Your Mold Guide
Mold is an incredibly common problem, especially in moist environments. Mold can trigger allergies, and some molds release mycotoxins. If you would like to know more about mold, especially mold inside your home, keep reading.
What Causes Mold?
Mold develops when mold spores land on a surface and start to grow. These spores are constantly floating through your home, but they usually don't cause problems. When moisture is present, however, the spores land and start feeding, causing mold to develop on the wall, floor, ceiling, furniture, etc. The mold is feeding on these parts of your home.
Like any living thing, mold needs oxygen to live, thrive, and reproduce. In addition, mold tends to prefer areas without much sunlight and warmer (but not hot) temperatures. Naturally, because mold likes moisture, it is more common in homes with high humidity.
What Are the Signs of Mold?
You might have to search in dark corners to find the mold, but you can usually easily spot it as black, brown, green, or yellow specks on the ceiling, walls, and other surfaces. As it grows, it may become larger blotches of discoloration.
Mold usually gives off an unpleasant odor, often described as "damp." Mold may grow in harder-to-spot places like under the carpet, so if any material has been exposed to water, it's best to contact a professional.
Exposure to mold may also make you start to feel a little sick. In many people, mold triggers allergies that cause:
- Runny nose and congestion
- Coughing, wheezing, and sore throat
- Eye and skin irritation
- Headache
How Is Mold Removed?
Mold removal depends on the type of mold, the material, and the severity. First, if it's black mold, it's best to eliminate and replace any material with this substance to prevent mycotoxins. Regardless of the type of mold, if the material is porous, it has a higher risk of developing mold fast.
Porous materials include fabrics like clothes, drapes, and carpets, but they also include less obvious materials like drywall. You'll need to seek treatment fast for these, so the mold doesn't have time to grow deeper into the material, which makes it harder to treat.
Harder materials like hardwood and tile are difficult for the mold to penetrate, so it's easier to kill and remove the mold. Regardless, it's important to contact a professional, so you can stay safe from mold exposure.
Mold is ugly and smelly. It can also trigger allergies in some people. The faster you treat the mold, the better your chances of saving the material and preventing the mold from returning. If you would like to know more about mold remediation, contact a professional today.