Ahhh. . . San Francisco. If you’ve lived here long enough, you’re guaranteed to hear a horror story about gigantic mold colonies in rented apartments. You’ll hear about black mold (Stachybotrys chartarum) causing headaches and asthma exacerbation. Houses have to be evacuated and walls removed due to this nasty little fungus. So why does San Francisco have so much mold?
The Climate. San Francisco is located in a warm, humid environment that literally invites mold in with a welcome mat. Tourists flock to San Francisco for its moist, balmy weather- and so do mold spores. Mold tends to thrive in warmer, wetter environments where the bacteria can easily feed off the moisture. Think of mold cleaning in San Francisco as the equivalent of shoveling snow in upstate New York: it’s just part of how the climate operates. Nobody enjoys it, but everyone has to do it at some point.
The Houses. Unfortunately, the beautiful old townhouses of the city come with a problem: badly insulated walls that allow mold to proliferate. Mold cleaning in San Francisco is a necessity for anyone in a pre-1978 house, when the insulation wasn’t up to par. San Francisco has some of the oldest housing stock in the country; it’s got the fourth-largest amount of older homes, which has increasingly become a public health problem due to pests like mold and rats.
The Population. Young people flocking to the city increasingly share damp, crowded apartments that are a haven for fungi. They’re often deeply in student debt or working entry-level jobs. Plus, they’re young and want to explore the city. Mold cleaning in San Francisco just isn’t something on their minds when there’s a beautiful ocean and the Tenderloin district to explore. More people means more clutter, more cooking, and more breathing- all excellent ways for mold to grow around the house.
Mold is one of those nasty little reminders that we haven’t really conquered Mother Nature. It sneaks up on unsuspecting homeowners who are busy with jobs and family. But if you or someone in your house is experiencing headaches or respiratory symptoms, it might be time to check the closet or the walls for mold spores. They can cause a host of problems to include lethargy and sinus issues.
Thankfully, it’s not that tough to find mold cleaning in San Francisco, because the city places mold in the same category as garbage and rats: a legal nuisance that landlords are obliged to clean up. If you’re looking to ensure that no mold is eating away at your walls or insulation, there are plenty of resources that can provide inspections and estimates. Mold may be a tiny spore, but it can pack a powerful punch that affects both tenants and their houses.
