How To Find An Expert
In Indiana, like most states, there is no requirement to act like a mold expert. The policing on something like this is limited, so you have to be your own advocated. We recommend checking to ensure a company or individual is IICRC Certified.
You can locate local providers here:
Can Sleeping In A Room With Mold Kill You
No, it is not healthy to sleep in a room with mold and mildew. An interior mold of any kind of exposure is something to worry about and mold inside your bedroom is particularly so, simply as a result of the number of hrs you invest in your bedroom breathing it in while you rest. Beyond the instant allergy signs and symptoms, mold and mildew direct exposure usually create rest concerns, too.
Recognize What Are The Symptoms of Mold Exposure
If they enter into contact with mold, they may experience signs and symptoms, such as:
- a dripping or blocked nose.
- a dry cough.
- watery, red eyes.
- an aching throat.
So, how long you can really stay inside a room with mold? 2 days. Also even worse, if you dont take any action the mold will certainly continue growing until actions are taken to get rid of the problem. Drying out extensively may assist avoid prompt and long-term health problems. Permit areas to completely dry a couple of days before replacing damaged products.
How Toxic Mold Symptoms Affect Your Health
Mold negatively affects your homes air quality, can cause serious health problems, and should be taken equally seriously. If you suffer from any neurological symptoms like a short attention span, dizziness, headaches, memory loss, or have trouble concentrating, it could be a huge red flag that harmful, toxic mold is growing and continuing to spread throughout your home and its literally poisoning you. It doesnt matter if its visible mold or not enough mold to cause health problems is a problem no matter what. Just like allergies, if you or your familys toxic symptoms increase when youre at home, you can almost be sure your home is carrying mold. Dont wait take action immediately before risking both the health of your home and family gets too far out of control, especially if you have children.
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Mold Can Spread To The Hvac System
Mold infestations get exponentially worse if they spread into heating and air conditioning systems. HVAC ducts can attract mold growth since the air is quite humid inside. Mold also feeds on dust moisture, which is plentiful inside of an HVAC system.
The issue with mold growth in the air ducts is that the spores can travel through the air and spread to other rooms. This also means that the mold spores can enter your familys lungs and cause potential health issues.
Having mold around is never healthy and it gets exponentially worse when that mold is breathed in. Mold can trigger allergic and asthmatic reactions and lead to respiratory issues and infections.
What Happens During The Process Of Mold Remediation
During the mold removal and remediation process mold spores become disrupted meaning spore counts can increase 10 to 100 times. Proper procedures, containment and HEPA filtration equipment are required to prevent cross contamination. Without these controls, the situation can become much worse than the original issue.
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What To Do About Mold In Your Home
For areas that have already fallen victim to mold, there is hope. We cannot stress this enough – your first action should either be a mold test kit, or a call to a professional service. Do not simply attack mold with bleach and expect it to disappear, because you’re likely fixing the symptom and not the root cause. When you know what you’re dealing with, you can then take appropriate action.
In some instances, common household ingredients can rescue you home. Mix a cup of bleach with a gallon of water and scrub the mold off your walls, carpet or ceiling. This will kill the mold, and allow you to repair or repaint the impacted area . This is usually fine for areas where you haven’t been allowing enough ventilation – simply remove the mold, repaint with a moisture or mold repellant paint, and remember to open doors and windows to prevent the area from getting stale.
If you have a windowless bathroom, mold will likely grow here. Having an air extraction fan fitted is relatively inexpensive, and can prevent moisture from staying within the room. Failing that, keep the door open as much as possible.
Air Conditioning And Heating Vents
You probably prefer your bedroom to be at the optimal temperature for you to get a good nights rest. While using the AC and heating unit are fine , its possible for mold to grow in the vents.
To prevent mold from contaminating your bedroom, you should:
- Use a dehumidifier to remove excess moisture from the air
- Dry up any condensation you find on the walls and windows
- Invest in a mold-resistant mattress or, at the very least, a waterproof mattress cover
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The Difference Between Buyers That Conduct Mold Inspections And Those That Dont
Before you buy any home, you should conduct a professional mold inspection regardless of whether you see visible signs or not. This will let you know how much mold, if any, is in a home and whether its easily removable. You want to know the house is worth the investment upfront.
