Why Does Mold Removal Continue to Capture Headlines?

You may have thought mold inspections, mold removal (or mold remediation) and indoor air quality would stop making headlines by now. After all it was over 40 years ago, in the late 1970's that the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and the WHO (World Health Organization) reported tenants with illnesses in homes, offices and nurseries were suffering from poor indoor environments and by 1986 had completed so much conclusive research connecting the air we breath indoors to respiratory illnesses such as asthma and allergies that they coined the phrase "Sick Building Syndrome."  So you may think that with over 40 years of increased awareness surrounding the health of our buildings, our schools and our homes to the health of the inhabitants that we wouldn't still be subjected to headline after headline of neglected indoor air quality.

Mold Outlasts Asbestos Tile & Lead Paint Headlines

However unlike asbestos tile, lead paint and other infamous materials we have used to build homes in the past that capture headlines for their harmful effects on children, elderly and the most vulnerable - mold is not a material. Mold is a living organism that can be toxic in certain conditions and cause serious illness and negative health issues when gone undetected and untreated.  It's also to be expected in certain scenarios and not to be feared at every sighting.

As we quickly review these recent news headlines (just Google "mold removal" and use your search tools to select News from the top), we see these news stories are about:

• $61,000 worth of mold remediation in a Pennsylvania middle school caused by improperly maintained ventilation system. 
• $460,000 worth of mold inspections, mold testing, mold remediation and restoration throughout all Sun Prairie, Wisconsin district schools. 
• 31 year old fire station removing 300 square feet of mold behind wallpaper and ceiling tiles over 4 months.
• Michigan homeowner writing about the burst water line and water heater leak that contributed to substantial mold in her 116 year old home, the mold inspection process, mold testing process and mold removal process.

Whether or not you should worry about mold in your home or your school or your place of business is dependent on a few factors.

Toxic Mold Exposure Symptoms

1st, are you experiencing any symptoms of toxic mold exposure? We're not medical doctors at Dutch's Mold Removal & Remediation Services so to review symptoms we would recommend Dr. Jill's article, Is Toxic Mold Exposure the Cause of Your Symptoms?

Respiratory Illness or Weak Immune System

2nd, do you have a weak immune system, a respiratory illness or severe allergies? These conditions elevate the normal response to mold exposure and it's our advice that for these individuals it's better to be safe than sorry. Having your home or office building tested for mold will pale in comparison to the cost of medical treatment and negative health impacts.

Water Damage Quickly Becomes Breeding Grounds for Mold

 3rd, have you had substantial water damage in your home? It is almost certain that if water damage was not properly taken care of you have the ideal breeding ground for mold.

And whether these factors are prevalent or not, don't read between the headlines. Meaning, the mold removal stories that make the headlines make the news because they're expensive, they involve school, town and municipality budgets which impact property owners and politicians, they're dislocating students during a school year which annoys parents and their community and the stories making the headlines are usually taking an exorbitant amount of time.  

Mold Inspections & Mold Removal can be Affordable & Efficient

This is NOT TYPICAL.  If you're worried that some old water damage left a breeding ground for mold and you want it to get checked out - you can have test results within the week.  If you decide to go through mold remediation, or remove the mold, our crew has remediated over 1000 square feet of mold infected area in under a week. The jobs in the headlines are not indicative of a timeline you would deal with when working with Dutch's Mold Inspections & Mold Remediation Services. Over 80% of our jobs don't involve the homeowner ever leaving the house - let alone being relocated from home for weeks on end. 

If you're worried your home or building is suffering from mold, sick house syndrome, poor attic ventilation issues or some other contributing factor to poor indoor air quality, call Dutch's Mold Inspection & Mold Remediation Services at 440-748-4660 or fill out our contact us form.