Arwen Greer, Peak to Peak. The “Great Flood” of 2013 prompted waves of concern over black mold finding a foothold in the nooks and crannies of flooded homes. Standard remediation efforts aim at removing and completely drying all furnishings and building materials within 24 to 48 hours before the mold can establish a colony. While all remediation and salvage efforts were immediate and heroic, homes and residents of the flooded areas are still suffering from toxic mold exposure.

Black mold, or stachybotrys chartarum, is a type of mold that prefers to grow on “high cellulose, low nitrogen materials like fiberboard, paper, dust and lint.” (bouldercounty.org). Furthermore, black mold requires a consistently moist environment to grow and reproduce. The first and best defense is to limit standing moisture in your home, especially around water heaters, pipes, showers and kitchens. Black mold has been confirmed in Boulder and Gilpin counties growing on drywall, in fiberglass insulation and under old floorboards. These are the nooks and crannies that are nearly impossible to clean without complete renovation.

The spores of stachybotrys chartarum find the sinuses and lungs of susceptible individuals an ideal environment to reproduce. Once these spores start reproducing and metabolizing, they excrete a toxic substance called mycotoxin which poisons the bloodstream and wreaks havoc on the immune system. There is no way to dry out the lungs or use soap and water on the nooks and crannies of your sinuses. It is far easier to remediate a building with black mold than to get rid of black mold that has colonized your body.

One local family has made the difficult decision to leave Nederland after discovering black mold in their home. “We got suspicious when everyone started coughing and not getting better. We were particularly concerned about our two small children. When I discovered mold growing out of the walls in our pantry, I decided to buy a ‘mold testing kit’ from Ace. The kit confirmed that there were mold spores in the air.” While the mold testing kit will not tell you what kind of mold you’re dealing with, you can send the sample to a laboratory to confirm whether or not it’s black mold.

For this particular family, however, the combination of mold and small children was enough to motivate a move. “When we told the landlord, he sent in an ‘inspector’ who told us that mold can’t possibly be making us sick.” Well, I guess that depends on who you’re listening to. The Centers for Disease Control recently published the following statement on “The Black Mold Myth”:  “While black mold was originally reported to cause lung and neurological problems, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now states there is no link between mold and other adverse health effects, such as acute idiopathic pulmonary hemorrhage among infants, memory loss, or lethargy. Black mold should be cleaned and the area repaired like they would for other types of molds.”

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), however, remains consistent in affirming that molds DO have the potential to cause serious and, in some cases, life-threatening illness: “Molds produce allergens, irritants, and in some cases, potentially toxic substances (mycotoxins). Inhaling or touching mold or mold spores may cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. Allergic responses include hay fever-type symptoms, such as sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, and skin rash (dermatitis). Allergic reactions to mold are common. They can be immediate or delayed. Molds can also cause asthma attacks in people with asthma who are allergic to mold. In addition, mold exposure can irritate the eyes, skin, nose, throat, and lungs of both mold-allergic and non-allergic people.”

If you see mold growing out of a crack between the walls, cleaning with soap and water is only scratching the surface. Chances are there is a thriving colony behind that wall, in a cool and damp pocket of rotting wood or moist insulation. Now is the time to thoroughly go after mold, when it’s warm and dry and before the winter sets in.

Go to the source of the mold and you may be surprised to find your allergies clearing up, or that persistent cough going away. If you are sensitive or otherwise susceptible to mold spores, make sure you enlist the help of a professional EPA-certified cleaning and renovation service to thoroughly inspect and remediate your home. Your home should not be making you sick – it should keep you safe, warm and healthy.

Thanks for reading and “Here’s to Your Health!”