Hazard Classes Of Mold Types In Homes
Some countries have adapted a hazard class system to place molds in different categories based on their health risks. They are broken into Hazard classes A, B and C:
- Hazard Class A:The mold types in this group are either directly hazardous to health due to risk of infection or creation of toxins. They should not be in homes or workplaces and should be removed right away if found.
- Hazard Class B:The mold types in this group can cause allergic reactions, especially over longer periods of time.
- Hazard Class C:The mold types in this group arent known to cause any health risks or reactions in humans. Note, however, that even molds in this category can potentially cause structural damage to things that they are growing on, and should still be gotten rid of.
Where To Check For Mold In Your Bathroom
You may love a long, hot shower but, unfortunately, so does mold. The warm, wet environment of a bathroom is practically an invitation for mold growth. Bathrooms that lack proper ventilation are especially prone to attracting mold. While it may be clear to check for mold on shower tiles, there are plenty of less obvious places for mold to grow in the bathroom.
The Biggest Threats To A Healthy Home
The most common types of mold include aspergillus, cladosporium and stachybotrys atra .
Aspergillus is a fairly allergenic mold that is commonly found on foods and in home air conditioning systems. Cladosporium is typically a black or green “pepper like” substance that grows on the back of toilets, painted surfaces and fiberglass air ducts. While this mold is nontoxic to humans, it can trigger common allergy symptoms, such as red and watery eyes, rashes and a sore throat.
Removing Mold01:40
Mold that appears to be orange or red in color is typically found outdoors, given its nature to thrive on decaying plants or moist wood. This type of mold, which can appear slimy, is harmless and should only be removed for aesthetic purposes.
White mold is not technically a type of mold, but the good news is that this typically indicates the mold is only in the early stages of growth and can easily be treated.
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Mold Reactions: Who’s At Risk
For people sensitive to mold, inhaling or touching mold spores can cause allergic reactions, including sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, and skin rash. People with serious mold allergies may have more severe reactions, including shortness of breath. In people with asthma who are allergic to mold, breathing in spores can also cause asthma attacks.
In addition to people with allergies and asthma, others who may be more sensitive to the effects of mold include:
- Infants and children
- People with chronic lung disease
Treating Mold Can Be Expensive
Once a mold infestation affects a home, it can take a great deal of money, time, energy, and resources to eliminate the problem.
First, youll have to hire a specialized mold inspector. Youll need a trained specialist to be able to identify the type of mold in your home and their potential health risks.
Once the mold inspectors determine the state of your mold problem, youll need to remove it completely. If the mold infestation is fairly advanced, you may need some major structural work to eliminate the issue. For instance, it might require cutting into drywall or even complete demolition to some parts of the home.
Serious mold problems need to be treated using special mold-resistant solutions. This can be something like anti-fungal paint, as mentioned earlier. It may also involve using special seals and curing the trouble area. These solutions can get very expensive and rather inconvenient as it restricts you from using your house to its fullest capacity.
In worst-case scenarios, your home may be condemned, especially if it is infested with toxic mold. This is an extreme scenario and often preventable if you catch the mold issue early enough.
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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.
Mold feeds on dust and moisture, which is plentiful inside of an HVAC system. This increases the likelihood of mold spores circulating in a home. Spores can spread through the air, entering into your familys lungs and causing potential health issues. Having mold around is never healthy and it gets exponentially worse when that mold is breathed in. This is one of the major causes of the health risks associated with having mold inside of a home.
Poor Ventilation In Your Home
As we mentioned before, a poorly ventilated home is a magnet for the growth of mold and the spreading of mold spores.
The stagnant air throughout your home is one of the best environments for the growth of mold. So make sure to rid your home of it on a daily basis!
Steam created by appliances, cooking, and bathing creates humidity in your home, leaving surfaces damp and sticky.
Remove the moisture from your home and youll remove the likelihood of mold growth.
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Dont Let Mold Hide In Your Home
To an untrained professional glancing at a suspect problem area might not give you the answers you need. Give us a call to discuss how we can help identify and solve the issue. DIY mold clean-up can also be beneficial, but the harsh chemicals that need to be used tend to be harsh. Check out 6 natural ways to treat mold without using bleach.
Most Common Types Of Mold Found In Homes
Dampness, warmth, lack of direct light, and poor ventilation almost inevitably make your home affected by mold. While there are many types of household mold , most of them are toxic and should be removed as soon as possible by a professional mold remediation company.
Remember, while mold colonies thrive in your home, the health of inhabitants and the integrity of home structures gradually decline. Understanding of how to distinguish between most common types of mold will help you recognize the problem and correctly assess the hazards.
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Types Of Harmful Mold That May Be Lurking In Your Home
While mold is found virtually everywhere you go and is not always harmful, there are certain types of mold or fungi that can pose a serious health risk to you and your family if they are present in your home. Here are a few of the most common species of toxic mold that can grow inside homes wherever there are wet surfaces or water damage, and a few tips for what to do if you think there might be harmful mold in your home.
