What is mold ?
MOLDS
Molds are fungi of more than 100,000 species that break down organic materials in nature such as dead plants and wood. They reproduce through microscopic spores that are spread through the air. In order to grow, mold requires a source of food, moisture, and a suitable temperature. Mold can grow on any surface that is organic or has household dust or soil particles.
Mold is identified through surface and air sampling which is sent to a mycology laboratory for testing. However, mold identification does not provide information about the possible exposure to mold, or the risk of health effects from mold. A certified residential mold inspector (CRMI) is qualified to inspect a home for the presence of visible mold, and to collect samples for mold.
How Does Mold Affect My Home?
No one disputes the fact that certain molds can be harmful to some people. There is evidence of permanent neurological, pathological, immunological, and psychological damage that exposure to certain mycotoxin producing fungi causes. However, the effects of most molds is largely unknown. People's reaction to mold differs based on individual immune systems and exposure.
The insurance industry has reacted to mold in homes by canceling policies or refusing to issue policies that include mold due to a growing number of lawsuits. Insurance companies have paid out billions of dollars in mold claims each year. For the sake of your property value alone, it is important to understand how mold can affect your financial future.
Sinusitis
Sinusitis is caused from sensitization from inhaling mold spores into the paranasal sinuses. There are four different pairs of sinuses that can be affected.
These include the frontal (over the eyes), maxillary (inside the cheekbones), ethmoid (at the bridge of the nose between the eyes) and the sphenoid (behind the ethmoid).
Each of these four causes a different sensitization. However, each of these sinuses branches into the nasal passage for exchange of air and mucous. During this exchange mold spores can be taken into one of the four different regions of the sinus.
Homeowners vs. Insurance Companies
Stachybotrys, a slimy black mold, can cause extensive damage to homes. It is reportedly responsible for taking over the 11,000 square-foot home of Melinda Ballard and her family in Texas.
Everything in the house was contaminated by stachybotrys from family photographs to expensive silk Persian rugs.
The mold was caused by leaks in the drain system that eventually had the family's three-year-old son spitting up blood and her husband suffering from memory loss.
The family had reported the drainage problem to their insurance company but the insurance company had done nothing to remedy the problem.
In 2001, a jury awarded the family $32 million, including $12 million in punitive damages. This case set a precedent for future mold litigation.
Mold claims were virtually unheard of before 2000, but today mold-related claims are cost home insurers more than $1 billion every year.