Mold infestations after natural disasters such as floods and hurricanes are threatening enough. However, the bigger danger for the entire population is the mold lurking where you can’t see it. Exposure can cause a host of health problems, such as severe allergic reactions, chronic lung illnesses, infections, and more, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A new documentary called MOLDY, produced by Bulletproof Films and Dave Asprey, founder of Bulletproof, discusses how rampant mold toxins are in our homes, how to recognize their presence, and ways to eradicate them. It also describes the symptoms indicating you may have a mold-related health problem and provides ways you can heal yourself after exposure. The film features people who have suffered mental and physical health issues after moving into moldy houses.
Asprey was inspired to create the film because of his own health struggles with toxic environmental mold exposure. “I hope MOLDY helps hundreds of thousands of people avoid what happened to me when I lived in a moldy basement as a small child,” he says.
Here, Asprey shares four takeaways from MOLDY every homeowner should be aware of. Watch the one-hour film for free through June 13, after which you can buy it on DVD or as a digital download.
What Is Mold, Exactly? Brian Fitzsimons, an environmental contractor who has appeared on This Old House, explains it simply: “Mold is a kind of fungi and as you know, it’s been around forever, but we find that when it becomes concentrated in the home, people with allergies or asthma seem to have an adverse effect to it.” According to Fitzsimons, mold needs just two things to thrive: moisture and food. He showed the TOH crew a piece of sheetrock from an improperly ventilated attic where mold had used the paper backing as a food source.
1. If you can’t see it, that doesn’t mean you’re safe
According to experts in MOLDY, more than half the houses in the U.S. have mold problems, and 28 percent of the population have genes that make them highly susceptible to mold-related health issues. Environmental mold is a far bigger concern than asbestos or lead paint, and it affects us all, says Asprey. We usually can’t see it growing, because it grows inside of drywall. The top places it lurks are behind improperly installed showers, in leaking roofs, and in crawl spaces with poor air circulation.
Expert Insight: Jeffrey C. May, a Massachusetts home inspector who has investigated mold in hundreds of houses, puts it bluntly: “Mold contamination is of far greater consequence than is generally recognized. In fact, mold could be the source of interior pollutants with the most widespread impact on health.”
As TOH environmental contractor Brian Fitzsimons explains, mold needs just two things to thrive: moisture and food. Using a piece of sheetrock recovered from an improperly ventilated attic as a demonstration, Fitzsimons showed how mold lands on drywall, finds moisture in the surrounding area, and uses the paper facing as a food source — colonizing entirely out of sight within the wall cavity.
2. Our homes were built to grow mold (unfortunately)
When combined with water, common building materials like wood and drywall are the perfect environment for growing mold. Experts in MOLDY say that at least 50 percent of homes have water damage. Asprey warns that toxic molds bloom quickly after the smallest damage: a pinhole leak in a water line, a moisture vapor with a tear in it, a leaking shower, condensation under the eaves, or water pooling in your crawl space.
Pro Tip: Richard Trethewey, This Old House’s expert on indoor air quality, explains why modern construction is especially vulnerable: “The modern home—the home built from 1975 on—is a tight thermos bottle. Whatever humidity we create can’t escape. That’s why the mold problems tend to come.”
3. Proper construction practices can prevent mold
As if you needed another reason to follow the pro advice on TOH, Asprey advises that the easiest thing to help prevent mold growth is to build houses right in the first place.
4. Your doctor might not realize the source of your ailment
Consider the case of Debra Bowman of Seminole, Florida, who spent years visiting doctors for debilitating dizziness and migraines after moving into a new home. “I took antihistamines, decongestants, steroids, steroid nasal spray, antibiotics, cough medicines. And when it was really bad, they’d even give me steroid shots in the office,” Bowman recalled. Told she was suffering from allergic reactions, she assumed her hay fever had worsened — never suspecting mold in her own home was the cause. It wasn’t until a two-week vacation to New England left her feeling wonderful, and walking back through her own front door brought all the symptoms rushing back within half an hour, that the real culprit became clear. An oversized air conditioner had been leaving humidity high and causing condensation inside her ductwork, fueling unchecked mold growth. Almost as soon as the mold was cleaned up, her symptoms vanished.
Asprey hopes his film will motivate physicians to ask patients about their living environments to help properly diagnose mold issues. The quality of the air in our homes has a direct affect on the quality of our lives.
