What Is Mold And Why Should I Be Concerned?
A mold, also known as mold growth, is a type of fungus that grows as multicellular filaments known as hyphae. The proliferation of these fungi around your home could cause serious structural damage to the house, as well as skin and respiratory health conditions. But how do you know if you have mold around your home? That question shall be the focus of this article.
Signs of Mold Growth on The House You Should Watch Out For
- Allergic Reactions
This is one of the surest indicators ever that there is mold in your house. Allergic reactions to mold vary. They could range from as mild as seizing, runny nose and nose congestion to as serious as eyesores.
But in order to be sure your reactions are due to possible mold growth around your home, check when they are more severe. For example, if you find yourself sneezing more frequently when at home as opposed to when in the office, then you might want to inspect your home for mold.
- Check for Any Signs of Water Problems
It is pretty obvious that mold thrives in a moist and warm environment. Therefore, water problems around your home could escalate their growth. Some of the most common signs of moisture problem include discoloration or staining of the walls as well as floors and ceilings. You may also experience certain surface abnormalities such as cracking, peeling or bubbling of paint.
Bowed or warped walls are also an indication of water problems around your house. It is quite easy to inspect and determine that there is a water problem in the house. However, when it comes to fixing such problems, it is imperative you hire the services of a licensed and certified plumber.
- Water Leaks
If you have leaking sinks, ceilings, faucets or showers in your house, chances are there is already a substantial amount of mold growth. It shouldn’t take some searching to spot a leaking tap or sink. However, when the leak is hidden behind a ceiling or wall, it may be difficult to spot it for immediate intervention. And before you know it, your entire house would have been infested with mold fungi.
In order to avoid this unpleasant situation, it is important to hire a mold inspector on a regular basis. Even better, you could have the house plumbing system inspected on a regular basis for any such leaks.
- Past Flooding
If your house has experienced flooding at any point in the past, there could already be some mold growth. This happens because even after clearing all the water from our house, there are places where water could still seep in. The basement, walls and crawl spaces are a good example. And since these spaces do not experience any direct sunlight, it may take some time before the moisture dries out. Within this time, mold, especially the black mold species would be comfortably growing.
The worst case scenario would be that the flooding also submerged your wooden furniture or clothing. Mold thrives on fabric and wood perhaps more effectively than they do on any other surface. So unless you take these out for proper sun drying, wiping alone will not help.
- Persistent Condensation
Humidity can sometimes wreak havoc in our homes. Excessive humidity results in condensation on surfaces such as glass windows, ceilings, and metal pipes. The most apparent manifestation of condensation is rusting of indoor pipes.
Condensation is not only a sign of mold growth. It is also indicative of unusually high humidity around the home. Apart from escalating mold growth even further, condensation could gradually wear out indoor steel piping since water on steel surfaces promote rusting. Therefore, it is imperative to the dehumidifier and regulates the amount of moisture in your home.
- Perceiving The Signs
Sometimes, you can actually use your senses to detect the presence of mold in the house. Mold generally gives the smell like that of rotten wood or wet socks so watch out [or rather smell out] for these signs. If your sense of smell is not so profound, you can do a visual inspection around the rooms. Just look out for mold spores in mold-prone areas and surfaces such as the walls, ceilings, and wooden surfaces. While at it, give more attention to areas like the basement and crawl spaces.
Mold usually begin in soot- or dirt-like patches so especially pay attention to these. Their color also varies depending on the surfaces they attack. While most begin as single white and thread-like patches, others may appear as black spot clusters. The color could range from white, black or gray-green to pink, orange or purple.
Conclusion
The best way to get rid of molds from your house is to hire professional mold remediation services. Not only will these professionals help get rid of all the mold but they will also apply some preventive measures to ensure you do not face the problem in the near future.
REFERENCES
https://moldpedia.com/mold-in-house-signs
https://www.rd.com/health/wellness/hidden-signs-of-toxic-mold/
https://www.health.com/allergy/mold-test-smell-signs