Consumer Concerns Growing Over Mold In Homes (NAPSA)—First there was radon, then carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds. Now the latest home invader is mold and, in a national survey released today by CertainTeed Corporation, 55 percent of the 1,040 respondents expressed concern about ay mold in the home. Mold is clearly a growing prob- lem. In Texas alone, there have been nearly 40,000 insurance claims filed for mold-related issues over the past five years. In fact, one in four adults surveyed experienced a problem with mold in their home or know someone who has. “Mold has been around forever, but in the past few years it has emerged as a financial and health problem for homeowners because increased numbers of people are getting sick from nosebleeds to seizures to respiratory ailments to memoryloss,” explains Glenn Singer, managerof building science for CertainTeed’s Insulation Group. Biggest Concerns From Mold Whenasked about their largest concern regarding mold in the home, 65 percent of respondents cited a health risk to themselves or their families as their first choice. Thirty-one percent of respondents selected the expense of repairing their homes astheir second choice and 27 percent of respondents said structural damage to their homes wastheir third largest concern. Builders and Sellers Beware So how would survey respondents take to buying an existing home that had a mold problem or purchasing a homefrom a builder who had a problem in the past? Not very well. In fact, 84 percent of survey respondents said they would not. When asked what they would do should they discover mold in their houses, 56 percent of survey ! i | Ho_p THE Mo_p—In the past few years, mold has emerged as a financial and health problem. respondents said they’d call in a mold remediation expert, while 34 percent said they would try to clean it up themselves. Five percent actually indicated that they would move. Ways To Minimize Risk of Mold In The Home According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the New York City Health Department, homeowners can minimize the risk of mold by keeping these tips in mind: Fix any water leaks. Reduce indoor humidity (to 30 to 60 percent) to decrease mold growth. Clean and dry any damp furnishings within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth. Clean hard surfaces with water and detergent. Dry completely. Prevent condensation on cold surfaces by adding fiberglass insulation. If constructing a home, ask your builder about products to minimize the potential for moisture and mold growth such as MemBrain, a smart vapor retarder placed inside wall cavities. It allows excess moisture that gets into wall cavities to escape.