When buyers DO conduct a mold inspection, they have the chance to:
- Identify all of the different affected areas.
- Understand the extent of moisture or water damage.
- Learn about past claims to insurance.
- Talk to the seller about covering/addressing mold remediation costs.
- Negotiate a better price for the house after finding the mold growth.
- Back out of the sale if the mold problem is out of control.
- Remediate the mold immediately if they plan to move in and stay safe.
When buyers DO NOT conduct a mold inspection, they will likely:
- Not find out about the mold until weeks or months after the purchase.
- Overpay for a house with serious problems.
- Expose their family and pets to health complications after moving in.
- Jeopardize the safety of their belongings by exposing them to mold.
- Face a hefty remediation bill .
- Deal with hefty medical bills after mold exposure.
- Have to vacate the property if the infestation turns out to be extensive.
The bottom line is that if youre considering buying a home, you need to have a mold inspection done to cover yourself and to avoid purchasing a nightmare of a situation.
What We Take Issue With
As you can probably tell from the radio show, I have a problem with a technician who performed no test on the substance and claimed no certification on the matter, declaring what the substance was and that he had the solution available. Until a proper diagnosis is performed, dont pay for an expensive solution.
If you notice or have a home service provider notice something that appears to have mold-like qualities, there are specific procedures you should follow.
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Why Play An Expensive Guessing Game
You might find yourself having to treat visible areas again and again without making real progress. The infestation may be deeper than you think, like in carpet padding, inside mattresses, behind wood paneling or inside walls.
Our experienced mold testing technicians can perform air quality testing that pinpoints the type of mold in your home. We can also let you know whether or not they are growing in concentrations that can expose you to harm.
This gives you a starting point for approaching whoever is responsible for managing neighboring infected homes or units quickly. After professional remediation has been performed, by the company of your choice, we can re-test to make sure the mold next door has really been evicted.
Key Signs Your House May Have Toxic Mold
Mold isnt always visually seen or easy to find. Here are some of the most common warning signs that may indicate theres toxic mold growing inside your home.
Some of the more commons signs of mold growth are:
- Dormant allergies or allergic reactions
- Aggravated asthma or other lung problems
- Discolored walls
- Stains
- Black spots
- An increase in negative health symptoms such as a fever or feeling itchy usually these problems are associated with an increased consumption of medications such antihistamines
Well dive into some of these mold symptoms more to help teach you whether or not you need professional mold testing and mold removal or if you just need to take some precautionary steps to prevent mold spores from settling in your home.
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How Common Is Mold In Buildings
Mold is very common in homes and buildings.
One 2017 study found mold in every public building studied, with an average of about 14 instances of mold per building.
Another involving 31 European countries found mold in 1 in 6 homes. The author noted that the prevalence of mold may vary greatly depending on the regional climate.
Mold Testing In California
Your San Jose area neighbor is complaining about a mold issue. You have unexplained allergies indoors. You live close to a possible water-damaged property, or you think you see visible signs of a problem. We can help.
Contact us today at Benchmark Environmental Engineering and schedule your mold testing service. Let us help you get the answers you need to act and protect your family and home.
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Interplay Between The Brain Immune System And Gut
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What Mold Looks Like
Molds are a type of fungus and can look like their fungal cousins, mushrooms and yeasts. Outdoors, molds can be seen gobbling up the dead organic matter on decomposing surfaces like fallen leaves and rotting logs indoors, house mold thrives in wet, humid environments like bathrooms and basements or anywhere that has recently flooded. There are thousands of types of mold, and their appearance can vary depending on the type of mold and where its growing.
The most common indoor molds are Cladosporium, Penicillium, Aspergillus, and Alternaria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Black mold, or Stachybotrys chartarum , is also sometimes found in homes and other buildings. This greenish-black growth can grow on fiberboard, paper, dust, and lint, particularly in areas that may have recently flooded or suffered other types of water damage. While black mold can certainly look scary, the CDC says that Stachybotrys chartarum isnt any more harmful than other types of mold.
