Mold has been around for millions of years and while certain varieties of it can be quite harmful to our health, there are other varieties that have been used by human beings for years in order to improve our quality of life in one way or another. It has been used in foods, medicines, and to help decompose organic matter.
Many different kinds of foods have been made with mold over the years, one of the most famous of which is cheese. Blue cheese was invented quite by accident a long time ago when mold had started to grow in a block of cheese that had been left to age. It is salty, crumbly and is a somewhat acquired taste, if the blue mold veins of the cheese do not stop you from tasting it in the first place. Roquefort and gorgonzola are also made with molds. The culturing of just the right kind of mold to make these blue cheeses has become a science over the years and these moldy cheeses are often referred to as the “kings” of cheese.
Aspergillius oryzae or “koji-kin”, as it is known in Japan, has been used for centuries to create the Japanese alcoholic drink of sake. Without the magical koji, they say, there is no sake. Sake is not the only type of drink that uses the koji mold as an ingredient. It is sprinkled on top of steamed rice and provide the enzymes that are needed for making the sugar the yeast needs to grow. The mold has an immensely important role in the creation of sake and any brewer proud of his drink is sensitive about its handling. Depending upon the flavor wanted in the sake, the koji-creation process can be affected by different temperatures, the kind of rice used, the mineral content of the water, and other factors seriously affect the final product.
Penicillin was created by Alexander Fleming back in the early 1900’s by accident and it has been used by countries worldwide since then in order to help the human body fight all kinds of infections. While some people have been known to be allergic to penicillin, allergic reactions are not so common as to stop doctors from prescribing it.
Aside from the uses that human beings have made of mold, its natural role is to decompose dead organic matter in its natural environment. This is one reason that it often finds its way into our homes, because our homes tend to be made of wood and sheetrock that has paper on it. This is what mold feeds on and until we start making our homes out of synthetic materials, we will probably have a hard time keeping mold out of them.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Water Damage Miami and
water damage restoration in atlanta companies.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Some Notes About Mold For homeowners And Tenants
No matter whether you are a landlord, tenant, homeowner, or an employer, there are some general facts about mold that everyone should be aware of. Everyone knows that exposure to mold can be a very dangerous thing, but not everyone knows the most important things about it that can be the difference between a mold infested home, a lot of lost money, bad health and a healthy, happy home.
One of the most important things that you should realize is the fact that no matter what you do, you cannot remove all of the mold from your home. Mold has existed for millions of years and will continue to exist for millions more; you cannot completely stamp it out from where you live or work because it is truly everywhere. The only thing that you can do is stop it from taking root in your home and becoming a nuisance.
Make sure that the ground at the base of your home slopes away from it so water flows away from the foundation. Water that is allowed to settle at the foundation will seep inside the home and allow mold to begin to grow.
Pay attention to the mold warnings that you see on the news sometimes. If you are elderly or have small children, especially those with asthma or other respiratory conditions, you should not go outside if the spore count is high.
In order to discover just what kind of mold you are dealing with in your home, you need to have a mold laboratory test the mold that you have sampled into a do-it-yourself mold kit. Only they can tell you just what kind of mold you are dealing with and whether or not it is dangerous.
Something important to remember is that mold is not always visible and does not really need standing water in order to grow. Actually, most kinds of mold do not need any more than the condensation that can form on the cold pipes in your basement or on your windows. It requires only some high amounts of humidity, food, and warmth.
Lastly, if you move into a home or an apartment and mold exists on the property, you should understand that it is not your responsibility to have the mold removed, it is the owner’s simply because if you choose to move out, the mold will still be there.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Los Angeles water damage and restoration services and Denver water damage restoration companies.
One of the most important things that you should realize is the fact that no matter what you do, you cannot remove all of the mold from your home. Mold has existed for millions of years and will continue to exist for millions more; you cannot completely stamp it out from where you live or work because it is truly everywhere. The only thing that you can do is stop it from taking root in your home and becoming a nuisance.
Make sure that the ground at the base of your home slopes away from it so water flows away from the foundation. Water that is allowed to settle at the foundation will seep inside the home and allow mold to begin to grow.
Pay attention to the mold warnings that you see on the news sometimes. If you are elderly or have small children, especially those with asthma or other respiratory conditions, you should not go outside if the spore count is high.
In order to discover just what kind of mold you are dealing with in your home, you need to have a mold laboratory test the mold that you have sampled into a do-it-yourself mold kit. Only they can tell you just what kind of mold you are dealing with and whether or not it is dangerous.
Something important to remember is that mold is not always visible and does not really need standing water in order to grow. Actually, most kinds of mold do not need any more than the condensation that can form on the cold pipes in your basement or on your windows. It requires only some high amounts of humidity, food, and warmth.
