by REMY NA
Molds are not plants, animals, or bacteria, they are classified under a group called fungi. This group also includes other fungi such as the much relished common button mushroom used on pizza, (Agaricus bisporus) and hundreds of other edible and deadly and even halluchgenic mushrooms. Molds are saprophytic organisms and hence break down and absorb the dead material on which they survive. There are many environments where molds live, and all molds started as outdoor mold long before we ever built homes for mold to move into. But for this article there are two main environments where molds live, outdoors and indoors. The outdoor molds are useful as they help in the decomposition of organic matter. The indoor mold on the other hand causes lots of harm. This is because molds reproduce by means of spores. when inhaled the spores of molds cause a lot of damage to health in sensitive persons. Primarily, there is the health concern and secondarily they grow on furniture and other such property. Many families consider their home as their single largest asset. It would be disheartening or even irritating to watch one’s asset being unscrupulously invaded by some fungi. To prevent such situations, one ought to take some protective measures. It is always better to close the barn door before the horse runs out. The most important measure in terminating the mold growth in one’s home would be to detect their favorable conditions and do everything possible to make situations unfavorable for their growth. Mold always tends to grow on places where there is moisture. Houses always tend to have moisture and involuntarily molds. This makes selling a mold infested house difficult and buying one terrible. Property owners should consider several key facts before selling their property. No one likes to buy a property that is mold infected or with any such defect in it. This can reduce the value of the property as there is always no shortage of property, but always a shortage of property buyers. To prevent their property from being sold at heart sinking prices, one should destroy all the mold habitats that are lodged in his home. Molds always breed with moisture. The property seller must check several important spots: • A roof leakage brings in a lot of moisture into the house and soon develops into molds. It is better to check for worn, damaged or improperly installed roofs. • Improper grading is a great portal for the entry of water into one’s beloved private empire, his home. If the land adjoining the walls of a house slopes towards it, then the rain water or any water can dampen the walls leading to mold growth. This problem can be solved by leveling the soil such that it faces the other direction. This reduces the water supply to the molds and exterminates their existence. • Sprinkler heads spraying water onto exterior walls is another problem. And still another common problem is defective window caulking. • And never leave a vacant property without AC or electricity, your house needs AC to keep it dry. • Poor ventilation in the crawlspace and leaks in the crawl space are also a very serious problem. In Humid areas as Florida many homes with crawl spaces have serious mold problems. Something called the stack effect causes the hot mold spore and mold odor filled air to raise into the cooler living areas above. • Plumbing defects also play a major role. Even the minutest plumbing leak can produce a whole cornucopia of molds and hence have to be paid heed to at once. • Showers grout and leaky shower pans require proper repair or replacement. The main symptoms for unpleasant growth are often not visible mold but mold odor and health complaints. Smelly mold can play a spoilsport in property selling and hence should be annihilated to reap the maximum value. If you suspect mold or air quality problems do not try and hide it, sooner or later the buyer will find the home has a problem, and then they will come looking for you with an inspection report in hand. Instead be honest, hire a mold testing company, tell then all your concerns, disclose everything, and allow them to inspect and advise on how to properly resolve the problem.
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