The Top 3 Misconceptions About Mold That I Encounter As An Indoor Environmental Assessor

Mold, a ubiquitous presence on Earth for over a billion years, is surprisingly not well understood by most people. As an indoor environmental assessor, my role is to investigate residential buildings, identify problems, and provide viable solutions. I often encounter common misconceptions about mold, which presents a great opportunity to educate and dispel these myths.

As an Indoor Environmental Assessor, I have the privilege of meeting numerous individuals and conducting comprehensive inspections of their homes. For something as old as dirt (literally!), one would expect the general population to comprehend it thoroughly by now. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for the majority of people. That’s perfectly acceptable because it gives me the chance to educate people so they can make more informed choices about an issue that affects every household to some extent.

Here are a list of the top 3 misconceptions that I hear frequently and the truth to each of them:

1. “There’s no mold in my house.”

Simply put, yes, there is. Mold spores are present in every breath we take, even in very clean environments. Mold can hide in various areas of a home, often going undetected for extended periods. I frequently discover mold in homes that homeowners were completely unaware of. The age of a home doesn’t matter when it comes to mold; I’ve found it in homes over 100 years old and conducted mold remediation on new homes still under construction. Spores are invisible to the human eye, so just because we can’t see them doesn’t mean they don’t exist. A completely mold-free home doesn’t exist.

2. “There is visible mold in my basement, but I don’t go down there.”

The truth is, you don’t have to go down there to be exposed to the mold; it’s coming up to you. Believe it or not, due to the natural pressure created in your home, known as the “stack effect,” the air from the basement is being drawn upward throughout the entire house. I frequently encounter homeowners who describe a musty odor emanating from the main floor of their homes, yet they struggle to pinpoint its source. Surprisingly, they often discover that the odor originates from below them.

This musty smell is actually a volatile organic compound (VOC) produced by certain molds. It typically appears long before mold becomes visible. When I explain to homeowners that the odor they perceive is a gas generated by actively growing mold and bacteria, and that it can cause symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, and allergic reactions, they begin to comprehend that the basement doesn’t simply “stink.”

3. “Mold doesn’t bother me”

I’ve heard this from people more than once. It’s a great chance to start a conversation, which often leads to the person abandoning that statement. Let’s be honest; mold may not be causing noticeable health issues at the moment, but it can lead to long-term problems even before the individual realizes it. I’ve spoken to people who don’t experience any immediate symptoms, yet other occupants of the same home are dealing with various issues due to mold.

The truth is, people react differently to the same mold exposure, especially those with respiratory complications or asthma. They can become severely ill very quickly. One person might experience no symptoms, while another in the same home might have a sensitivity or even an allergic reaction to the same mold exposure. Unfortunately, mold exposure actually acts as an allergy bucket. Mold exposure can act as an allergy trigger. An individual might feel perfectly fine now, but prolonged exposure can actually cause a permanent mold allergy.

Even if mold doesn’t directly affect our health right now, it gradually deteriorates the building materials of our homes. Ignoring it will eventually lead to structural damage, rot the framing, and become a colossal and costly problem to rectify later on. Therefore, even if health isn’t a concern, the fact that mold diminishes the value of the home is enough for some individuals to reconsider their statement, “mold doesn’t bother me.”

Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.