Improper Monitoring of Humidifier Leads to Mold in Lakewood, NJ

Challenge

Recently, I got a call from a homeowner in Lakewood, NJ who mention that they saw mold in one of their bedrooms. I arrived at their home, put on my personal protection equipment, and then began my inspection. As I inspected the bedroom and saw the humidifier, I took out my hygrometer and measured the humidity in the room. It turned out that there was a high level of humidity in this bedroom because the homeowner was over-humidifying the room. It's fine to use a humidifier in your home to add humidity to extremely dry air. Humidifiers work by releasing water vapor or steam to increase moisture levels in the air. The drawback is if the humidity levels are not properly monitored it can lead to mold growth. Humidity levels in a home must be kept between 30-45%. If the humidity level goes above 55%, mold can grow.

Solution

The mold growth did some significant damage to the drywall in the room and we had to take the drywall out. Typically, we don’t need to take out the drywall, but it was so beyond salvageable that there was no choice. Also, I wanted to see how bad the damage was behind the wall. That way I know what other areas have been affected behind the drywall has been affected. After I removed the drywall that was contaminated, I carefully and thoroughly inspected the wood to see if there were any signs of mold. Fortunately, the mold hasn't had a chance to spread to other areas. 

I then treated the entire area with our EPA registered antimicrobial solution called MAPS. MAPS, which stands for Mold Abatement Polymer Solutions, is a specially-designed two component antimicrobial system for resolving even the most challenging mold problems. The first component of MAPS used is MAPS 1. MAPS 1 is an antimicrobial solution made up of bacteriacide, virucide, disinfectant, fungicide, cleaner, mildew stat, and deodorizer. It is specifically designed to target mold by its DNA and kill it instantly. Then I utilize the second component of MAPS called MAPS 2. MAPS 2 is a polymer sealant that is moisture-sensitive that encapsulates the mold. It will reactivate when it gets moist, so if any new mold attempts to grow, the polymer sealant will be there to stop it!

After the treatment was complete I explained to the homeowner that excessive use of the humidifier was actually causing mold to grow in his room, and I informed him what the proper humidity levels in a home should be. The homeowner was happy with this mini science lesson.