Where Does Black Mold Grow
Black mold grows in high-moisture areas, typically attributed to water leaks or unmitigated standing water. Improperly remediated water damage can also promote black mold growth.
The most common places to find toxic black mold include:
- Inside walls, behind or on drywall
- Under subflooring
- Under sinks and inside cabinets
- In basements and crawl spaces
- In the attic or on roof trusses
- Within the building foundation
Pay particular attention to bedroom windows, where black mold thrivesespecially on older, single-pane glass. If you have children, inspect their bedroom windows regularly.
Black mold may be mistaken for other types of mold that grow in similar places, including aspergillus mold.
How To Remove Mold From Concrete Walls
- Fill a bucket with 1-gallon of warm water and add ½ cup of liquid laundry detergent.
- Dip a scrub brush or a push broom into the cleaning solution and scrub the concrete to remove it.
- Rinse the concrete wall with a garden hose and allow it to air dry.
- Empty the bucket and fill with a mixture of 1-gallon warm water and ¼ cup of bleach.
- Apply to the concrete with a sponge or sponge mop and allow to sit for 20-30 minutes.
- Rinse completely and allow to air dry.
Where Does Black Mold Come From
Black Mold can originate from many different sources. It thrives in damp areas with a lot of cellulose, such as cardboard or paper items. Black mold is also present in some foods that are high in cellulose and low acidity .
However, mold can grow in any warm, wet areas of the house such as basements, showers, crawlspaces, and especially on windows. It can form as the result of your ventilation not working properly or if you have leaky pipes.
If you suspect you have leaky pipes in your house, you should check your basement thoroughly for mold. You should also check showers, corners, and crawlspaces if you think your ventilation is not working properly.
If left unchecked it will cause serious damage to your home.
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How To Treat Black Mold Poisoning
Black mold, scientifically referred to as Stachybotrys atra or Stachybotrys chartarum, is typically black or dark green and often linked to serious health problems.
In fact, exposure to black mold can lead to black mold poisoning, or stachybotryotoxicosis a condition thats dangerous, particularly for young children and the elderly.
Even though black mold poisoning typically affects horses, cows, and pigs, humans can become infected if they inhale or ingest the spores.
Symptoms of stachybotryotoxicosis include skin rashes , throat and sinus irritation, burning eyes, and a decrease in the production of white blood cells.
Why Should You Contact A Remediation Professional
- Not all white woolly and black discolorations are molds.
- Black or green mold can exist in your soil without you seeing it.
- Dont risk the health of your plant soil and family before taking action.
- Only mold remediation companies have state-of-the-art mold testing tools.
So, only a remediation company can confirm if what you see is mold or just a look-alike. They are in the best position to tell what type of mold it is and how dangerous it can be on your plant, soil, and family.
Do you think you need help, Mold Busters is here to assist you. Our professionals will perform air quality tests to discover the state of the air youre breathing in and the needs of your home.
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Can Black Mold Spread From House To House
Yes. If you have had mold in your old house and youre moving into another space, it is possible to cross contaminate this new environment.
Because mold spores are not visible to the naked eye, it is hard to tell which surfaces are contaminated. Therefore, the mold has to be completely cleaned before you renovate or move to a new home.
Look For Signs Of Moisture Or Mold
- Mold can have a cottony, velvety, granular or leathery texture
- The color of mold can vary from white, gray, brown, black, green or other colors
- Mold damage may look like discoloration or staining on the surface of building materials or furnishings
- Noticeable mold odors are described as musty or earthly
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How Does Mold Affect The Value Of A Home
Mold can affect the appraisal value of a home. For some buyers, this is a good thing because it makes a home more affordable. But if you’re hoping to move into a home in excellent condition, don’t make an offer on a home with mold until you’ve had an independent appraisal. FHA appraisers, for example, are required not only to note if mold is growing in a home, but also the type of mold and its location. If you find that the mold growing in the home is black mold, there are a few things you should know: toxic black mold can cause permanent damage to your health and in extreme cases has even lead to death.
Large overgrowths of mold and mold in unusual locations are especially likely to lower a home’s value. If the FHA appraiser finds that the mold overgrowth is dangerous, you might be required to remove the mold before you can get an FHA loan.
Before you buy any home, you should have it inspected for mold and other problems. During this inspection, you might learn what caused the mold as well as the black mold removal cost. Sellers also have to disclose if there is an ongoing mold problem in the house or if it has previously flooded, but they don’t always do so. Never take a seller’s or real estate agent’s word about the presence of mold. Even if you’re getting a steep discount, get an inspection. The cost of removing the mold could be greater than your savings.
