Combating hidden mold when it affects your home and health


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SALT LAKE CITY — Mold is everywhere outdoors, but when it's discovered inside your home, there's a potential for problems. But how do you know if it's hiding in your house or apartment? And if you find it, how do you get rid of it?

KSL Investigators went to the experts to find the answers to these questions. One of those experts is Scott Sims with Utah Disaster Kleenup. He's a mold buster.

"It is a lot of work," said Sims. "We come in with a mold crew. They will seal off the affected rooms."

Sims has seen many different types of mold in Utah.

"It comes in greens and blues and oranges and just lots of different pretty colors," said Sims.

When it comes to killing it, he's a professional. Sims took KSL Investigators through a Holladay apartment, contaminated with mold. The residents didn't know there was a leaky water heater until the ceiling caved in.

"A small section of the ceiling suddenly fell," said Sims. "You can see the presence of some mold that is still in the wood."

That's one way to find out you have a problem, but how do you catch it before something drastic happens?

Dave Roskelley works for R&R Environmental. His job is to test the air for mold.

"Use your nose. That's probably the best way to figure it out," he told KSL. "You can either smell it or it's very visible. You can use your eyes and see it."

EPA Basic Mold Cleanup
  • Scrub mold off hard surfaces with detergent and water, and dry completely
  • Fix plumbing leaks and other water problems
  • Absorbent materials may have to be thrown away if moldy
  • Do not paint or caulk moldy surfaces
  • Clean up mold and dry surfaces before painting

Roskelley says you can disinfect and remove small sections of mold yourself, but if mold is allowed to spread, you might have a bigger problem.

"Too much of it is probably not a good thing even for healthy individuals," said Roskelley.

Dr. Denitza Blagev is a pulmonologist, or a lung doctor, at Intermountain Medical Center. She says mold can be irritating, especially for people with allergies or asthma.

"Runny nose, or sometimes wheezing or coughing or shortness of breath," Blagev said about some of the symptoms.

For people who live with it for years, mold can also cause serious infections or even permanent scarring on the lungs. But chances of that are very, very slim.

"It sort of looks disgusting and if feels like it can't be good to live in it and it isn't, but it's not like this toxic thing that's necessarily going to kill you," said Blagev.

She says the best thing to do if you suspect mold is making you sick is see a doctor. They can do allergy and blood tests to determine if that's the cause.

The one thing all three experts agreed on when it comes to getting rid of mold in your home permanently is figure out what's causing mold to grow, whether it's a leak or too much humidity, and fix it.

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Mike Headrick

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