The 9 Disastrous Mold Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes, And How To Avoid Them!
Dear Friend,
As you know, mold is now a major topic of concern. We see mold horror stories in the news almost daily.
But for you, all the ridiculous nonsense stops here!
My name is Robert Stewart and I've been in the cleaning and restoration industry since 1986, and it's my privilege to share my years of experience with you.
By reviewing this special report, you'll know more about mold than 99.9% of the American public and will be able to insure a mold-safe home environment for you and your family.
In addition to this report, you now have access the entire All Brite Cleaning & Restoration, Inc website and all the resources it offers.
By taking advantage of this wealth of information:
1. You'll be able to cut through all the media hype and get the real facts about mold
2. You'll find out how to do your own mold testing, quickly and easily.
3. You'll know when a to hire a professional, and when to do the job yourself
4. If you need a professional, you'll know how to find a qualified contractor in your area
5. You'll learn how to wipe out mold in your home so you can create a mold-safe environment for your family.
6. And much, much more!
The fact is, you can avoid the entire "mold nightmare", if you avoid the 9 mistakes revealed here.
With that said, let's get right to it!
"Mistake #1: Letting a known (or unknown) water intrusion do major damage to your home or building"
Most people don't realize just how much damage even a small water leak will do. This fact alone has been a huge contributor the mold problem across America. Let me give you just one example:
A few years ago I had received a call from Kim and she was in a panic.
I'll give you the short version of her story.
As it turned out, she had recently bought a new refrigerator. When it was installed, the water line for the icemaker wasn't connected properly.
By the time Kim discovered the problem, an entire room of her home was flooded.
That's right!
An entire room was flooded from that one small water leak before Kim even realized what was going on.
To make matters worse, she was ill advised on how to take care of the problem correctly, and by the time she called me, she had a full-blown mold situation on her hands.
And as you can imagine, she was in a panic.
Luckily we were able to take care of things for Kim and get her home back to normal.
"Mistake #2: Allowing the relative humidity (RH) in your home or building to get above 55%"
Moisture is required in order to have visible mold growth.
If you can see mold, rest assured, you DO have a moisture problem.
Many times, especially in the southern states, people use humidifiers (or swamp coolers) in their homes. As a result, this pushes the RH in the home above 55%, which creates a prime breeding ground for mold.
You can avoid this problem by insuring that the RH in your home or building does not reach this level.
You can purchase an inexpensive RH sensor from your local home improvement store. Many carpet cleaning supply companies also carry them.
Many heating and air conditioning systems are also equipped with an RH sensor that will automatically shut the unit down once the relative humidity in the home or building reaches a pre-determined level.
There's no reason to allow the RH in your home to get above 55% and create a mold breeding ground when it's so easy to avoid this problem.
"Mistake #3: Not doing a regular mold inspection"
When you know what to look for, it's easy to "sniff out" a mold problem and nip it in the bud, before it becomes a major issue.
I've been in the cleaning and restoration industry since 1986 and one of the things I give my clients with their annual cleaning service is a "22 Point Mold Inspection".
Some of the main things I look for are:
1. High Humidity
2. Water Pipe Leaks
3. Mildewy or Musty Odors
4. Roof Leaks
5. Damp Basements or Crawl Spaces
6. Discoloration of Walls
7. Black Growth in Bathrooms
8. Allergy or Respiratory Symptoms
9. Clothes Dryers and Other Appliances (for proper ventilation)
By taking just a few minutes to do a simple inspection of your home on a regular basis, you'll be able to locate a mold problem that may have otherwise gone unnoticed, causing serious damage to your home and unwanted health problems for your family.
Here's some recent news excerpts that illustrate why it's so important to regularly check your home for mold.
