Hot Environmental Topics

A comprehensive resource for homeowners and real estate professionals.

Introduction

Mold—it's the unwelcome houseguest that no homeowner or realtor wants to encounter. Beyond being unsightly, mold can compromise structural integrity, decrease property values, and pose serious health risks. Whether you're a homeowner wanting to protect your living space or a realtor helping clients maintain valuable properties, understanding mold prevention is essential.

In this guide, we'll explore practical, effective strategies to keep homes mold-free, identify early warning signs, and address small problems before they become costly nightmares.

Understanding Mold: Know Your Enemy

Mold is a type of fungus that reproduces by releasing spores into the air. These microscopic particles are virtually everywhere, both indoors and outdoors. When spores land on damp surfaces with organic material (like wood, drywall, or fabric), they can quickly develop into mold colonies under the right conditions.

What mold needs to grow:

• Moisture or high humidity (above 60%)
• Food source (almost any organic material)
• Oxygen
• Warm temperatures (typically 77-86°F, though some molds can grow in cooler environments)
• Time (as little as 24-48 hours under ideal conditions)

Common Household Mold Hot Spots

Bathrooms

• Shower stalls and curtains
• Under and around toilets
• Sink cabinets
• Grout between tiles
• Ceiling (especially if ventilation is poor)

Kitchen

• Under the sink
• Behind the refrigerator
• Microwave and other appliances
• Garbage disposal areas

Basement & Crawl Spaces

• Around foundation cracks
• Near sump pumps
• Around windows
• On exposed dirt

Other Problematic Areas

• Window sills and frames
• Air conditioning units and ductwork
• Attic spaces (especially around roof leaks)
• Laundry areas
• Under carpeting in damp areas

10 Essential Mold Prevention Strategies

1. Control Indoor Humidity

Maintain indoor humidity between 30% and 50%. Use dehumidifiers in naturally damp spaces like basements, and monitor levels with a hygrometer (humidity meter).

2. Ensure Proper Ventilation

• Install and use exhaust fans in bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms
• Ensure dryer vents direct air outside, not into attics or crawl spaces
• Consider energy-efficient ventilation systems for whole-house humidity control

3. Address Water Issues Promptly

• Fix leaky roofs, windows, and pipes within 24-48 hours
• Inspect water-using appliances regularly (water heaters, washing machines, dishwashers)
• Clean and repair roof gutters to prevent water seepage

4. Improve Air Circulation

• Don't push furniture completely against the walls
• Open doors between rooms
• Use ceiling fans to increase air movement
• Open windows when weather permits (unless outdoor humidity is high)

5. Basement and Foundation Care

• Apply waterproof sealants to basement walls and floors
• Ensure proper grading around foundations to direct water away
• Consider installing a sump pump if basement flooding is an issue

6. Smart Bathroom Habits

• Squeegee shower walls after use
• Hang towels to dry completely
• Leave the shower doors/curtains open to allow drying
• Clean bathroom surfaces regularly with mold-inhibiting products

7. Strategic Landscaping

• Don't place mulch directly against home foundations
• Trim vegetation to allow airflow near exterior walls
• Ensure sprinklers don't spray directly onto the house

8. Mold-Resistant Building Materials

When renovating or building, consider:

• Mold-resistant drywall or Sheetrock
• Mold-inhibiting paints
• Paperless drywall for bathrooms
• Cement board in shower and bath areas

9. Regular Home Inspections

• Check hidden areas quarterly (behind appliances, under sinks)
• Inspect attics during rainy seasons
• Look for water stains, discoloration, or musty odors

10. HVAC Maintenance

• Change air filters regularly (every 1-3 months)
• Have ducts professionally cleaned if mold is suspected
• Consider UV lights for HVAC systems to kill airborne spores

Early Warning Signs of Mold Problems

Be alert for these indicators that mold might be developing:

• Musty, earthy odors
• Visible water stains or discoloration
• Peeling or bubbling paint/wallpaper
• Warping of wood
• Increased allergy symptoms indoors
• Excessive condensation on windows or pipes

Health Impacts: Why Mold Prevention Matters

Mold exposure can cause various health issues, especially for sensitive individuals:

• Nasal congestion, coughing, and wheezing
• Eye irritation
• Throat irritation
• Skin rashes
• Headaches
• More severe reactions in those with asthma or compromised immune systems

For Realtors: Protecting Your Clients and Listings

During Property Evaluations

• Know how to spot potential mold issues during walkthroughs
• Recognize "cover-up" signs like fresh paint in unusual areas
• Include mold inspections in standard home inspection recommendations

When Listing Properties

• Advise sellers on addressing mold issues before listing
• Document mold remediation efforts
• Understand disclosure requirements in your state
• Consider pre-listing inspections to identify problems early

Protecting Vacant Properties

• Set thermostats appropriately (usually above 55°F)
• Consider periodic dehumidification
• Ensure regular property checks
• Maintain minimal water use in plumbing systems

DIY Mold Cleaning Solutions

Important Safety Notes:

• Never mix bleach with ammonia or other household cleaners
• Always wear gloves and a mask when cleaning mold
• Ensure adequate ventilation

