Mold on the surface in non-residential buildings

We have found superficial mold in some of the Florida homes that we monitor at home, usually during the wet summer months and early fall. Many people think that this cannot happen to them. Let’s face it … nothing happened to your house before, so nothing else will happen to it this year … right? WRONG! Mold grows under the right conditions and can spread very quickly! Surface mold in an unoccupied Florida home can be very problematic and costly.

First of all, let me say that I’m not  a mold expert at all. So you won’t hear a bunch of big scientific words from me. However, in my job, I am in a position that gives me the opportunity to speak with many government licensed mold restoration specialists, home inspectors, HVAC specialists, etc. So I ask questions, listen and learn from them. Mold is a fungus, and no one knows exactly how many types of fungi there are, but it is estimated that there are over 300,000 species. Of these, 4 are common household molds (Cladosporium, Penicillium, Alternaria and Aspergillus). Mold grows best in warm, humid and humid conditions and spreads and multiplies to form spores.So our tropical Florida summer weather is the perfect environment for mold to grow.

Did you know that we all have mold at home in Florida? This is true. This becomes a problem when the amount / levels of mold in the home exceed what is “considered” normal and when the relative humidity in the home rises. Typically, elevated RH levels are caused by moisture ingress from ceiling leaks, leaking pipes, etc. In other cases, it can be caused by a malfunctioning HVAC system and improper moisture removal from the air in your home. When all the conditions are in place … the mold spores start looking for food. They usually attack natural fibers first. This is why the first signs of mold on the surface are visible on leather sofas, wood furniture, wicker furniture, and even carpets. Yes … carpet.When you walk barefoot on carpet, you shed dead skin cells and rub sebum onto the carpet, which also becomes a food source for mold. We know that the potential for mold to grow and spread affects all of us. So how do we prevent mold from growing in our homes? I want to share my experiences / incidents I’ve had so you can better prepare, and then I’ll make some suggestions.

Incident 1:In the Bonita Springs condominium, mold formed on the surfaces of leather sofas, wooden dining room, living room and bedroom furniture, cabinet doors, lampshades, clothing, shoes, etc. This was caused by the “flash chill” of the condominium. The AC air purifier that the air conditioning company installed was too big for the square feet of the apartment, and they removed the hygrostat. Since the unit was too powerful, it would have cooled the condominium too quickly. The problem was that because the condominium remained cold, it did not need to turn on, and if the AC unit does not turn on regularly, it does not remove moisture from the air properly. …So basically the condominium remained cold, but the relative humidity in the condominium became too high.This is why I recommend hiring an HVAC specialist to make sure you have the correct AC power to indoor square footage ratio, as well as a Wi-Fi enabled thermostat and hygrostat combination that you can control remotely from home.

Incident 2: An apartment in Naples experienced mold on the surface of a wooden dining table, chairs, the outside of the refrigerator door, etc. It was caused by a separate hygrostat on the wall that did not work properly in relation to the thermostat. … That’s why I recommend considering getting a Wi-Fi-enabled combo thermostat and hygrostat that you can monitor remotely from the comfort of your home.

Incident 3: An apartment in Naples experienced mold on the surface of all its leather chairs, dining furniture, desk, TV, etc. the air inside this condominium. That’s why I recommend considering getting a Wi-Fi-enabled combo thermostat and hygrostat that you can monitor remotely from the comfort of your home.

Many of you are currently occupying your home in Florida, so now  is the time to make changes and prevent a potential mold problem in your empty home in the future.

Suggestions:
• Perform maintenance on your HVAC system and clean AC drain lines twice a year (May and November).
• Ask your climate company to make sure you have the correct size AC unit for the area you are trying to cool. Remember that in this situation, more does not always mean better.
• When you leave, set the thermostat to no higher than 78 ° and the hygrostat to 50%. Mold can begin to grow as early as 55% RH.
• Leave a couple of ceiling fans running low. This way, if your air conditioner fails, air will still circulate in your home.
• Consider getting a Wi-Fi-enabled combination thermostat and hygrostat that you can use to remotely monitor your home.
• Пусть ваша компания по домашнему наблюдению будет приходить к вам домой не реже одного раза в 2 недели. Один визит в месяц не рекомендуется. За 30 дней в незанятом или пустующем доме может произойти многое.

Если вы ищете местную лицензированную и застрахованную компанию по кондиционированию воздуха, дайте мне знать, и я с радостью направлю вас к одному из наших предпочтительных поставщиков систем кондиционирования воздуха.

Если вам понравилось читать этот блог и вы нашли его полезным, поделитесь им с другими. – Карл

* Обратите внимание, что приведенная выше информация является предложениями, основанными на опыте HWSE. Каждому домовладельцу предлагается поддерживать свой дом так, как он считает нужным, исходя из собственного опыта.

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