Lastly, if you move into a home or an apartment and mold exists on the property, you should understand that it is not your responsibility to have the mold removed, it is the owner’s simply because if you choose to move out, the mold will still be there.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Los Angeles water damage and restoration services and Denver water damage restoration companies.
Is Mold Affecting Your Allergies
So many people in the world suffer from allergies that it is often hard to completely get away from them, no matter what kind of medications you might be prescribed by your physician. Most allergy symptoms can be seen from spring to the late fall because the majority of allergies can be attributed to grasses, pollens, and different kinds of mold. Most grasses, flowers, and molds cannot grow during the winter time. Even though some types of mold can withstand cold temperatures, most cannot continue to live in temperatures that are below freezing, though they can lie dormant for quite a long time. If they are allowed to thaw, they can be just as live and dangerous as before they were frozen.
Unfortunately, not all places in the world are touched by freezing temperatures and so mold often grows year round, affecting not only the allergies, but also the general health of the people who live in a building infected by it. The allergy symptoms caused by mold can be anything from sneezing to runny noses to skin rashes. Perennial allergic rhinitis can also be brought about by the presence of mold, however mold usually causes allergy symptoms only when it is present in a fairly high amount. Mold allergy symptoms are often made worse by the consumption of any kind of food that has been made with a fungus such as mushrooms or even foods like bread and beer. Cheese made with mold, particularly bleu cheese, can also bring about the occurrence of these symptoms.
Compared to the number of species of mold on the planet, there are not too many kinds of it that are highly allergenic, but there are a few dozen. Cladosporium, Alternaria, and Penicillium are three kinds of molds that tend to cause many allergic reactions. Penicillium is the only genus that has both a medicine and a disease named after it, however.
If you have allergies, something that you probably do on a regular basis is watch for the grass, pollen, and mold spore counts that appear on the news every day. These are important to pay attention to because if you are elderly or have a small child who is allergic, going out into a day when there is a high count of anything you may be allergic to could be either an irritating day or end up aggravating your allergy until you need to go to the hospital. Severe allergic reactions are rare, but they can happen.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Miami water Damage companies.
Unfortunately, not all places in the world are touched by freezing temperatures and so mold often grows year round, affecting not only the allergies, but also the general health of the people who live in a building infected by it. The allergy symptoms caused by mold can be anything from sneezing to runny noses to skin rashes. Perennial allergic rhinitis can also be brought about by the presence of mold, however mold usually causes allergy symptoms only when it is present in a fairly high amount. Mold allergy symptoms are often made worse by the consumption of any kind of food that has been made with a fungus such as mushrooms or even foods like bread and beer. Cheese made with mold, particularly bleu cheese, can also bring about the occurrence of these symptoms.
Compared to the number of species of mold on the planet, there are not too many kinds of it that are highly allergenic, but there are a few dozen. Cladosporium, Alternaria, and Penicillium are three kinds of molds that tend to cause many allergic reactions. Penicillium is the only genus that has both a medicine and a disease named after it, however.
If you have allergies, something that you probably do on a regular basis is watch for the grass, pollen, and mold spore counts that appear on the news every day. These are important to pay attention to because if you are elderly or have a small child who is allergic, going out into a day when there is a high count of anything you may be allergic to could be either an irritating day or end up aggravating your allergy until you need to go to the hospital. Severe allergic reactions are rare, but they can happen.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Miami water Damage companies.
Steps To Take If Your Employer Ignores Mold Problems
Everybody’s found that great job that they do not want to let go of, but sometimes something gets in the way that you just cannot do anything about. Or can you? What do you do if you discover that mold is growing at the place you work and your employer does not want to do anything about it? How do you complain about the mold and keep your job at the same time? Sometimes it is easy to get an employer to take care of a mold problem once they realize that it can be a problem to their own health, as well.
But, what about those employers who do not seem to care what the mold does to their employees or their customers? It is dangerous and can cause many kinds of health problems, so what do you do? Do you keep quiet about it? Keep complaining and risk your job? It does not really matter what state that you live in, the truth is that if an employer wants to get rid of you, they are allowed to do so for almost whatever reason they want to and this is what makes issues such as this difficult to maneuver around if you want to keep your job.
Try talking to your boss about the issue first and explain to him everything that mold can do to a person’s health. Explain that he could be liable for the damages both to his employees and anyone else who enters the building. Tell him about the structural damage it could also be causing or how it might be damaging the product you are producing in some way. Most of the time this is enough, but what if they just do not care?
There are a few different things that you can do. You can stop complaining about it and let it get quiet for a while, then talk to someone at your state’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration about the problem or your local county health department. Mold in the workplace is a safety violation for the employer.
If you work in a public building such as a hospital or a library and nothing is done about the mold problems, see if you can take some pictures of the infestation and get them to your local newspaper or television news station. This should draw enough attention to the problem that it gets taken care of, but unfortunately your job may suffer for it. Your employer can fire you for whatever he or she wants, but if they fire you for complaining about the mold, you can sue. What usually happens is they will do anything they can to find a reason to get rid of you, but if you suspect that this is what they are doing to retaliate for your exposing of the mold problem, contact your lawyer.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Texas Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Water Damage Restoration companies across the united states.
