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Maintenance, Taxes, & Security /
12/01/2006
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| [Homeowners] |
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| Put a stop to a rapidly growing problem. |
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There is a chance that right now a life-form is thriving in your vacation
home, and unless you do something about it soon, it can affect your health and
property value.
 Illustration by Michael Austin. (Click image to enlarge)
It is not some space alien or a colony of ants, it is common
household mold. Long considered a simply unsightly nuisance, mold has received
some increased attention in recent years due to its affect on human health,
causing everything from respiratory irritations to fungi growths in the lungs.
Left unchecked, mold can spread freely throughout a house wherever its spores
can find a source of moisture.
“This has become a big issue because of the
way homes are built and maintained nowadays,” says Hank Taylor, the owner of
Indoor Environmental Control, a Corona, Calif., company that cleans up mold
infestations. “Houses are built to be as airtight as possible in order to save
energy. But doing this prevents air from circulating inside, and that spurs the
growth of mold.”
In a primary home, mold in a bathroom or kitchen is likely
to be cleaned up rapidly. For a second home that may be unused for extended
periods, mold has an opportunity to thrive. “If your water heater develops a
slow leak or a water line develops a pin hole and no one’s around for a few
weeks, that’s the prelude to a serious mold problem,” says Taylor. “If the
moisture source isn’t fixed and cleaned up in 48 hours, the mold has a good
chance to take hold and spread.”
Another issue for vacation homes is the fact
that many are built on or near a waterfront. “The increased moisture content in
the air adds to the mold problem,” says Mark Davidson, president of American
Mold Guard in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. “With a wood-frame house, you need to
be aware of any mold problems inside the walls.”
To prevent mold growth, some
homeowners keep jars with moisture-absorbing material, like charcoal, around the
house. But fighting it successfully generally takes a more aggressive response.
“Mold needs three things to grow,” says Davidson. “Water, a food source like
wood or paper and an ability to spread its spores.”
“It’s not a bad idea to
check your vacation home’s plumbing fixtures at least twice a year for leaks,”
says Taylor. “Check under kitchen and bathroom sinks, look at the water heater
and around the toilets, and if you have an icemaker, look behind the
refrigerator to make sure the floor is dry.”
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