Montrose, MI, July 08, 2015 -- “Changes in the weather and extreme weather are often the primary drivers of dangerous toxic mold growth in homes, workplaces, and commercial buildings in the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Asia, and worldwide,” warns mold consultant Phillip Fry, Professional Industrial Hygienist, Certified Environmental Hygienist, and webmaster since 1999 of the mold education website www.moldinspector.com.
Fry explains that the top ten ways that weather changes and stormy weather can cause substantial, health-damaging, indoor toxic mold growth are:
1. High humidity of 70% or higher is enough indoor moisture to drive big toxic mold growth on both organic-based building materials such as wood and drywall and contents such as wood and upholstered furniture, carpeting, and drapery.
2. Excessive rainfall penetrates into deteriorated or leaking roofs, siding, attics, basements, and crawl spaces, resulting in substantial but often-hidden mold infestations.
3. Rain-caused flooding enters homes and other buildings and causes both hidden and visible mold growth inside basements, crawl spaces, walls, carpeting, and carpet padding, plus visible mold growth on furniture and other building contents.
4. Hot weather facilitates mold spore reproduction and mold colony growth in attics, basements, crawl spaces, and everywhere inside houses and buildings.
5. Hot weather results in the use of room and wall air conditioners and duct-work based, central air conditioning systems, wherein mold regularly grows well because of the confluence of incoming mold spores and organic dust (mold food) and moisture (required for mold growth). Air conditioners and central air conditioning are often prolific mold factories.
Even more mold-producing are water-based evaporative coolers that increase indoor humidity and mold growth. Evap coolers internally are also mold factories.
6. High winds in California, Arizona, Mexico, Central America, and South America carry desert-based Coccidioides fungal spores into populated areas to cause the serious mold disease Coccidioidomycosis (Valley Fever) that gets into residents’ bodies through breathing in the airborne mold spores. Valley fever has killed over 3,000 Americans and disabled many more over the past few years.
7. High storm winds, tornados, and hurricanes damage roofs and other building components, thus enabling large amounts of mold-producing water to wet building materials and contents, with resulting massive mold growth.
8. Cold winter weather frequently freezes and breaks water supply lines, with resulting big water leaks massive mold growth inside walls, ceilings, and floors.
Hidden water line leaks can cause growth of the most deadly mold species, Stachybotrys.
9. Winter weather with freezing and melting cycles of roof snow causes roof ice dams that can back up water beneath shingles and into attics to cause attic mold growth.
10. Rain and wind can change the counts of mold spores in outdoor mold control tests, thus causing skewing mold lab results. “Rain washes the air clean of many spore types while it assists in the dispersion of others. Sampling on rainy, foggy, or very humid days may result in outdoor counts which are low or have a significantly different distribution of spore types.”
“Sampling on days when there are strong winds also creates problems. Outside counts may be significantly higher than on non-windy days. High outdoor counts may mask small to moderate indoor mold problems since the interpretation is made on the basis of a ratio of indoor/outdoor spore counts.” Courtesy of https://www.emlab.com .
To schedule mold inspection, testing, and removal services for a home, workplace, or commercial building in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, or other areas in midwestern, eastern, and southern USA, email Phillip Fry phil@moldinspector.com, or phone Phillip toll-free 866-300-1616 or cell phone 480-310-7970, or visit the websites www.moldexpertconsultants.com and www.upkeepmasters.com.
Contact:
Phillip Fry, Co-Manager
EnviroFry Upkeep Masters, LLC
10104 Sheridan Rd.,
Montrose, MI 48457
Phone Toll-Free 866-300-1616
Cell 480-310-7970
phil@moldinspector.com
http://www.moldexpertconsultants.com