But, what about those employers who do not seem to care what the mold does to their employees or their customers? It is dangerous and can cause many kinds of health problems, so what do you do? Do you keep quiet about it? Keep complaining and risk your job? It does not really matter what state that you live in, the truth is that if an employer wants to get rid of you, they are allowed to do so for almost whatever reason they want to and this is what makes issues such as this difficult to maneuver around if you want to keep your job.
Try talking to your boss about the issue first and explain to him everything that mold can do to a person’s health. Explain that he could be liable for the damages both to his employees and anyone else who enters the building. Tell him about the structural damage it could also be causing or how it might be damaging the product you are producing in some way. Most of the time this is enough, but what if they just do not care?
There are a few different things that you can do. You can stop complaining about it and let it get quiet for a while, then talk to someone at your state’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration about the problem or your local county health department. Mold in the workplace is a safety violation for the employer.
If you work in a public building such as a hospital or a library and nothing is done about the mold problems, see if you can take some pictures of the infestation and get them to your local newspaper or television news station. This should draw enough attention to the problem that it gets taken care of, but unfortunately your job may suffer for it. Your employer can fire you for whatever he or she wants, but if they fire you for complaining about the mold, you can sue. What usually happens is they will do anything they can to find a reason to get rid of you, but if you suspect that this is what they are doing to retaliate for your exposing of the mold problem, contact your lawyer.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Texas Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Water Damage Restoration companies across the united states.
Preventing Damage From Wildfires
If you live in an area that is prone to wildfires, such as certain areas of California, you should do what you can to protect your home from them. While it may seem pretty hopeless once a wildfire is on a path that will go straight through your home, there are some things that you can do to try and minimize the damage.
The first thing that you can do if you own your home is to outfit it with fire resistant materials. The roof is perhaps the most important surface that you should take care of, since it is the largest surface of the home that is exposed to sparks of fire that have become airborne. If there is a wildfire near your house, you should take your water hose and keep the roof wet as much as possible to stop this threat. Fire-resistant roofing materials are large in number and include tile, metal, and fiberglass. Any oil-based roofing material should be replaced and wooden shingles are a disaster waiting to happen.
Fire-resistant materials should also be used to build the walls and windows of the house, since this can impede the spreading of the fire to the interior. Stone, metal, and brick offer a decent amount of protection, but vinyl siding and wood provide extremely little. The windows are important because heat will radiate inside the house and possibly set drapes on fire, so having smaller windows in homes that are at risk is a good idea.
Another thing that you can do to your lawn if a wildfire is nearby is wetting it with the water hose. This can also slow the fire’s spread to your house some. Do not allow dead leaves and other debris to build up in the yard during wildfire season and try to get rid of any tree branches that are hanging over your house. You can even go as far as to have these trees that are close to your home removed, but that is a personal preference. It will help, but some people may not want to sacrifice them.
If you have to evacuate, realize that you cannot take everything with you. Take only the most important valuables and get out as soon as you can. If you have time and are leaving voluntarily, take the opportunity to wet your yard, roof, and the exterior of your house again. This is pretty much all you can do at this point and the rest is in the hands of nature.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Miami Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Orlando water Damage companies.
The first thing that you can do if you own your home is to outfit it with fire resistant materials. The roof is perhaps the most important surface that you should take care of, since it is the largest surface of the home that is exposed to sparks of fire that have become airborne. If there is a wildfire near your house, you should take your water hose and keep the roof wet as much as possible to stop this threat. Fire-resistant roofing materials are large in number and include tile, metal, and fiberglass. Any oil-based roofing material should be replaced and wooden shingles are a disaster waiting to happen.
Fire-resistant materials should also be used to build the walls and windows of the house, since this can impede the spreading of the fire to the interior. Stone, metal, and brick offer a decent amount of protection, but vinyl siding and wood provide extremely little. The windows are important because heat will radiate inside the house and possibly set drapes on fire, so having smaller windows in homes that are at risk is a good idea.
Another thing that you can do to your lawn if a wildfire is nearby is wetting it with the water hose. This can also slow the fire’s spread to your house some. Do not allow dead leaves and other debris to build up in the yard during wildfire season and try to get rid of any tree branches that are hanging over your house. You can even go as far as to have these trees that are close to your home removed, but that is a personal preference. It will help, but some people may not want to sacrifice them.
If you have to evacuate, realize that you cannot take everything with you. Take only the most important valuables and get out as soon as you can. If you have time and are leaving voluntarily, take the opportunity to wet your yard, roof, and the exterior of your house again. This is pretty much all you can do at this point and the rest is in the hands of nature.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Miami Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Orlando water Damage companies.
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