What Should You Do If You Suspect There Is Mold In Your Home?
- Step 1: Stay Calm First thing you should if you suspect there is mold growing in your home is not to panic. Mold damage is a common problem that occurs in almost every home. ...
- Step 2: Get Tested Next, you should contact a local home mold removal company. They can come out and do a mold inspection and air test.
- Step 3: Hire Local
How do you get rid of mold in Your House?
To Prevent Mold Growth in Your Home
- Keep humidity levels in your home as low as you can—no higher than 50%–all day long. ...
- Be sure the air in your home flows freely. ...
- Fix any leaks in your home’s roof, walls, or plumbing so mold does not have moisture to grow.
- Clean up and dry out your home fully and quickly (within 24–48 hours) after a flood.
- Add mold inhibitors to paints before painting. ...
How to get rid of mold from every home surface?
Some Effective & Organic Cleaning Methods
- Hydrogen Peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is a powerful antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial solution. ...
- Baking Soda. It would not be wrong to refer to baking soda as a magical remedy for all home problems considering its versatile usage.
- Tea Tree Oil. All the essential oils are an effective method to treat mold build-up. ...
- Lemons. ...
What are the symptoms of mold in the House?
These signs could mean you have unhealthy mold conditions in your house:
- Allergic symptoms (especially in winter when outdoor allergens are low)
- A damp or musty odor in one or more places
- Frequent headaches
- Difficulties breathing
- The air in the home feels different
- Your house has been flooded or currently has leaks
- You previously tried removing mold yourself
Does my house have mold?
Mold may be present in your house if you notice a persistent musty odor. Mold allergies can cause the following symptoms: Coughing. Sneezing. Sore, itchy throat. Congestion and runny nose. Sinus headaches. Wheezing and difficulty breathing. Itchy, watery eyes. Irritated, itchy skin. What does a mold test tell you?
How to take care of mold in your house?
1. If you have been suffering any illnesses that wouldn’t go away like allergies, itchy eyes, sore throat, headaches, fatigue, etc., go see your doctor and explain to him that you have mold in your home. Knowledge about the mold will help him to correctly treat you.
What to do if your humidifier is leaking?
If there was a leak in the roof, make sure its repaired. If a pipe causes a water leak in a wall, make sure its fixed. If the humidity level on your home humidifier is set too high, make sure it is turned lower. You don’t want the mold to return. Here is more information on the causes of mold. 4.
Can you clean mold without testing?
Many people make the mistake of cleaning up the mold without testing. It is important to know the type of mold your dealing with, and how bad the problem is. Most mold testers are engineers so they can give your home a thorough inspection to find all the mold.
Can mold be spread to other parts of the house?
Mold removal is a much more complex process than most people realize. You don’t want to spread the mold to other parts of your home.
How to tell if mold is in your house?
If your find you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms, your home may be exposed to dangerous levels of mold: 1 Throat irritation 2 Difficulty breathing 3 Nasal congestion 4 Sinus congestion 5 Skin rashes 6 Eye irritations
Why Should You Only Use A Local Home Mold Removal Service?
It is best to avoid mold removal companies who claim they are from out of state. Without local connections, it is easy for a scam artist to take the project’s money and run away with it.
What Are The Side Effects Of Mold In My Home?
Mold can be found anywhere–in your home, outside, and almost any environment.
How long has Remediation Mold Solutions been around?
Here at Remediation Mold Solutions, we pride ourselves on customer service. For over 13 years, we’ve been locally owned and operated.
Is mold a problem?
Mold damage is a common problem that occurs in almost every home. If you can see mold or you have suspicions of mold in your home, it’s likely much worse than you’d ever want to see.
Is mold easy to spot?
Mold can be easy to spot sometimes. In other cases, it can be hidden and still be affecting your health.
Is mold dangerous in a house?
If your find you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms, your home may be exposed to dangerous levels of mold: Mold can be easy to spot sometimes. In other cases, it can be hidden and still be affecting your health.
What to do if you have mold on your house?
Wear protective eyewear, nonporous gloves, and a face mask or N-95 respirator. Never mix other cleaners or ammonia with bleach, as it can create toxic fumes. Use a brush to scrub mold off surfaces, making sure you get it all. Porous materials, such as carpeting, furniture, and ceiling tiles, may have to be discarded.
