Information Center Toxic Mold
Protecting Your Home from Toxic Mold
Mold can live indoors or outdoors. Outdoors, mold serves an important purpose in breaking down organic matter. Indoors, mold can lead to illness and property damage. Mold spores are invisible to the naked eye, and most mold will grow where you can't see it - behind walls, in ceilings, under flooring. Even so, there are measures you can take to protect yourself from unfettered mold growth and the possible health consequences from exposure to it.
If you have property damage from mold growth or have health problems from toxic mold exposure, contact an experienced attorney at Herrig & Vogt LLP in Sacramento, California for more information on your available legal remedies.
Warning Signs
While you can have mold growth and never know it, there are a number of warning signs that will alert you to a mold problem in your home, including:
- Water stains or discoloration on walls, ceilings, floors and other surfaces
- Musty or mildew odor
- Areas of standing water, condensation or leaks - especially in or near windows, ceilings and floors
- Visible mold growth - particularly black mold which may be toxic mold
Fixing the Problem
If there are any visible water stains, standing water or condensation, the first thing you need to do is locate the source of the moisture and correct it. If you merely clean up the visible mold growth, it will not prevent future mold growth. Whether it's a roof leak, a broken pipe or an overflowing bath tub, it's important to eliminate the source of moisture to prevent mold from growing in your home.
Clean-up
- If the cause of the mold was a one-time occurrence, like a flood or spill, you need to dry all wet materials as soon as possible. Leaving them lying around creates a source of moisture for mold growth. This may include using fans and/or humidifiers.
- You also should throw out any porous materials with visible mold growth on them, such as sheetrock, insulation, carpeting, plaster, wood and paper products. Simply removing the visible mold from these products will not eliminate the problem. The mold spores can penetrate these types of materials and re-colonize.
- Clean the surfaces of any nonporous materials with visible mold growth with a bleach and water solution. It is important to leave the bleach and water solution on the affected area and not wipe it off. Once the area is dry, you also may want to spray it with a disinfectant to kill any remaining mold spores you may have missed.
- If the mold growth in your home is pervasive, you should contact professionals to evaluate the situation and clean-up your home for you.
Protective Measures
After you have remedied any current mold problems in your home, here are some more things you can do to prevent future mold growth:
- Use dehumidifiers and air conditioners when it is humid
- Keep the humidity level in your home below 50%
- Do not carpet bathrooms or other areas that are exposed to water
- Check the ventilation for your dryer and other household appliances
- Clean bathrooms regularly with a bleached-based cleaner
Conclusion
If you have questions about your legal options concerning a toxic mold case, contact Herrig & Vogt LLP in Sacramento, California to speak with an attorney experienced in toxic tort litigation.
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