What do the Mad Hatter and the Salem Witch Trials Have in Common?
Answer: All were created by toxins/molds. Today's Tip Jar is about an all-too-familiar 4 Letter Curse Word: MOLD.
With Hurricane Irene behind us, coupled with the record high rainfall this year, I though it would be a good time to discuss the dreaded 4 letter curse word MOLD. Many homeowners have it. And if they didn't have it before, they could have it now. Mold counts are higher than ever post-Irene.
I am talking about that stinky, musty, nasty matter that plagues so many basements, bathrooms, and anywhere that water sits. There is growing knowledge about mold, such as its dangerous variety, toxic black mold, and more and more people are finding they have an allergy to mold spores.
So how can you stop mold in its tracks?
1) Trusty Bleach. I occasionally get some reddish color mold in my bathroom shower that I can clean with a bleach type chemical remover and voila, it is gone. That is not the best approach for larger areas that have mold and it is certainly not an environmentally friendly remedy.
2) Go Natural. In my research to destroy mold I have found three natural approaches to bleach. Tea tree oil, grapefruit seed extract, and good old vinegar. These natural remedies do a great job killing the spores.
3) Anti-bacterial Primer. If you have some residual mold on a somewhat porous area I have read that encapsulating the area by painting over it with an anti-bacterial primer such as Kilz helps a lot.
4) Call in the pros. Try a Mold Remediation Specialist for mold that is extra pesky and dangerous. In the Philadelphia area, we like Jason Morris (610-842-0338).
Why it's important. It's not just the potential health risks and general grossness of mold that matters. Buyers and sellers will want to tackle their mold problem quickly! Mold pops up on home inspections all of the time. We have had some appraisers call for the remediation of a moldy baesmement as a condition of the loan. A Mold Certification (when called for by a lender) is what we typically provide and that shows that the mold was permanently dealt with. A professional will come to the property and take samples of the air back to the laboratory for a series of tests to confirm that the area is safe.
For home sellers, I have a special tip for you: In preparing your home for showings, double check your shower curtains and the grout around your bath and shower. Mold on these surfaces make your bathroom smell less than fresh and the ugly appearance really turns prospective buyers off. And if you have a funky basement that has a water leak or has recently been flooded, it behooves you to look into professionally waterproofing the basement. A wet basement is a "deal killer" for many buyers out there!
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