Molds are fungi that can be found both indoors and outdoors. A misconception is all black molds are toxic. Actually some other colored molds are more toxic than the “black mold”. Some fungi are so nasty they have even been studied for use in biological warfare. Mold has been around for a long time and is even referenced in the bible. Biblical procedures for remediation of mildew are found in Leviticus Chapter 14, verses 33-47. More recently there have been several high profile lawsuits concerning mold. Many insurance companies are limiting or excluding mold from home owner’s policies, they are now utilizing a tracking system called the CLUE report. The CLUE report is essentially a record of how you have personally filed claims as well as a detailed history of claims filed on any home.!

Mold is also a moisture-indicating organism. In many circumstances it is a visual indicator of a water related incident. This is referred to as colonization. This may be due to a plumbing or building envelope leak or elevated humidity. Moisture levels in most framing and trim woods are at risk when they exceed 20% moisture content. Most agree indoor humidity levels should be kept below 60% to minimize the risk for mold growth. Since mold naturally exists in both indoor and outdoor environments why the problem?
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