The Household Health Effects of Microorganisms in Floor Coverings

The indoor growth of mold and mildew, as a result of moisture intrusion into and under installed flooring materials, is known to impact on household air quality and the health of inhabitants. Recently, I had the opportunity to discuss with Hank Bruflodt of Floor Seal Technology the topic of microorganisms and their health effects. Hank enumerated various microorganism concerns confronting the flooring industry. I’ve decided to use our discussion as the basis of this article.

First, let’s cover some basics. Mold and mildew are essentially the same thing. As organisms, they have more in common with plants than animals. Other microorganisms include viruses, which are essentially free-standing chemicals, and bacteria, which are more animal than plant in their nature. Fungus, which is neither pure plant nor pure animal, falls -- for classification purposes -- into a kingdom of its own.