"Even if mold in your house doesn't cause you any medical problems, if it becomes established in the wood in your home, 'dry rot' may form. Dry rot can result in a homeowner's nightmare. When the mold dies, the wood dries and then shrinks, breaking up into irregular chunks. Cracks in the wood fiber then act like straws, siphoning up moisture and carrying it to undamaged portions of the wood. Left unchecked, this process keeps recurring, continually rotting more wood, and can cause severe structural damage to your home." Vicki Lankarge, on the website insure.com
"Most homeowners believe that as long as they do not see visible signs of mold, that is, patches of green, blue, or black discoloration on surfaces, their environment is free of contamination. What they don't realize, however, is that large accumulations of [hidden or concealed] mold may be growing in areas that they cannot see, like air ducts, remote attic or basement spaces, or wall cavities. Left to multiply, these infestations may produce enough organic compounds to cause allergic reactions, sickness and, in extreme cases, death (a possibility with infants)." Edward R. Lipinski, "HOME CLINIC: The Battle Against Mold and Mildew" N.Y. TIMES, 9/12/99
"Fifty percent [50%] of homes contain problem molds. A new medical study attributes nearly 100% of chronic sinus infections to mold. A 300% increase in the asthma rate over the past 20 years has been linked to molds." USA WEEKEND, Dec. 3-5, 1999
"Mistake #4: Not paying attention to what your own body is telling you"
Everyone reacts differently to mold exposure. Some people are highly sensitive to it, while others are not.
Both the New York Times and the EPA have reported on mold as it relates to health, and this is what they had to say:
"Exposure to certain types of fungi, known as toxic mold, can cause a serious [allergic] reaction. If you're unlucky, this is the kind of mold you have. If you're really unlucky, your toxic mold will gird for battle and go to war, secreting chemicals called mycotoxins, which can find their way into your body, entering through your nose, mouth, and skin, lodging perhaps in your digestive tract, your lungs, or your brain. Among these toxins are trichothecenes, which were rumored to have been used as a biological weapon during the wars in Afghanistan and Vietnam." Lisa Belkin, "Haunted by Mold," NEW YORK TIMES, Aug. 13, 2001
"All molds have the potential to cause health effects. Molds can produce allergens that can trigger allergic reactions or even asthma attacks in people allergic to mold. Others are known to produce potent toxins and/or irritants. Potential health concerns are an important reason." The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, March, 2001
In light of this information...
If you're facing unexplained health problems all of a sudden, you need to pay attention to your body and ask yourself a few questions, such as...
Do I know of any water leaks in my home or work place?
Do I smell any musty odors?
Do my symptoms seem to improve at certain times? (Such as when I'm away from my home or my place of work)
Did I recently change my lifestyle? (new home, new place of work, etc)
Asking yourself questions like the ones above can very well help you pinpoint the source of your health problems.
"Mistake #5: Taking advice from the wrong sources"
Unfortunately this has become a huge problem and it's all too common.
Once someone becomes aware of mold or thinks they may have a mold problem, they begin to look all around them in their search for answers.
You may be in this situation right now.
If so, you'll want to pay close attention.
Remember the story I told you earlier about Kim?
Well she too got some bad advice, which made her problem even worse.
Let me explain.
After she discovered the flooded room in her home, she immediately called her father. And while he meant well, he just wasn't qualified to offer her advice on what steps to take in this situation.
As a result, Kim made the problem even worse, and created a full-blown black mold problem that would have been avoided all together, had she only been properly informed.
Here's one more example.
LS from Gilford is one of the many clients I've helped with their mold problems.
I first met her when she contacted me with this email:
"Rob, I live in a house in Gilford, NH. After an unusually rainy spring and extremely humid start to summer, we noticed black spots on our ceilings in two different rooms. These spots grew to about 3ft x 3ft. My husband sprayed them with bleach and they seemed to go air-born. So, he painted over the spots. About two weeks later there was another black mold spot in our window frame that my husband put in a container. Around two weeks after the mold appeared I became sick with headaches and memory loss. My son-in-law had to go to the hospital with asthma attacks. After my husband removed the mold from the window he had a finger wound that got infected, and was told that he had blood poison. His doctor has sent a sample of the infected area to have it tested. I am highly allergic to penicillin. At this time I don't know where to turn, and that's why I am asking for your advice." LS- Gilford, NH
Even if you hardly know anything about mold at this point, one thing to know is this: moisture causes mold growth!
Now, with this in mind, do you think mold can grow in the state of New Hampshire?
Of course it can!
Mold can, and will grow anywhere there's a moisture problem.
So...