How does mold get indoors?
Outdoor molds release tiny spores that float through the air. These spores can enter your home via:
What is the most common mold in the house?
The most common indoor molds are: Cladosporium. This mold is brown, green, or black. Cladosporium grows in both warm and cool locations. It’s most often found on wood, carpets, or fabrics, and in heating and cooling ducts. Penicillium. This fuzzy mold is blue, green, or yellow.
What is the white mold that grows in the walls?
Alternaria. This fuzzy mold is white with black spots. It tends to grow in fabrics and wallpaper, near windows and air conditioners, and in bathrooms and kitchens.
What is black mold?
Also called black mold, this greenish-black mold grows on things with a high cellulose content. It’s usually found on paper, fiberboard, and gypsum board. Trichoderma. This mold is creamy-white, but turns green when it releases spores. It’s often found on wood, windows, and in bathrooms and kitchens.
What is the yellow mold in my basement?
Penicillium. This fuzzy mold is blue, green, or yellow. It’s often found under carpets, in basements, and in insulation, especially when there’s been water damage.
How to maintain low humidity in home?
Maintain low humidity in your home with air conditioners and dehumidifiers. Change filters and service air conditioners and furnaces as recommended .
How to find a mold removal company?
You know you’re going to need a pro to handle this situation so it’s important to find the right company fast. Head over to HomeStars to easily research mold removal companies in your area. Select a couple of companies and read their reviews from past clients. Were they satisfied with the service they received? Were all of their mold issues taken care of? Be sure to read the company responses to reviews too, especially if there are negative reviews. Nobody’s perfect, but how a company responds to unhappy customers says a lot about them. Once you’ve found a couple of companies you feel comfortable with, it’s time to reach out to them.
What does it mean when you smell mold?
Some mold is very visible and has a distinct smell. If you notice an earthy or musty smell, it’s likely you’ve got a mold issue to some extent. Mold can be hard to detect if it’s not in plain sight. It often hides behind walls, under floors and in our cabinets.
Can mold grow in a house?
As previously stated, mold grows and spreads quickly. While you may have a mold situation today it can easily grow into a mold infestation if given enough time. This is why it’s important to act fast if you discover mold in your home. If there’s a visible source of what’s causing the mold, for example, an exposed leaking pipe, try cutting off the water to that fixture first. If you cannot locate a source, then it’s time to bring in someone who can.
Is mold dangerous in a house?
No one wants to discover mold in their home, but there may come a time when you do. Don’t panic — while mold is unpleasant and potentially dangerous to your health, it is manageable. Act fast and connect with the right company who can properly handle the situation for you. This way you’ll have peace of mind knowing your mold issue has been handled by a professional.
Can mold be detected?
Mold can be hard to detect if it’s not in plain sight. It often hides behind walls, under floors and in our cabinets. These are all areas where water damage can occur, but we cannot see it. This leads to mold growth and can be potentially very dangerous for you and your household. If you have concerns about this type of mold, it’s best to get an inspector in who can confirm it for you.
Do mold removal companies have liability insurance?
Once you’ve reached out to the companies, it’s important to make sure they have liability insurance specifically for mold removal. Check that their policy states that they are covered for working with mold. If not, they aren’t the best company for the job.
What is mold allergy?
While many molds and fungi do not pose a health or wellness hazard, there are some molds that can cause serious allergic reactions, including anaphylactic shock, which can be serious.
What is black mold?
All types of mold can cause allergic reactions at certain levels and possibly be harmful to your health.
What to do if you think your apartment is moldy?
The laws around mold vary from state to state, so if you feel your apartment is uninhabitable due to mold, be sure to check your state laws or ask a lawyer for advice.
How to get rid of mold and mildew?
Step One: Make sure it is, in fact, mold. Mold and mildew resemble each other, and they are both fungi. But mildew is just a surface fungi, which means with a good cleaner and some scrubbing, you can quickly get rid of it. Mold is embedded in the surface on which it is growing, making it much more difficult to get rid of.
What is the difference between mold and mildew?
Mold is embedded in the surface on which it is growing, making it much more difficult to get rid of. Mold tends to be fuzzy or even slimy in appearance and is typically green or black. Mildew is usually white, gray, or yellow, and it has a fluffy or powdery look to it. Mildew is often what you’ll find on your shower walls, around your windows, ...
