Ok, so our landlord just stopped by our house because two out of the four of us have gotten bronchitus in the last month. We believe it is because of the mold in the basement, which caused a futon to mold over in about three days. Anyway, while we were in the basement, he asked why we didn't have the lights on, and said that it was "common sense" that mold can not grow when the lights are on. So, what?
I believe mold can still grow in the light, but it grows faster in the dark, especially in moist area's.
http://www.ehow.com/about_5091208_light-affect-growth-mold-bread.html Effect of Light on Growth Mold does not need light to grow, as one might think. Remember, mold is not a plant, it is a fungus. Plants need light to produce chlorophyll which is needed for the plant to make food. Fungi however do not have chlorophyll and do not make their own food. Fungi get their food from the organic material on which they are growing. Therefore, light does not have a direct effect on the growth of the mold. Light can have an indirect effect in increasing the temperature, therefore increasing the growth of the mold, and drying out the bread, therefore decreasing the growth of mold, since the mold prefers a moist environment.
http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/may97/863449273.Mi.r.html Molds do not need light for normal growth, because they do not make their own food like plants do. Molds are eating (using extracellular digestion) food that was at some point produced by plants. At some point in their life, most molds do need light to start a different life stage, such as spore production. The main reason for growing molds in the dark is that they might get dried out by sun or other bright lights. I don't think lights in basement are hot enough to dry out the mold. Lights on in basement will not help anything based on this article.
Thanks, this is pretty much what I've seen in the research. I'm so pissed at that guy, this is how the conversation went, for anyone curious... Him: When I came down here the lights weren't on. Didn't you sign something that said you would leave the lights on in the basement at all times? Me: I don't remember, but would that have an effect on the mold growth anyway? Him: (Laughs) Well yeah, mold can't grow with the lights on. I mean I thought that was common sense? Me: Oh... Okay... Him: Well, I'm not saying that you're stupid or anything... (condescending) Me: .......Yeah Never rent from ASI Rentals in Iowa City.
^^This make sure you take pictures......and him telling you to leave the lights on, is not an answer. He's dancing around fixing the root of the problem.
I went through the same exact thing in graduate school. Brand new apartment, got bronchitis from the mold. One day I just noticed that there was a green sheen all over my apartment. Turns out the knuckleheads built the air conditioning ducts underneath the bottom floor and didn't bother to make sure there was proper drainage beneath the ducts. End result: small lake that the ducts sat on top of it = mold factory. Now, I'm very allergic to mold.
We're talking to legal services trying to get what we can. Unfortunately we didn't take any pictures before the sheet rock was either replaced or cleaned, so it might be a bit of a challenge. I'm sure it will mold over again based on this guys knowledge of construction, but our lease is up on the 29th. Best part is that they said that we could use the basement as a bedroom, and now the landlord is denying that she ever said that, saying that it was a joke...