If you need help with mold, be careful who you take advice from. It's not the best decision to take advice from friends, family members, neighbors or other unqualified sources.
The fact is, while they may have the best intentions in the world, they're just not qualified to give you advice on mold or how to handle it.
You wouldn't ask them for medical advice would you?
Of course not, you talk to a doctor when you want medical advice, just like you talk with a professional when you need black mold help.
"Mistake #6: Not taking the time to educate yourself on this important topic"
Unfortunately, much of the "mold panic" is fueled by unethical companies who take advantage of your lack of knowledge.
Every industry has its share of "bad apples" and it's no different in the cleaning and restoration field. But you can easily protect yourself from their scams when you know what to look for.
If you have a mold problem and plan to hire a contractor, your first step is to visit one, or both of these websites:
www.ascr.org www.iicrc.org
These organizations are certifying bodies for the cleaning and restoration industry.
For a company to be recommended by either of these certifying bodies, they must meet stringent criteria.
By utilizing either of the websites listed above to locate a contractor in your area, you'll know you're hiring an expert who's work will be completed in accordance with the industry's highest standards.
Whether you plan to hire a contractor, or do the work yourself, you need to have a working knowledge of the subject in order to make educated decisions for your family. The fact is, mold has become a major issue in this country (mostly due to lack of education) and it's not going away.
This leaves you with two options:
1. Sit back with your head in the sand and pretend that the whole problem doesn't exist.
OR:
2. You can do exactly what you're doing right now, and continue taking an active role to educate yourself on this topic so you can make informed and knowledgeable decisions when you need to.
This way you don't risk being caught off guard (like Kim and LS). They found themselves in a "mold panic" not knowing where to go, or who to turn to for answers. As a result, they both received bad information, causing them to make misinformed decisions, that in turn cost them a small fortune (not to mention the additional health problems).
"Mistake #7: Listening to all the media hype and getting in a "Black Mold Panic"
Many of the mold stories you hear in the media have been blown out of proportion.
Now don't get me wrong here. Mold is a serious issue, and yes, you do need to know how to locate, remove and even prevent it.
And yes, thousands of people in this country have become victims of mold. In fact, many people's lives have been completely destroyed by mold.
So please don't accuse me of downplaying the seriousness of the problem. Nothing could be further from the truth.
But you need to keep in mind; television stations want high ratings because that's what sells. Some of what you see in the media has been "hyped up" in order to create shock value.
The fact is you're going to be hard pressed to get real-world, useable information if you become a victim of "media hype".
"Mistake #8: Waiting until you've got a full blown mold problem before taking any action to deal with it"
I realize that you don't always have control over this factor. Sometimes a mold problem will grow unnoticed in your home for months, and by the time you finally discover it, you've got a major problem on your hands.
Water damage is turning more and more people's lifelong dreams into nightmares.
As houses are built or upgraded with more bathrooms, ice makers, whirlpools and other plumbing fixtures, the same features that enhance your largest asset (your home) also threaten to erode it.
You can have just as much damage from a plumbing leak as you can from a rainstorm or a hurricane. Water will go wherever it wants and will saturate the wood, walls and other building materials. It can also short circuit the electrical system.
The problem has grown as homes now come with dishwashers, icemakers, wet bars and multiple hot water heaters.
Then there's the washing machine on the second floor. They're a great convenience, but now water drips into the living area instead of just the basement. That's why it's so critical that you remain alert and take care of any water intrusion immediately.
Now that you know the main signs to look for (which I covered in Mistake #3), you can be on the lookout for any potential mold problem in your home or building and nip it in the bud before the situation gets out of control.
Many people don't even realize the seriousness of the mold situation until they see a news story, read an article or talk with someone who's already had the misfortune of being a "mold Victim".
I'm truly hoping that you're reading this before your own mold problem has got too far.
Consider yourself fortunate if you're someone who's planning ahead and taking action now. By doing so, you'll avoid the nightmare so many others have had to go through.
"Mistake #9: Making irrational decisions because you're in a panic"
The most important thing to remember is this:
Don't get in a mold panic!
Instead...
Understand the mold topic so you can make informed and educated decisions.
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