Toxic Mold

Common Causes

Mold growth is in our natural environment. However, when indoor mold levels exceed even twice the levels that are found outdoors, the indoor living environment is considered to be unhealthy for occupants, including pets.

There are numerous species that tend to grow indoors that have both allergic and toxic effects, i.e., these species can cause both allergy and immunological and neurological consequences to occupants of affected indoor spaces. Mold growth is likely to occur inside buildings with repeated moisture intrusion and dampness. Leaky roofs, building defects allowing for water seepages and leaks, faulty windows, faulty plumbing, and floods are common problems that lead to mold growth.

Once mold begins to grow within wallboard, for example, the only known way to eradicate it is to tear out the building material, repair and correct the moisture source, and replace the affected materials with brand new materials. Bleaching and re-painting or other chemical applications used to “stop” or “correct” mold are simply “masking” the underlying problem. Mold will continue to consume the cellulose in wallboard and will predictably reappear from behind the fresh coat of pain, oftentimes within months of the application.

What to Look For

A musty odor, continuous dampness/water seepage issues indoors, and areas of discoloration on indoor building materials, are common warning signs that mold is in a living space. In addition to causing mold growth, these same conditions lead to bacterial growth and an elevation of allergenic dust mites. Any visible indoor mold growth is potentially dangerous, and can be a variety of colors, including black, green, white, orange or purple. These visible conditions often exist once there are already unhealthy level of dampness and mold present. Ongoing dampness and mold could be harming you long before a visible amount of mold is present.