Scrub Moldy Surfaces With Mold Cleaner
- Scrub the surface mold stains from walls and wood trim with a mixture of one quart water and 1/2-cup bleach mold cleaner to kill the mold.
- Use a soft brush and work until signs of the mold disappear.
- After scrubbing the surfaces, allow the bleach solution to continue to penetrate the surfaces and dry.
- Wipe off, but DO NOT RINSE these surfaces.
- Set trim in direct sunlight to dry. Scrub concrete with TSP or automatic dishwasher detergent.
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What Are Black Mold Health Symptoms
We all know mold isnt welcomed in the home, but did you know too that breathing in the presence of mold can harm your health? There are over 2,000 different species of mold and the most dangerous of all is called Stachybotrys Chartarum, also known as black mold or the invisible killer.
Why is black mold so dangerous? Black mold releases toxic spores that linger in the air and attack your respiratory health. The potency of these toxic spores has proved to be the most detrimental to human health.
Black mold often appears as slimy and greenish-black. If its water source runs out, black mold can also appear as dry and powdery. Black mold is also dangerous because its sometimes difficult to distinguish from other species of mold.
What Type Of Mold Can Grow On Plant Soil
The types of mold that can grow on your plant soil are classified by their color. The common ones are white, black, green, and brown powdery molds, respectively. Each type of mold has different species with dissimilar effects on your soil. But how would you differentiate each mold on your houseplant soil?
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How To Prevent Black Mold Growth
Conducting routine home inspections and maintenance are the best ways to deal with a black mold problem. Keep an eye out for evidence of water damage and visible mold on a regular basis. The conditions that cause mold should be corrected in a timely manner to prevent mold from growing further.
The extent of structural damage black mold can cause to your home, depends on how quickly you act to fix it.
Some of the ways you can keep mold out of your home is by:
To completely get rid of black mold from your home, you must address the root cause of the problem, so that there is no recurrence of mold. For example, just cleaning up the mold without addressing the moisture problem will not solve the issue because the mold will very likely return.
How To Remove The Black Mold
Begin this when the area is dried and sealed off. Scrub the surfaces with a detergent solution multiple washes may be required for tougher mold spots. Avoid using bleach since bleach does not prevent mold from recurring. After cleaning, dry the surface quickly with the help of dehumidifiers and fans. Vacuum the remaining mold spores using a HEPA filtered vacuum cleaner.
If youre remodeling after the mold removal, use water-resistant materials, such as tile, stone, deep-sealed concrete, waterproof wallboard, water-resistant glues, etc. Note that using water-resistant materials does not guarantee that mold will not occur. Mold will grow on these materials if there are moisture and a food source on them and warm conditions.
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How To Clean Mold From Walls
Hiring a professional is recommended. Many people are tempted to use bleach to clean black mold from their walls, but this can cause a variety of problems. Bleach often removes the color of mold, making it almost invisible. While the walls may look clean, they are still moldy and can cause health issues.
Signs Of Black Mold And How To Get Rid Of It
Do you know if theres mold in your home? Mold grows in areas that are dark and damp, like bathrooms or around heating and cooling units that produce condensation.
The thought of any type of mold growing in your home might have you reaching for the nearest scrub brush and cleaning agent. Before you start scrubbing, be sure to evaluate what type of mold youre facing. While you dont want any mold in your house, black mold may pose more health risks than other types.
Learn more about black mold so you can identify it and prevent it from contaminating your home.
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Not All Mold Is Toxic Mold
According to the Centers for Disease Control: “While certain molds are toxigenic, meaning they can produce toxins , the molds themselves are not toxic, or poisonous.” And while it is possible for toxigenic molds to produce rare health conditions such as pulmonary hemorrhage or memory loss, this rarely happens.
This is not to say that mold cannot produce health issues. People should be educated with a clear understanding of the risks of mold, but not made to panic or caused undue alarm.
How Does Black Mold Get Inside A House
Mold spores find their way inside by hitchhiking on clothes, pet fur, and air currents into your home. But spores cant get comfortable without plenty of water. This is why youll usually find black mold around water-damaged areas impacted by plumbing issues like floods or leaky pipes.
Materials like drywall, carpet, or gypsum board can soak up water, creating a perfect home for a black mold colony. If you find water damage at home, its crucial to remove all the affected materials to prevent mold from growing.
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What Causes Mold To Grow
Black mold, like most molds, thrive in conditions that are dark, unventilated and damp. The less the spores are disturbed the more they will grow it can grow for months, even years behind a surface without being noticed. It may have started out in an area, such as behind or underneath appliance, anywhere there are pipes, especially leaking or sweaty pipes and/or around leaky windows. It can also seep in from the ground around your home. High humidity can also cause excess moisture which can develop into spores. Once it has started to grow it can spread on and into the walls.
