Mold problems in houses are common.
However, there’s more to mold than musty smells and unpleasant appearance. Mold in a house poses risks to your health and the structure of your home. Mold spores thrive in areas with excess moisture. You may not notice it right away, but mold can wreak irreversible damage to your property.
Deep Water Emergency Services & Restoration knows how to deal with mold. Discover how something almost invisible can cause extensive damage to your property and find out how to know if mold is in your house.
What Is Mold?
Molds are part of the fungi family. It exists in the natural environment — both inside and outside your home. Mold plays an important role in the ecosystem. They help break down animal and plant matter.
However, it’s an entirely different case with mold in the house. When mold becomes rampant, homeowners face several household and health problems. Several types of mold can thrive in your home, such as:
1. Aspergillus
This type of mold can be gray with dark spots, white, or green. Aspergillus has a powdery look. It grows on walls, attics, fabrics, dry food items, and basements, and doesn’t require much ventilation to thrive.
2. Cladosporium
Cladosporium thrives in both warm and cool areas. It may be brown, black, or green. It is usually found in HVAC ducts, fabrics, carpets, and wood.
3. Penicillium
Another common household mold is Penicillium. It is a fuzzy mold that can be yellow, blue, or green. This type of mold grows in areas with water damage, such as carpets, insulation, and basements.
4. Stachybotrys chartarum
Stachybotrys chartarum is also known as black mold. It has a greenish-black color, which usually grows on surfaces with high cellulose content. Black mold in houses may grow on drywall, fiberboard, and paper.
Where Does Mold in a Home Frequently Grow?
Specific areas in your home are more prone to mold growth than others. Here are areas in your home to include in your mold watch list:
1. Bathrooms
Taking warm and cold showers is something you might love to do, but the bathroom is an environment that mold loves. Without proper ventilation, mold in bathrooms thrives.
Here are areas in your bathrooms you should check for mold damage:
- Sink and Toilet: These are fixtures in your bathroom that never fully dry. Always check the areas near your sink and toilet, such as toothbrush holders, toilet tank, and underneath the sink for mold growth.
- Shower and Bathtub: Mold can flourish in the shower or bathtub. Inspect your bath essentials for household mold such as loofahs, shampoo bottles, shower curtain, shower head, and faucet.
- Walls and Floors: Your bathroom has everything that mold needs. It’s essential to check your bathroom from the bottom to the top. If you have regularly damp bathroom rugs, you may be in for a mold infestation.
2. Kitchen
Your kitchen is another area where mold in house is usual. From leftover food to dirty dishes in the sink, mold may attach to these surfaces. The increased humidity in the area leaves your kitchen more susceptible to mold growth.
Here are the areas in your kitchen to inspect for mold:
- Refrigerator and Pantry: Expired food items are attractive for mold. Check your pantry and refrigerator for food items past the expiration date. Clean all the parts of your refrigerator to keep mold from growing. Make it a habit to wipe all kitchen counters regularly.
- Kitchen Sink: Your kitchen sink is a place where mold can take up residence. Wet sponges, food waste in garbage disposals, and faucets are places where mold can develop. Check out these places from time to time to ensure they’re mold-free.
- Stove and Microwave: Other areas to check for mold include the stove and the microwave. Maintain the cleanliness of the stove and microwave to prevent mold. Grease splatters and food spills are two of the things that mold loves. Don’t forget to inspect trash bins, wooden cutting boards, and even your kitchen windows.
3. Ceiling
Mold can be anywhere in your home, and your ceiling is not safe. However, it can be difficult to tell if there’s mold growth on it. Mold damage on your ceiling has an earthy smell and condensation. Hire experts to confirm if you have mold issues on your property.
Mold Problems in Houses: How Does It Damage Your Home?
Mold spores are invisible to you. Even if you keep your home spic-and-span, mold can still find its way to your home through the air or by clinging onto your pets, clothes, and shoes.
