If you visit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Mold Resources Web site, you’ll find information on duct cleaning as a method for dealing with mold.  It actually is quite useful because it goes beyond mold investigation and remediation and looks at other supposed benefits of duct cleaning and gives advice on choosing a good inspector.  At Advance Mold Remediation, we know a thing or two about duct cleaning and believe this is a worthwhile site that consumers should use to avoid unscrupulous duct cleaning companies.

Although the EPA points out that it can’t verify the claims some proponents of duct cleaning make, the one thing it says for sure is that mold can grow in you ductwork.  This causes particular problems because mold spores can easily spread throughout your house through your ducts.

However, because it’s difficult for average homeowners to inspect ductwork on their own, unethical service providers can use an inspection to create a problem where none exists.  Aside from a musty smell in your ducts, the only sure way of determining whether mold is present is to actually see it.  The EPA recommends asking your service provider to show you any mold it claims to find and to have the substance tested by a laboratory. The EPA provides a full rundown on its Web site.

At Advance Mold Remediation, we follow procedures and protocols developed by the EPA when serving our customers, so you can trust us to make a thorough and honest inspection of your heating and cooling system.  If, and only if, we find mold, we’ll walk you through our process for cleaning out your system and keeping you and your family safe. Contact us to learn more.

Summer is here, which unfortunately means, so is mold! These next 3 months are considered the hottest months of the year in Maryland and surrounding seasonal areas. They are going to not only equal pool time, cookouts, vacations and great fun, but they may also include the growth of excess mold.

With summer heat and humidity, comes an increase in dampness which inspires our great little moldy friend to grow. “Mold can grow anywhere from bath and swim towels, to showers and baths, to trash cans. It can sprout under carpeting or anywhere there is moisture without an opportunity to dry out. It can be in a damp room, like a basement,” according to BeyondAllergy.com.

Mold lives everywhere and a mold source can disperse mold spores into the air, which makes anyone susceptible to a Mold Allergy.  “Mold and mildew are fungi. They differ from plants or animals in how they reproduce and grow. The “seeds,” called spores, are spread by the wind outdoors and by air indoors. Some spores are released in dry, windy weather. Others are released with the fog or dew when humidity is high. Inhaling the spores causes allergic reactions in some people. Allergic symptoms from fungus spores are most common from July to late summer. But with fungi growing in so many places, allergic reactions can occur year round,” according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Mold Allergy is very common this time of year and can be rather difficult to deal with, so you’ll want to avoid it at all costs.

This means that even if you’re being careful not to leave wet towels around the house or let water sit for too long, the spores can become airborne easily by simple functions such as cutting your grass. Some simple recommendations from the AAFA to avoid the Mold Allergy are as follows:

-Stay indoors during times where the mold count is reportedly high, being that this will lessen the amount of mold spores you inhale.

-Use a central air conditioning system with a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter attachment. This filter will assist in trapping spores before they can even reach your body and is reported to work better than electrostatic air-cleaning devices or freestanding air cleaners. Devices that treat air with heat, ions or ozone are not recommended.

-Make sure your indoor humidity does not exceed 50 percent, being that any humidity above 50 percent steeply increases risks of fungus growth. Humidity below 45 percent should be your household goal.

-Place an exhaust fan or open window in the bathroom.

-Quickly repair any plumbing leaks.

-Clean garbage pails frequently.

-Clean refrigerator door gaskets and drip pans frequently.

-Raise the temperature in the basement to help lower humidity levels.

-Promote ground water drainage away from the house by removing leaves and/or dead vegetation near the foundation and the rain gutters.

For more information on mold remediation, please visit our website at www.advancemoldenv.com!