost effective than removing the mold.

Once it permeates a structure, Stachybotrys can severely suppress a person's immune system and it is believed to be carcinogenic. Its toxins may enter the body through inhalation, ingestion or skin exposure. Symptoms could include those mentioned above plus coughing of blood, nosebleeds, and neurological damage. Unfortunately, although the mold itself can be detected, there is no way to test for this mold's toxins in a property or a person.

What to do

Media coverage tends to emphasize the horrors of Stachybotrys and Aspergillius, two of the most deadly molds. Other common molds, however, may be slowly undermining your home and health right now without your knowledge.

When you buy or sell a house, the pest control, AKA “termite,” report is much more about wood destroyed by water than about bugs. Fungus infection is water damage to wood. Once it begins, over time it tends to get worse, especially if there is sufficient moisture feeding the fungus.

Inadequate drainage is another item that calls for attention. It is a factor in pest control problems and mold.

A broken sewer line or sprinklers that spray directly onto the house will cause dampness, mildew and mold. Excessive moisture from numerous indoor plants could also contribute to mold.

Other items to look out for are: roof and plumbing leaks; insufficient ventilation/air circulation; clothes dryer improperly or not vented to outside; and dirty furnace and air conditioner.

You can remove small to moderate amounts of mold yourself by combining, in a spray bottle, one part swimming pool chlorine to three or four parts water. Laundry bleach is only eight percent chlorine; swimming pool chlorine is 23 percent. Be especially careful to wear rubber gloves, a wrap-around plastic eye protector and a mask.

IMPORTANT: never wipe or touch mold; this causes the spores to scatter.

Final words

If you decide you need a professional to assess the extent of mold contamination, be sure to hire someone who specializes in this. As a new field, there are not many contractors who have substantial experience in testing and abatement.

An expert I met charges $149.00 for an inspection, and $85.00 for each test sample. If you are sure you have a big problem, it might make more sense to have someone come out to bid on remediation.

Above all, remember the obvious: to eliminate a mold problem, you must remove the source of water and the contaminated materials. Not doing so could cost both your house and your health.

Related Articles: Check Drainage; and Not Just Termites, Part 1 and Part 2