When to Call Professionals

Consider professional help when:

• Mold is inside HVAC systems
• There's mold growth after flooding with contaminated water
• You suspect hidden mold in walls or ceilings
• Residents experience health symptoms potentially related to mold
• Different smells that you are unfamiliar with, especially in attics, crawl spaces and basements

Seasonal Mold Prevention Calendar

Spring

• Check for winter water damage
• Clean gutters after spring blossoms
• Inspect the roof after winter weather
• Test the sump pump before spring rains

Summer

• Monitor air conditioning systems
• Check for condensation issues
• Inspect outdoor sprinkler spray patterns
• Clean and dry pool equipment properly

Fall

• Clear gutters of autumn leaves
• Check window seals before winter
• Inspect attic ventilation
• Examine the basement for summer condensation issues

Winter

• Monitor indoor humidity during the heating season
• Check for ice dams on roofs
• Ensure proper ventilation when using humidifiers
• Inspect pipes in cold areas for condensation

Conclusion

Preventing mold is far easier and more cost-effective than addressing an established problem. By implementing these strategies, homeowners can protect their health and property value, while realtors can better serve clients by identifying potential issues early.

Remember, the key to successful mold prevention lies in controlling moisture, ensuring proper ventilation, and staying vigilant through regular inspections. Taking these proactive steps today can save thousands in remediation costs tomorrow.

Mold is a byproduct of water or moisture.  Fixing the source is step one in remediating mold.  

Mold Remediation is a multi-step process that includes the removal of the mold from impacted surfaces (Hepa Vac), the application of a post-cleaning fungicide, and lastly application of a fungistatic coating on organic surfaces.  

The fungistatic coating is typically white or clear and applied to organic wood surfaces to allow the treated surface to resist mold growth.  The coating can also stop the wood from absorbing moisture, which is what allows mold to start to grow.

This is all performed in a manner to try and contain the mold spores, so they are not spread to other rooms in the building.  You must also be diligent in looking for additional sources of water/moisture that fueled the mold growth.   Commonly, there are more than one cause of the mold growth.

Since only 11 states have mold regulations, the work performed in all other states is questionable as you have no specified quality of service.   Meaning what should be performed to remediate mold is not always completed.  If the white coating is not a mold-resistant coating i.e., paint, mold would be expected to grow as paint contains organic material that can foster mold growth. Mold-resistant coating (fungistatic) costs significantly more than paint, and many people will use paint to save money.  

Mold Remediation Failures

If the company performing mold remediation is unlicensed, which most are and they do not follow industry protocols, expect corners to be cut and your mold remediation to be a failure.   Mold remediation failures come from a lack of clear objectives and protocols that the company should utilize to remediate the mold.

The photo below shows areas that were missed when applying a mold-resistant coating which allowed mold to grow.

 While a remediated space does not necessarily have to appear like a freshly painted room, the area should visually indicate that treated surfaces are coated or covered. As the name implies “fungistatic coating” must coat all organic surfaces to be effective. The better coatings come with a 10-year warranty to prevent mold growth.

Expert Mold Advice

888-301-1050

How often do I hear ......"You have the black mold"!

Mold is a four-letter word you don't want to utter or hear.   Mold is alleged to be the cause of so many health issues and typically by people self-diagnosing themselves.

If there was black mold, you would also hear about brown, grey and white mold.  Black mold was invented by the media and is only the color of a mold, just like brown and grey, and white colored mold. 

Most all molds have names that are very difficult to pronounce and many types of mold are black in color when you see a black-colored mold you could be seeing over a hundred possible types of mold. 

The list below is a snip of a fungal library, you can see molds under A, B, F S, what you can't see under the B list is a Black Mold or any molds in the list that are named for a color. Naming a mold for color is not performed.

Pro Tip

If you have mold you have a water problem which caused the mold.  Bottom line you don't have mold unless you have excess water. If someone says you have black mold, you are being scammed.

True Story

A guy built his own house, that had a crawlspace.  He installed vents in the crawlspace, as was required by code.  He also opened the vents in warm weather and closed them in the cold weather, as he was told to do.  Fast forward 10 years, he is selling the home, and the buyer's inspection process finds mold in the Black MOLD crawlspace.     He became our client and we had to explain to all parties that black mold doesn't exist and that there was indeed mold in the crawlspace, from moisture in the air caused by the opening and closing of the vents.  Had he sealed the vents and operated a dehumidifier in the space, he would have removed moisture because moisture is the fuel that drives mold growth, but that is not what the construction codes say.

You see at Curren Environmental, we are environmental professionals, we provide advice regarding a variety of Environmental topics, mold being just one of them.  No hype, no trying to scare you, science-based assessments of problems and their associated solution.

Want Expert Mold Advice?

888-301-1050

It is not uncommon for mold to be found at a residence. Mold will grow silently over years in areas of your home that you may not even go in. 

During the home inspection or a mold inspection, mold  will show up during a real estate transaction. The rub with mold is that someone may see staining and call it mold or during a  home inspection, the inspector may test a surface for mold and confirm mold and then you are left with the knowledge that mold is present. What you won't know is why it grew, how to prevent it in the future and to what extent the mold is present.

