Miffed About Mold?

There is always some mold everywhere - in the air and on many surfaces. Mold will grow in places with a lot of moisture, such as around leaks in roofs, windows, or pipes, or where there has been flooding. Mold grows well on paper products, cardboard, ceiling tiles, and wood products. Mold can also grow in dust, paints, wallpaper, insulation, drywall, carpet, fabric, and upholstery. Research has linked indoor mold exposure with upper respiratory tract symptoms, cough, and wheeze in otherwise healthy people; with asthma symptoms in people with asthma; and with hypersensitivity pneumonitis in individuals susceptible to that immune-mediated condition.

The key to mold control is moisture control. When water leaks or spills occur indoors - act quickly. If wet or damp materials or areas are dried 24-48 hours after a leak or spill happens, in most cases mold will not grow. If you do find mold, it can be removed from hard surfaces with commercial products, soap and water, or a bleach solution of no more than 1 cup of bleach in 1 gallon of water. Dry the area completely. Be sure to open windows and doors to provide fresh air and wear non-porous gloves and protective eye wear. Absorbent or porous materials, such as ceiling tiles and carpet, may have to be thrown away if they become moldy.

Remember to keep the humidity level in your home between 40% and 60%. Use an air conditioner or a dehumidifier during humid months and in damp spaces, like basements. Be sure your home has enough ventilation. Use exhaust fans which vent outside your home in the kitchen and bathroom. Make sure your clothes dryer vents outside your home. Fix any leaks in your home’s roof, walls, or plumbing so mold does not have moisture to grow. Clean up and dry out your home thoroughly and quickly (within 24–48 hours) after flooding. Add mold inhibitors to paints before painting. Clean bathrooms with mold-killing products. Remove or replace carpets and upholstery that have been soaked and cannot be dried promptly. Consider not using carpet in rooms or areas like bathrooms or basements that may have a lot of moisture.

Dreaded Ice Dams

Ice dams sometimes occur on sloping roofs in climates with freezing temperatures. When the temperature in your attic is above freezing, it causes snow on the roof to melt and run down the sloping roof. When the snowmelt runs down the roof and hits the colder eaves, it refreezes. If this cycle repeats over several days, the freezing snowmelt builds up and forms a dam of ice, behind which water ponds. The ponding water can back up under the roof covering and leak into the attic or along exterior walls. Research shows keeping the attic air temperature below freezing when the outside air temperature is in the low 20s can reduce the occurrence of ice dams. Research has shown sun exposure in the winter has little effect on attic air temperature. Warm air from living spaces below penetrating into the attic is usually the culprit in the formation of ice dams.

Condensation of water vapor on cold surfaces in attics can cause attic wood products to rot, which can lead to costly repairs. Condensation typically occurs when warm, moist air migrates into the attic from living spaces below. Research indicates unusually high humidity levels in the home's living spaces is strongly associated with attic condensation problems. Building codes have some requirements that attempt to prevent the problems of ice dams and attic condensation. But codes do not address all the issues, and many houses are built without following building codes. It is the builder or designer's job to understand the relationship of humidity and air movement when designing and constructing the house so these problems don't occur.

Some of problems experienced with ice dams: leaking roof (height of leak depends on extent of ice dam); wet, ineffective insulation; stained or cracked plaster or drywall; rotting timber; stained, blistered or peeling paint.

A few tips to help with the ice dam battle: Prevent warm, moist air in living spaces from infiltrating into the attic with a good air barrier and appropriate water vapor control at the base of the attic. Provide good attic ventilation to replace warm air in the attic with cold outside air. Provide adequate attic insulation to reduce the transmission of heat into the attic from living spaces below.