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From Eveningsnews.com, CBS-TV News
Cleaning Tips for Preventing Mold Growth
in Your Office
Jan 23, 2007
(NewsUSA) - There's a
certain bandit in town who visits offices but only steals the walls:
mold.
Every office that has ceiling leaks or
other wet areas is susceptible to mold growth and the resulting damage
from mold can be severe, especially if the walls are made of wood or
paper materials.
The food sources for mold in offices
are plentiful: furniture, wallpaper, organic fibers, carpet backings
and dust. If these organic food sources are exposed to high levels of
moisture and light, mold can grow.
If the walls are made of concrete
masonry materials, they may be less susceptible to mold growth. Even
when mold does affect masonry materials, cleaning them is fast and
easy.
But if your office's walls are made
from common drywall or other consumable materials, mold could become a
serious problem. In this case, the National Concrete Masonry
Association suggests some precautionary steps that can help keep mold
off your company's roster:
* Look for visible signs of mold or
moisture. The first step to preventing or eliminating mold from your
office is finding the places where it can live. Look for brown or
yellow stains that often result from leaky pipes.
* Regularly maintain roofs and walls.
Replace caulking and repaint as needed to reduce the possibility of
moisture migration.
* Be aware of humidity levels. Keep the
maximum humidity level in your office at 40 percent during summer and
spring, and below 60 percent during the fall and winter. You can
measure humidity levels with a hygrometer, a device that's stocked in
most major hardware stores.
* Keep your office sealed. To help
control humidity levels, seal outlets, sill plates and all other
through-wall penetrations to minimize uncontrolled air infiltration.
* Know how to clean your office's
construction materials. Although mold-infested drywall materials may
require replacement, if your office develops mold growth on concrete
masonry materials such as brick or cement, it can be cleaned with
simple tools. For more information about cleaning concrete masonry,
visit www.ncma.org/online/mold.html.
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