The mold dilemma is there are only 11 states that have mold regulations so the industry lacks real mold professionals. If you are in NJ, PA or DE there is no mold licensing so in theory you can't find a mold professional or you can't find a state licensed professional.

The lack of mold regulations create no barrier of entry for someone wanting  to do mold work.  If you don't need a license  that saves you a lot of time and brain power.

Companies try and drum up work by offering "Free Mold inspections".   Are mold inspections truly free?    The time to give professional advice is not free,  as there has to be a cost involved to evaluate a property and provide professional advice. Free mold inspections, should read, "You are going to pay me to remediate mold if you need it or not". In the photo below, an inspector said that was mold and recommended remediation. 

Professional mold inspections can average around $500, plus or minus depending on size of property and if surface or airborne sampling is performed.  (It was not mold)

Let's be clear we have given thousands of 2nd opinions over the years and there is always three common threads we find with mold advice.

1. Many owners of properties that are told they need mold remediation, do not actually need mold remediation.  Or the remediation they need is not the ENTIRE basement or attic.
2. Mold often grows back when the mold was inadequately addressed. Read, consultant never stopped the actual cause of the mold. (Leak, moisture intrusion, humidity, etc).  In short there was never a professional evaluation for mold.
3. The mold testing person doesn't understand the results of the mold testing, the cause of the mold growth or the actual extent.  Case in point inspector sampled a crawl space and a basement that were connected. We were asked to provide a cost to remediate the crawlspace, when in fact the basement had the bigger mold issue and people used the basement to exercise, so the mold exposure was greatest in the basement, but that is not what the consultant recommended.    The problem with non-mold professionals is they like to take a samples because they will get a really long, slick looking report of lab data, which is all pretty boilerplate, but it looks nice.  Because the lab gives such a nice package the actual mold consultants feel they do not have to provide an opinion in writing, it happens all the time.    So they find mold but they can't say it doesn't have to be remediated, why it would need remediation, what would be the difference or really most important what is the cause, causes or even likely causes for the mold.  

Regarding the "report".  A mold inspection report isn't the lab data from the lab, it should be a written report detailing the inspection, what was found, what wasn't found, and most importantly is why was there mold in the first place.  The report should also go over, in detail, what the lab data means, along with photos.

The bottom line is many mold companies work in their best interest not that of the owner or client.  This is particularly true if you are being offered free advice.  Conversely Home Inspections are not mold inspections, so while an inspector may say mold was noted in the basement in attic, it does not define the extent or the cause.  Both of which you need to properly remediate the mold.

Expert Advice for close tp 30 years

888-301-1050

Expert mold advice, that is what you would want if you had a mold question - right?  Everybody wants the best available advice, but is it possible to get expert mold advice?   Finding a true mold professional is like finding a needle in a haystack.    It’s hard and rarely accomplished.  You can blame lack of government regulations as a source of the scarcity of mold professionals.  You see New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware have zero mold regulations, so every "Chuck in a Truck" can say they know mold.

On a fairly consistent basis (almost daily to be fair) we get calls from people all over the country  that have questions about mold, or need us to interpret mold testing that a professional they hired cannot explain.   Fact, if you hire a professional, they should be able to provide professional advice in writing and be able to understand test results.   If your expert has a Gmail account, works out of their home or says they are licensed, I would say these are three common threads we find from people who have complaints with a mold company. 

No mold regulations, means no licensing, no required competency or required training and testing, so what is stopping someone from changing careers,  say from selling cell phones to doing mold consulting.   True story I met someone with just that background at an event down the shore, suffice to say what they knew about mold was very little.  Or should I say, what they knew about mold was mostly inaccurate. Did you know the salt air and the pressure treated wood that are prevalent in coastal areas inhibits mold growth?  Well, either did he and he told me not to tell people that its bad for business, he said fear of mold sells.   Sorry, I can't make this stuff up.   

As an environmental consultant that consults on mold, you need to inform clients and provide recommendations on risk and courses of action.   You do not sell fear.   Mold is harmful to human health, that is established, I have had people not be able to inhabit a home, or office where mold growth was present.  I also have people who live in an environment where mold is present and levels in the air are in concentrations where I know health issues were triggered in other people, although the current occupants had no apparent ill health effects from the mold.   This is actually not uncommon as we all have our sensitivities to gluten, lactose and mold, so what might be harmful to one person may not be to another.  That is not to say mold is a selling feature of a property, it certainly is not but mold has to be looked at objectively.   

How to pick a mold company?

1. Look for a company that at least 10 years of experience, 20 is better.
2. Google their address, make sure they work out of an office, not a home.
3. Check the ago of their web site address:  https://www.iplocation.net/domain-age     The longer a domain has been in operation, means the longer the company has been operating.   
4. Ensure everything provided to you is in writing, meaning scope of work, what they will do, how they will test and what the test results will mean.  Look we all know an A grade is better than a C, and an F is the worst, well translate that into mold test results. 

At Curren Environmental we have built a base of knowledge on mold consulting and mold remediation over a 20 year period.   We meet all criteria listed above.