What does it mean when you have mold in your eyes?
The presence of mold is the symptom of a water issue (a leak or moisture) that you’ll have to address. The CDC doesn’t recommend testing the mold but rather to get rid of it quickly. People can be sensitive to molds and may develop wheezing, a stuffy nose, or itchy, watery eyes.
How to tell if you have mold on your carpet?
If you can’t locate any obvious signs of mold, it could be hidden behind the drywall or under the carpet pads. Look for any obvious signs of water issues, including water stains on the floor or ceiling, bubbling or cracking of the paint, bowed walls, or surfaces that feel damp.
Can mold come back?
Remember: Even if you were able to remove the mold yourself, if you don’ t get rid of the source (the water or moisture), the mold will come back. Mold spores are naturally in the air, but they need moisture in order to grow. So let your landlord or property manager know you are experiencing a mold problem.
Can vinegar kill mold in shower?
If you have determined that the mold was the result of your 30-minute showers with the doors and windows firmly shut (better acoustics when you’re belting out “Over the Rainbow”), and you were able to get rid of the mold with vinegar, you shouldn’t have any further issues (as long as you leave the door or a window open from now on).
What to do if you find mold in your walls?
If you find any fungus within walls, no matter what color it is, call a professional mold eradicator to get rid of it. Trying to deal with the problem may expose you to unnecessary toxins produced by the mold or fungus.
How to keep mold from growing in your house?
To keep mold from growing in your cooling or heating systems, you can have a specialist check them regularly. Another indication of mold in the house is dark grout between bathroom tiles. Even if this type is most likely the harmless type, there could be flooding in the adjacent room or a leak in bathroom plumbing that could produce a more toxic fungus type that only professionals can remove. A sample sent for testing will let you know whether or not your shower is harmless.
How to tell if mold is in pipes?
They can look anything from dripping, green slime, or a grey fuzz that looks innocuous. If there are spots in your walls that are peeling away or an amazing amount of room humidity, see if there isn’t a double leak in your pipes. Mold reaction symptoms can be as subtle as perpetual fits of sneezing or a running nose.
Why does my house smell musty?
When things in your house smell a bit more musty than they did, even if you have done an extreme general cleaning, your problem may be mold. One clue that mold is the reason for a musty odor in the home and not a lack of cleaning is if there is a stronger smell in one part of the home or a room corner.
What causes mold growth in a house?
Five Most Common Causes of Growth. The five most common causes of mold include water at the foundation, flooding, leaks in roofs, leaking pipes and poor humidity and ventilation. 1. Water In The Foundation. Look out for a build-up of water around your home’s base. This can lead to foundational problems for your home if there is a lot of water.
Why does mold make you runny?
The reason is that some species of mold produce mycotoxin, a substance that leads to headaches, problems with breathing, and even damage in the neurological system. Other symptoms may even include an annoying odor, sneezing, or a runny nose. There are other more subtle signs your home has mold.
What causes mold in the attic?
Keep in an eye for water spots especially on the ceiling just before the attic. 4. Pipes Leaking. Water leaking from a pipe is the most common cause of the growth of mold. The worst leaking is the kind that you can’t see, such as above a ceiling or inside a wall.
What does it mean when you smell black mold?
But if you find a musty smell in your basement or see a patch of fungal growth in a water-prone area of your home, that indicates a mold you'll want to remove—especially if it's hazardous black mold. "When people use the term black mold, they're often identifying a type of mold called stachybotrys," says Andersen.
What is black mold?
While many types of mold grow in circular patterns and boast a shiny finish, black mold differs in a few key ways: It grows in a patchier shape and has a much lighter tone. "It's a dull, kind of chalky mold, reminiscent of if you looked inside your fireplace —that kind of a sooty look," says Andersen. When disturbed, it releases mycotoxins which ...
Where does black mold grow?
Where Black Mold Most Often Grows. Black mold grows in areas that stay consistently wet over long periods of time —so you won't find it immediately after your toilet overflows, but you might notice it under the bathroom or kitchen sink where a slow drip has gone undetected.
Is mold a bad thing?
Experts weigh-in on removal and safety tips. Mold isn't always a bad thing—but it's still not an organism you want growing unchecked in your home. " Some molds are very benign ," says Leslie Andersen, vice president of training and launch at restoration company Paul Davis.