Leave Your Black Mold Removal Up To The Professionals
With our fully trained and certified team, eco-friendly mold removal products, and comprehensive remediation services, Green Home Solutions gives you one less thing to worry about when it comes to ensuring a safe, clean, healthy living space for your family. Learn more by giving us a call today, or fill out our online form to get started with a free, in-home assessment.
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What Does Black Mold Look Like
When you want to identify positively the signs of the dangerous type of this fungus versus the regular type, you need to know for what characteristics to look. The toxic variety can look dark green or black in color. It may also be gray, depending on where it is growing in your home.
You can also identify it by its odor. The odor is one of the tell tale signs of it that can help you detect its presence. It may smell musty and like mildew where it grows.
Tips For Mold Prevention
After you learn how to remove mold, focus on preventing it in the future. Controlling dampness is the key to stopping most mold. The worst infestations usually occur in damp crawl spaces, attics, walls where water leaked in from the outside, and in basements with poor foundation drainage. Stopping leaks, ensuring good ventilation in attics, keeping crawl spaces dry and routing water away from the foundation are the best defenses against mold.
Mildewcide in paint is usually effective for controlling surface mold in damp rooms like bathrooms, and outside in shady areas. Many paints already have mildewcide in them. Check with your paint dealer about mold removal products.
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Signs Of Black Mold In The Home
If you live in a moisture-prone home, its important to keep an eye out for signs of black mold. Not only can you see and smell a mold infestation, but you can also monitor your family for any changes in health conditions.
Black mold signs and symptoms include:
- Musty odor or mildew smell
- Visible signs of growth on surfaces
- Discovering water leaks or water stains
- Sudden onset or increase in allergy symptoms
- New respiratory issues in otherwise healthy family members
Because these symptoms are similar to symptoms of other, more common illnesses, many people never attribute their health problems to black mold. Its important for all families to perform regular inspections and take a proactive approach in spotting the signs.
Concrobium 25326 Mold Control Spray
This mold remover can be used to kill, remove stains, and prevent mold from coming back, making it a great all-around product to have in the home. This spray cleaner contains no ammonia or harmful chemicals, making it safe to use in the home. It can be used on a variety of different surfaces both inside and out of the house.
This mold remover is excellent for homes with damp issues as it works to eliminate the source of moisture. This removes the mold from its core and prevents it from coming back again. This mold remover keeps your home clean, tidy, and smelling fresh while killing bacteria.
This mold remover kills bacteria and prevents dampness to stop mold from coming back again.
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What Is The Mold Remediation Process
Mold remediation is a multi-step process that involves mold-killing, removing the dead fungi and disinfecting the surfaces and areas to protect against mold regrowth.
Remediation is often used interchangeably with the term removal, but removal is actually just one factor in the multi-step process. Remediation is more extensive because it involves identifying the source of the mold, avoiding cross-contamination, cleaning and drying infected areas, removing mold-infected materials and preventing future mold outbreaks.
A professional typically follows these steps in their remediation plan:
How Fast Does Black Mold Spread
Mold begins to grow as soon as its spores land on a damp, fibre-rich material and it can spread around the house within 24 to 48 hours. It colonizes in one to twelve days and grows at one square inch per day. In less than a week, it can cover surface areas of several square feet.
Unfortunately in most cases, mold is widespread and already a big problem before a problem is even suspected by the homeowners.
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Health Effects Of Black Mold
According to the EPA, various types of mold can cause health problems for some people. Those health problems are primarily in the form of allergies such as stuffy head, headache, itchy eyes, trouble breathing, etc. These ailments can be more severe in the young, the old, and those with other health issues. The CDC basically says the same thing that mold can cause health issues in some people, or no issues in other people.
According to the CDC, Stachybotrys black mold is unproven to cause serious medical issues beyond those mentioned above. In other words, symptoms of black mold are only proven to be similar to other molds. The CDC simply states that various types of mold may cause health symptoms, to consult with a doctor if symptoms persist, and that no color or type of mold belongs in a building.
You may be thinking: If all we know for sure is that mold causes allergies in some people, and maybe some serious health problems in a small percentage of other people, then whats the big deal?
Well, our answer to that is to imagine yourself as one of those people who are sensitive to mold. Constant allergies, constantly feeling sick, and miserable in your own home. Theres even a scientific name for it: Sick Building Syndrome . Mold, along with other problems such as radon, Chinese drywall, etc., can cause Sick Building Syndrome. Suffering through Sick Building Syndrome is a terrible way to live, and we wouldnt wish it upon our worst enemy!
