http://www.stopmoldcold.com/behealthy
If you are renting a place and the landlord is pretty much a jerk, you are especially in trouble when the leaks occur and they are not attended to quickly. Defining a jerk means the landlord just does not care about any of your concerns and really does not want to fix anything. Why is fixing leaks quickly so important?
Mold can grow within 24 to 48 hours once water intrusion occurs. Mold simply needs warm, dark and damp places. Mold is a sneaky bugger that loves to travel through your house and embed itself in porous surfaces like furniture, pillows, carpeting etc. So cutting off the water supply is absolutely critical. You will start to see mold very quickly while waiting for the landlord to take action. Some folks hire someone themselves while waiting and send the landlord the bill. Others refuse to pay the rent while waiting for the landlord to get moving. Waiting too long is not a good thing.
If the leak starts causing hidden mold there will be real trouble. The mold damage can be extensive. The health reactions can be rather serious. Typical health reactions are: body aches and pains, headaches, and just feeling lousy. more serious health problems occur in folks with asthma, allergies and folks with mold allergies. Mold is a trigger for all of these conditions. The worst is saved for last. According to Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker, an unlucky 25% lack the proper immune response to mold and are unable to fight it. They produce no antibodies to mold toxins and can get seriously ill: fibromyalgia symptoms, asthma, cognitive impairment, headaches often severe, emphysema, even death. This is just a brief list of symptoms. Biotoxic Reaction to Mold
Essentially, pack up and leave. Learn to find a landlord that will promptly fix problems when they occur. Make this one of the key reasons for renting your place. This is not easy to assess. But the health of your family rests upon it. Look for water stains; check to see if there is a wet basement. Ask about leaks and how quickly they were fixed.
Check to see if the basement is wet. Make sure there is no mold on any wood. And do not rent a place that has carpeting in the basement or a bunch of cardboard boxes in the basement. Ask if there has been recent leaks and what the landlord did; but landlords are not always honest. Use common sense. If you see old carpeting in the place do not rent. This is not a comprehensive list. You can smell mold in a house but not all the time. it is vital to prevent mold and kill mold in all houses. To have this mentality ensures the health of your family.
This sounds picky but the health of your family rests in your hands. It is best to rent a place with hardwood floors. Carpeting is full of chemicals but that is your choice. Best of wishes to you looking for a place to rent!
