Mold Stoppers
For More Information Contact Our Friends At MoldStoppers Phone: 866.448.1508 www.moldstoppersonline.com
Mold in the Industry
There is always some mold everywhere - in the air and on many surfaces. Molds have been on the Earth for millions of years. Mold grows everywhere there is moisture. It is absolutely vital that any new homes being built are protected sufficiently.
Excessive or chronic moisture in your house can compromise its value. It's critical to be on the lookout for signs of moisture, and to take action to correct the cause of the problem.
A silent troublemaker, moisture can build up in a house and lead to extensive problems. It can creep into your home's roof, walls and foundation from many sources: rainfall from the outside, steam from showers and laundry rooms inside, and less obvious sources, such as cooking and even our own breath. Excessive moisture can cause mold and mildew to grow, over time, affect the structural integrity of building materials and compromise indoor air quality.
Because mold and mildew can be symptoms of poor building envelope performance, it's important to understand why it occurs.
Why Moisture Problems Are On The Rise
Homes are built to control moisture through design features like overhangs, gutters and flashing. However, some modern homes, for a variety of reasons, have encountered moisture-related performance problems.
One of the causes, undoubtedly, is that houses today are designed and built with more corners, angles, hips, slopes, nooks, crannies, and other design features that place greater demands on proper detailing and workmanship to keep the weather and water out. Those demands are not always met. Compounding the problem is the growing shortage of skilled construction workers. Modern energy codes may also be a contributing factor. By encouraging houses to be sealed tightly, these codes, experts point out, can exacerbate interior condensation problems, as well as indoor air quality concerns.
To find out more about how Moldstoppers™ can protect you from not only the threat of mold...but also potential liability, just fill out our online questionnaire and we'll contact you with answers.
Mold in the Construction Industry
Mold spores exist nearly everywhere- in the air we breath, and on virtually any surface. However, mold spores can't colonize and reproduce unless they have oxygen, moisture and a food source. Unfortunately, it is virtually impossible to eliminate oxygen and moisture from a construction environment. In fact newer building practices actually increase potential mold problems by decreasing general ventilation of a building and making it more "air-tight" (thereby trapping moisture and increasing the chances of mold growth) Consequently, it is absolutely vital that new homes being built are protected sufficiently from Mold.
Why Mold is a Problem
Health Effects : Mold effects human health in numerous ways
Mold related allergies: Symptoms can include runny nose, itchy eyes, wheezing, and skin rashes.
Allergic fungal sinusitis
Infections
Asthma
Mold can irritate mucous membranes of the eyes and respiratory system.
Volatile compounds (VOCS) produced by mold are thought to cause headache, attention deficit, and dizziness.
Toxic molds are reported to cause nausea and diarrhea, depression, headaches, tremors, kidney problems, and infertility.
Financial Effects
Most builders and anyone related to the real estate industry have heard of a party backing out of a real estate transaction because of mold problems. According to a new poll conducted by Environmental Assurance Group (EAG). respondents familiar with mold-related incidents in commercial real estate transactions said it takes an average of $11 million to remediate.
Real Estate Weekly, Novemeber 17, 2004
Lack of Insurance
"A growing inability to find mold insurance for commercial construction has contractors, building owners, architects and engineers looking for ways to protect themselves against potential litigation."
Business First of Columbus, June 18, 2004
It has become standard industry practice for insurance companies to exclude mold coverage in casualty insurance policies.
Potential Litigation
As many as 10,000 toxic-mold cases are now pending nationwide in the Courts. Plaintffs' lawyers generally are trying to convince Courts and juries that their clients' medical problems are linked to their mold exposure. The results include a $32 million verdict in Texas and a $22 million Settlement in California.
Whatever the outcome in these cases a unifying theme seems to be that juries seem to be sympathetic to claimants where the injury appears severe and the defendant landlord, contractor, etcetera either acted indifferently to the claimant's pleas and/or performed remedial work in a negligent fashion. Even when the science may be in doubt, juries may be making up for such doubt by penalizing the defendant who does not show proper concern or take adequate measures to correct the problem.
Preventing a mold claim to before it starts is a sound business practice.
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