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Is Resting Beside Mold Bad For Your Health
Direct exposure to mold or wetness in your home has been associated with adverse respiratory results in all age groups. This direct exposure has actually likewise been connected to sleeplessness in adults. We aimed to explore the association between direct exposure to visible mold or wetness at home and also sleep problems in children.
How To Tell If You Have Mold In Your House
It can be hard to tell if you have mold in your house. Obviously, if you see mold somewhere, youve got a mold problem in your house, but mold can hide in walls, ventilation ducts, crawl spaces, and in other hard-to-see areas.
A common way to check for mold is to smell for it. A musty smell in an area of your home is often an indicator that there is some kind of mold present. Symptoms like a persistent runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing and throat irritation could also be indicative of mold.
In addition, anywhere that has been exposed to a significant amount of moisture such as water damage from flooding is a potential area where mold may be growing. Look for water where it shouldnt be, and check areas which may have flooded in the past.
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Is Black Mold Dangerous
The short answer isnot really. But that doesnt mean you should keep black mold as a pet.
Everyone has different levels of tolerance to allergens like mold spores, but thats all black mold isan allergen.1 Those with asthma, respiratory allergies, or immune suppression will feel the effects of black molds mycotoxins more than most folks.
As one source put it, Previous reports of toxic mold syndrome or toxic black mold have been shown to be no more than media hype and mass hysteria. 2
But whether you feel black mold symptoms or not, its best to get rid of black mold as soon as you find it.
What Does Mold Smell Like
Does mold smell? You bet it does. But what does mold smell like? And what does mildew smell like? Probably what youd expect it to smell like, actually: earthy, damp, tangy kind of like dirty socks or rotting wood. These unpleasant smells come from the microbial volatile organic compounds mold releases as it grows. Of course, different molds and mildews can have different smells to different people. If you notice that the air in your home has a unique smell that you cant pinpoint, you might want to start looking for mold.
Quite often, constantly smelling a musty odor could be the one of the only mold signs that your home has. If you can smell mold there is likely mold under something or mold in something. Just because you cant always see mold doesnt mean mold problems arent there. A nasal assault of musty odors is almost always the first sign of mold growing somewhere in the house. Thoroughly inspect your entire home or purchase a mold test kit if you suspect you may have mold. If you can take care of it before it turns into a huge problem, you could save yourself some serious financial headaches later on.
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Where Did The Mold Come From
All types of fungus love the wet, warm, and the dark. Humid areas, properties that have recently been flooded or had problems with leaks can attract and foster growth. You can find this substance growing on a wide variety of materials depending on the species you have.
- Carpeting, Mattresses & Home Textiles
- Potted Plant Soil & Pet Droppings
- Wet Building Materials, Fiberglass Insulation, Drywall
- On Windowsills, Walls & Wallpaper
- In The Shower & On Caulking
- Any Areas With Unresolved Water Damage
- In HVAC Systems & Dusty Areas
- On Wood, Books, Newspapers & Other Porous Materials
I Heard About Toxic Molds And Black Molds That Grow In Homes And Other Buildings Should I Be Concerned About A Serious Health Risk To Me And My Family
There is always a little mold everywhere in the air and on many surfaces.
Certain molds are toxigenic, meaning they can produce toxins . Hazards presented by molds that may produce mycotoxins should be considered the same as other common molds which can grow in your house. Not all fungi produce mycotoxins and even those that do will not do so under all surface or environmental conditions.
Mold growth, which often looks like spots, can be many different colors, and can smell musty. Color is not an indication of how dangerous a mold may be. Any mold should be removed and the moisture source that helped it grow should be removed.
There are very few reports that toxigenic molds found inside homes can cause unique or rare health conditions such as pulmonary hemorrhage or memory loss. These case reports are rare, and a causal link between the presence of the toxigenic mold and these conditions has not been proven.
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