Category Archives: Mold & Your Health

Will Mold Ruin Your Dream Home Plans Like It Did for This Couple?

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If you’re considering buying a home, one of the things to know before signing on the dotted line is if the home will pass inspection especially when it comes to mold.

In the case of a Carmel couple, the signs of mold were not detected until one day after closing. What an unpleasant surprise for the new homeowners.

It is a homeowners nightmare to come face to face with mold in the home. The reason, simply put, mold is unhealthy to breath. Mold spores can lead to allergies, eye irritations, asthma, and more.

With help from the NYC mold treatment specialists at Stern Mold, we’ll inspect your home for mold and let you know how we’ll treat issues with our MoldExterm system.

Just a few of the places to visually check out in your home include the area just inside the front and back door. Rain water can seep under the door creating a damp area rife with mold. Windows that aren’t properly sealed are another area where water can infiltrate and become a breeding ground.

Keep a close eye on pipes under kitchen and bathroom sinks for leaks. A slow drip can cause a lot of damage.

Provide enough space between furniture and walls for good ventilation. No air flow means trapped humidity that ultimately can lead to moldy encounters.

If you’re experiencing any of the health symptoms mentioned or encountering the “musty moldy smell,” there’s a good chance spores are present.

When you need answers to moldy questions, the NYC mold treatment professionals at Stern are a phone call away. Contact our office and let us schedule a free inspection at your earliest convenience.

Posted in Mold & Your Health, Mold Treatment, News

Mold Incidents in New Jersey and NYC Rise as the Weather Warms

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Heat Helps Increase Mold Growth

Heat Helps Increase Mold Growth

While rising temperatures are certainly welcome in the NJ and NYC area after a long, snowy winter, they can pose a problem. As the air gets warmer, all the snow in the region melts, leading to a higher risk of mold growth. Since mold can cause serious health problems, it’s important to make sure you get prompt NJ or NYC mold treatment if you notice any signs of growth in your home or business, such as musty odors or visible patches.

What’s Causing Mold Growth?

With temperatures slowly heating up and snow melting, this creates an ideal environment for mold to grow. The main parts of buildings affected by this problem are attics, ceilings and basements.

Ice dams, which form on roof eaves, prevent melting snow from flowing away from building interiors. Instead, it backs up under the eaves and enters the attic, where it causes damp conditions that allow mold to grow.

Storm drains that melting snow would normally flow into have been covered by large piles of snow. This can cause melting snow to enter basements and lead to flooding, which increases the risk of mold growth.

What Should Property Owners Do?

Residential and commercial property owners in NJ and NYC should be on the lookout for signs of water damage in their attic, ceilings or basement, such as leaks or flooding, and have those problems taken care of right away to reduce the risk of mold growth.

If you have a mold problem in your home or business, contact Stern Mold today. We’ll provide reliable NJ or NYC mold treatment to help protect your family members or employees.

Posted in Mold & Your Health, News

Buying a Foreclosed Home May Bring Mold Home

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Purchasing a foreclosed house may seem like a way to get a beautiful home at a bargain price. If it turns out that your dream house has undetected mold, it could become a costly nightmare.

Economic instability has increased the number of foreclosed homes in the United States. An unforeseen side effect is that real estate and mold have become undesirable partners. These foreclosures sit closed up for extended periods of time, preventing the natural ventilation that draws moisture up and out.

Mold doesn’t discriminate between modest houses and mansions, affecting all styles and sizes equally. It’s estimated that some states are dealing with mold and mildew issues in more than half of foreclosed homes. Companies like Farsight Management in northeast Ohio that specialize in cleaning water damage get a significant part of their work treating these moldy foreclosures.

With power shut off to these houses, there are no sump pumps or dehumidifiers running to clear out the excess moisture. This may seem like a cost-cutting move that has backfired, but realtors don’t believe that’s the case. Larger numbers of foreclosed homes simply make an already lengthy process even more time-consuming.

Realtor Rebecca Terakedis has continued to show foreclosed homes to potential buyers regardless of mold infestation, but she is aware of possible liability issues. Before entering a home, viewers are required to sign a release form indicating complete disclosure of the mold problem.

Real estate and mold don’t have to maintain this uneasy alliance. Our experienced technicians can remove mold safely and efficiently, usually in only one day. Visit our website to learn more about our innovative MoldExterm treatment.

Posted in Mold & Your Health, Mold Identification, News

Property Managers Need to Keep an Eye Out For Mold

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When property conditions present a health risk to tenants, a landlord has plenty to worry about besides repair costs. There are many problematic rental conditions for real estate and mold is at the top of that list.

In Jacksonville, Fla., an apartment complex is under legal scrutiny for renting apartments that are known to contain black mold. Property management has pledged to fix the problem, but tenants are filing a lawsuit.

Lawyers believe that damages may be owed to tenants who have suffered health problems related to mold. The property’s failure to procure mold treatment services in a timely manner and the leasing of apartments that already contained the mold may be more than sufficient grounds for a successful lawsuit.

According to the CDC, toxigenic mold has been linked to respiratory illnesses and allergic reactions similar to hay fever. These problems most commonly effect the young and elderly, those with existing conditions or weak immune systems, and occasionally people who are otherwise healthy.

In other words, all commercial and residential property managers likely have tenants at risk for health problems due to mold.

In the Florida lawsuit, the apartment complex and HUD, which subsidizes the apartments, may be liable for healthcare costs and personal injury damages. Had the property managers sought mold remediation and treatment sooner, the situation would likely have been avoided altogether.

The good news regarding real estate and mold concerns is that new, scientifically advanced methods of mold treatment and prevention are available.

The MoldExterm system avoids invasive remodeling and treats mold effectively before finishing with a durable sealant. Contact Stern Mold immediately if your property shows signs of black mold.

Posted in Mold & Your Health, Mold Identification, News

Watch Out – Foreclosed Homes Can Be a Haven for Mold

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Purchasing a foreclosed home can often turn up a diamond in the rough. However, sometimes it ends up being just plain rough. Current estimates are that more than half of the foreclosed homes in some states have mold issues.

Real estate and mold is an unpleasant mix, as many sellers and buyers are discovering. Realtor Rebecca Terakedis requires prospective buyers to sign a disclosure form releasing her from liability before she will show a home infested with mold.

In most homes, a natural process known as the stack effect acts to reduce the conditions that promote development of mold. As seasons change and household members go in and out, ventilation sucks moisture upwards and out through the roof, aided by heating and air conditioning systems.

Foreclosed homes sit empty, resulting in moisture accumulating inside. In addition, electricity is shut off so sump pumps and dehumidifiers don’t have a chance to do their part. Bob Bennett operates a company in northeastern Ohio that specializing in cleaning water-damaged buildings. He says a quarter of his jobs involve foreclosed homes that have fallen victim to mold.

Ms. Terakedis relates a story about showing a foreclosed home in the middle of the winter. Outdoor temperatures were so cold that icicles had formed on the garage windows, but the interior of the house was a muggy 80 degrees because it had begun to self-compost.

Don’t assume that real estate and mold is a problem only with foreclosures. All it takes is one spore landing on a damp spot to begin mold growth. Contact us today to schedule a free mold inspection.

Posted in Mold & Your Health, Mold Identification, News
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