The Mold Scare Tactic
Selling you your fear
The first thing that needs to be discussed, are some facts about Mold. "Black Mold" is a scary description, and of course you care about your health and
your families health so you take it seriously. Salesmen (and woman for that
matter) take advantage of this innate concern in order to get you to write a
check or sign a contract. Mold can not be identified by the naked eye, it must
be examined under a microscope. This however, does not change
our concern about Mold. IF you find that a salesmen is pushing the Mold issue it
is more likely a "closing" technique rather than any kind of expertise. This, of
course, is a fine line. What if you do have a Mold problem? The answer to this
dilemma is to do your own research and educate yourself. The last thing a
salesmen is going to expect is that you know more about something than he does.
There is a lot of good information
on the internet (at
reputable sources) about Mold
and the health affects. Mold can be a serious problem, so do yourself a favor
and learn about it so that you can protect yourself from the "sales
pitch". If the salesmen truly knows his stuff you will be able to ask him
some specific and technical questions and get the right answers.
Quick facts- Mold
- is a fungus
- needs an organic (was once
living) food source to survive
- needs moisture above 50%
- is in the air everywhere
- thrives with temperatures
between 40 - 110°
F
- will not die when treated
with bleach on porous surfaces
- goes dormant when moisture
levels drop- it does not die
- that is dormant or dead can
still cause allergy problems
- cannot be identified by the
naked eye
- is best cleaned up with an
organic Mold killer
A musty, earthy smell in your
crawl space does not mean you have
mold, although it might. There are
many factors that cause a musty odor
besides Mold. Bacteria in the ground
that aids in decomposing of dead
organic matter can cause a musty or
earth smell. This odor comes from
the dirt and is intensified when the
moisture levels are increased. The
alkalinity in the ground will affect
the growth of the bacteria.
The best defense is a good offense
Keeping the crawl space below 50-55% humidity will keep your crawl space
from having a mold problem. If you prevent it, you will never need to worry
about treating it. Crawl space encapsulation will allow you to control the
environment in your crawl space. Once the environment is under control, you
can make wise decisions on how to best clean and maintain the air quality
throughout your home.
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