Here’s what mold can do to your home that may require professional mold damage removal and repair:
1. Mold can eat away household materials and structure.
Without mold mitigation, mold can wear away materials in your house, such as concrete, paper, wood, and even glue. Mold also feeds on the carpet, wallpaper, wooden studs, and ceiling tiles. Mold damages these materials and causes them to fall apart.
If not taken care of, the damage will get worse, compromising the structural integrity of your home, leading to a collapse or caving in of your property’s ceiling and walls. It will take time for mold to cause such large-scale damage to your property, but mold can damage your home beyond repair.
2. Mold can infiltrate HVAC systems.
HVAC systems can also fall victim to mold infestation. It spreads throughout your home with ease. The mold damage removal process will require extra elbow grease.
It’s best to turn off your HVAC system if you suspect household mold. Call experts in cleaning the entire duct work before rerunning your HVAC.
What to Do if You Find Mold in Your House?
When you discover early signs of mold growth in your home, act immediately. There are things you can do to prevent mold from getting worse.
Here are some mold remediation tips to protect you from extreme mold damage:
1. Fix water leaks.
As you know, moisture is the number one driving force for mold growth. Inspect water leaks in your home from time to time. If there is a leak, have it fixed right away. Fixing water leaks will also save you from hefty utility bills.
2. Reduce humidity.
Excess humidity is another important building block in mold growth. You can do the following to reduce humidity in your home.
- Use dehumidifiers.
- Change or clean AC filters regularly.
- Run your exhaust fans.
- Open your windows.
- Dry your laundry outside.
- Keep the drains and gutters clean.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the appropriate humidity level in your home should be around 30% to 50% and no more than 60%.
3. Limit condensation.
Reduce condensation in your home by doing the following:
- Increase air movement or ventilation by opening windows when cooking.
- Use oscillating fans from time to time.
- Cover water pipes with insulation.
- Opt for low heating levels.
- Close the door when taking a shower, then open it afterward.
4. Clean wet areas.
Mold spores and moisture spell disaster. Always keep the kitchen and bathroom clean and dry because moisture in those areas allows molds to thrive. Doing this will give you peace of mind knowing there’s no room for mold to flourish.
What Can Mold Damage Repair Experts Do For You?
What to do when you find mold in your house? Call experts in mold remediation and repair immediately.
Restoration experts are used to handling black mold in houses. Aside from doing a seamless job, experts can save you and your loved ones from dangerous mold exposure. Prolonged mold exposure may lead to detrimental health effects such as:
- Cough
- Throat Irritation
- Respiratory Problems
- Allergic Reactions
Here’s why you should leave the job of mold cleaning to the professionals:
1. Expertise in Mold Management
Experts in mold damage removal have the know-how to assess the extent of the damage, the source, and the type of mold you’re dealing with. Each type of mold requires a specific approach.
Once they determine the type of mold, they’ll check to see if the mold has reached different areas of your home. Experts will contain the problem to prevent it from advancing.
2. Proper Equipment
Mold require proper handling. Experts have protective gear and cleaning equipment to handle harmful substances and materials like mold. Not only will experts clean mold-infested surfaces, but they will also eliminate mold spores in the air.
3. Effective Mold Treatment
Restoration experts know how to deal with mold in house. Each type of mold demands unique approaches. Experts follow a rigorous and thorough process to ensure that the problem does not get out of hand.
4. Prevent Future Problems
Experts at mold cleaning address the root cause of the problem to keep you and your property safe from the effects of mold. With them on the job, you’ll never find yourself in the same predicament again.
Call Us for Professional Mold Remediation Services
How do you know if mold is in your house? Call Deep Water Emergency Services & Restoration.
Our team has the skills, equipment, and experience to handle minor and major mold problems. Aside from that, we also offer water damage restoration in Denver, CO.
Protect your home and your property from damage-causing mold. Call us for mold damage removal today!
