Moisture cause mold growth

Health care providers in New Hampshire are bracing for a rough fall season, as the rainy weather creates ideal conditions for widespread mold growth and as a result, people with respiratory problems may suffer complications this fall.

In an article published in  Fosters.com Dr. Donald Woodmansee, section chief for allergy and immunology at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon states:

Dust mites and mold flourish in similar conditions. Both commonly trigger allergies and asthma in sensitized people and when they shut their homes up in the fall after a wet summer, problems can result

Under  rainy conditions, many old,  structurally unsound and improperly insulated homes will have water infiltration problems and eventually mold will start to grow, sometimes in places where it can’t be immediately detect, like the insulation behind the drywall.

When the weather begins to cool down during the fall season, windows are shut and the house in closed. That is when most people with respiratory problems begin to report the worst symptoms.

Although asthma, emphysema and cronic obstructive pulmonary disease are reported year-round, during fall and spring, the numbers of patients seen in hospitals because of such problems typically increases.

The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, GA., reports molds produce tiny spores to reproduce, just as plants produce seeds. Mold spores waft through the indoor and outdoor air continually. When mold spores land on a damp spot indoors, they may begin growing and digesting whatever they are growing on in order to survive. Some molds can grow on wood, Sheetrock and even bacteria on dirty carpeting.

The only  way to control mold in a home is to to keep it dry, by eliminate the sources of moisture and keeping the humidity levels at or below 60%. Fans and exhausts to make the air circulate above grade and a good basement dehumidifier are proven methods to control mold.