As you know South Florida is a little different than the rest of the country in terms of rainfall and temperature. Lately, it feels like summer all year round. The main difference is the rainfall in summer verses the rest of the year. When the temperatures begin to really warm up and the rainfall occurs almost daily, one thing that you don’t want to spend more time and money on is fighting mold issues throughout your home. Mold remediation and abatement can be very costly therefore preventing it is key for a safe environment. From the pipes under the sink in your bathrooms to the washing machine and dishwasher in your kitchen, it seems like mold is worse in the summer months. There is no question our high humidity is a great contributing factor to mold growth issues in Fort Lauderdale and all of South Florida.
How and why does mold grow in your home?
Mold growth or mold bloom occurs when the temperature is not controlled properly in your home. Mold is a living organism and grows in colonies and releases spores. Mold spores thrive in a dark, moist location such as closets and bathrooms! Mold requires a food source such as drywall, wood, leather and other porous surfaces to survive and thrive, hence a water source (leak or water intrusion) or high humidity levels. Opening windows in the summer in South Florida is not a good idea, our humidity levels are very high and you will cause damage to your dwelling, this is when you will spend lots of money on mold remediation and restoration. A controlled environment is a combination of keeping the humidity low and the air dry and cool. The state of Florida is known as the snowbird capital, meaning we have residents living here only in the winter months then leaving for the summer months (approximately 6 months out of the year). Many “snowbirds” return to find a mold bloom in their homes. A mold bloom is defined as visible mold growth on most of your contents, such as; walls, ceilings, furniture, surface areas, shoes, clothing etc. This is caused by high levels of moisture in the air. Residents will leave in the spring forgetting to condition the ambient air in their homes, this will allow mold to flourish. You must leave your air conditioning running to start up when the temperatures get too high and set your humidistat to between 45% – 55%. If a mold bloom occurs in your home, you must act quickly to remediate the mold and remove its food source. If this occurs that’s when you need the experience of Advanced MicroClean with our over 20 years of expert knowledge in the mold abatement industry.
The most common types of molds find around your home include:
- Cladisporium
- Penicillium
- Ulocladium
- Alternaria
- Trichoderma
- Aspergillus Varities
- Aureobasidium
- Epicoccum
- Paecilomyces
- And more
Not common to find in your home and indication there is an issue:
- Stachybotrys
This mold is referred to as the black toxic mold and this mold is not common in a healthy home. Most homes when inspected will have a variety amount of mold species identified but Stachybotrys (before known as Stachy) should not be present. You don’t want any mold growing in your home, but there isn’t a good way to stop it from entering your house. In nature, mold grows in colonies. You can find it on trees, under rocks, and almost anywhere there’s a moist, dark place. For mold to grow and spread, these colonies send out spores. They’re so tiny that you never see them. However, they’ll cling to your clothes, skin, shoes, and pets. When you open your doors or windows mold spores will enter the home. This is why it is imperative to keep your indoor air quality controlled so that these spores cannot settle on surface, grow and spread.
The harmful mold falls into one of three categories:
- Allergenic – Pathogenic – Toxigenic
It’s obvious that the allergenic type aggravates people with allergies while the toxigenic type is toxic for people. However, the meaning of the pathogenic type of mold might not be so obvious. If you have someone living in your home that already suffers from a chronic illness, this type of mold will make the symptoms more pronounced and even create new ones. Most homeowner’s believe they are suffering from allergies or chronic colds when it is very possible that your home environment is making you sick. It is important to get your home mold tested and mold removed by a licensed and insured mold remediation company. Your home should be your sanctuary!