Most Common Places To Check For Mold In Your Home
If you have allergies or a chronic lung disease like asthma, youre probably very aware of the effect mold can have on your health. But even if you have a healthy immune system and no allergies, mold can cause a variety of health problems coughing, wheezing, and throat, skin, and eye irritation, to name a few. Mold is everywhere and, though you cant fully control your exposure to it outdoors or in public spaces, you can check for mold in common places around your home and take measures to prevent and remove it.
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Stachybotrys Chartarum Black Mold
- This species of mold is found in soil and grain, and also found growing on cellulose-rich building materials.
- It is usually greenish-black in color, the toxic variant of this species reflects a greyish hue, has a soot-like and slimy texture.
- Prolonged exposure to Stachybotrys Chartarum is known to cause respiratory issues, skin problems and brain problems like depression, anxiety, confusion.
Exposure Sources And Prevention
The primary sources of mold exposure are from the indoor air in buildings with substantial mold growth and the ingestion of food with mold growths.
While mold and related microbial agents can be found both inside and outside, specific factors can lead to significantly higher levels of these microbes, creating a potential health hazard. Several notable factors are water damage in buildings, the use of building materials which provide a suitable substrate and source of food to amplify mold growth, relative humidity, and energy-efficient building designs, which can prevent proper circulation of outside air and create a unique ecology in the built environment. A common issue with mold hazards in the household can be the placement of furniture, resulting in a lack of ventilation of the nearby wall. The simplest method of avoiding mold in a home so affected is to move the furniture in question.
Prevention of mold exposure and its ensuing health issues begins with the prevention of mold growth in the first place by avoiding a mold-supporting environment. Extensive flooding and water damage can support extensive mold growth. Following hurricanes, homes with greater flood damage, especially those with more than 3 feet of indoor flooding, demonstrated far higher levels of mold growth compared with homes with little or no flooding.
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A Qualified Environmental Lab Took Samples Of The Mold In My Home And Gave Me The Results Can Cdc Interpret These Results
Standards for judging what is an acceptable, tolerable or normal quantity of mold have not been established. Sampling for mold can be expensive, and standards for judging what is and what is not an acceptable quantity of mold have not been set. The best practice is to remove the mold and work to prevent future growth. If you do decide to pay for environmental sampling for molds, before the work starts, you should ask the consultants who will do the work to establish criteria for interpreting the test results. They should tell you in advance what they will do or what recommendations they will make based on the sampling results. The results of samples taken in your unique situation cannot be interpreted without physical inspection of the contaminated area or without considering the buildings characteristics and the factors that led to the present condition.
Four Common Causes Of Mold Growth In Homes
Your home must be a safe place for you and your family, but if you have a mold problem forming inside your walls, your family might be at risk. Mold remediation is the procedure of assessing a property for the presence of different types of mold. The mold is then professionally eliminated, the property is ventilated using specialized ventilation systems, and the homeowner is instructed to keep their home spore-free. This kind of situation might happen on your property for a lot of reasons.
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Is Black Mold Dangerous Heres The Truth
The truth is, many people arent negatively affected by mold. However, mold can cause allergies in some people who are sensitive to mold. In these cases, it can make their lives miserable. Mold can also cause severe medical issues with a small percentage of people who have other health complications.
If youve seen a concerning growth in your home or been told that you have a black mold issue, you probably have a lot of questions.
The 8 Most Common Types Of Mold Found In Homes
Home » Blog » The 8 Most Common Types of Mold Found in Homes
Molds, though not animals nor plants, need air, water and food to survive and thrive. The majority of household molds flourish in moist, warm environments and feed on the textiles, decomposing paper, dry wall and wood in your home, as well as nutrient-less synthetic materials, such as paints and pastes. When molds are living on hard surfaces, such as metal, glass and plastic, they consume the dust and dirt on those materials.
The mold family is hugemore than 100,000 species! Most you will never encounter. Then there are those that sneak into your home, damage it and bring in significant health risksfrom the annoyance of a stuffy nose to a life-threatening illness. Here we acquaint you with eight most common types of mold that may be living in your home right now.
Alternaria
In the summer, the warm, dry wind carries alternaria indoors. Once its in, it runs rampant through the home. It ranges in color from black to dusky olive green, and it might look like suede or like fluffy cotton. Like all molds, youll find it in damp places, such as the shower stall or under the sink with the leaky pipe. Sometimes it hides around window frames sometimes it settles into water-damaged carpets and other fabrics
Alternaria is notorious for causing allergic reactions and asthma attacks. It has large spores that actually infiltrate your nose, mouth and upper respiratory tract.
Aspergillus
Chaetomium
Cladosporium
Penicillium
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How Do I Prevent The Growth Of Cobweb Mold
There are many ways for you to prevent the growth of cobweb mold. This is also applicable to cobweb mold. Here are practical ways you can prevent the growth of cobweb mold in your home:
- Ensure that you keep your refrigerator clean.
- Ensure that your kitchen tools are clean.
- Store fresh produce in your refrigerator.
- Food trays and containers should also be clean.
- Freeze any food you do not plan on eating within three days.
Othermolds To Be Aware Of
Whilethese indoor molds and outdoor molds are species to be aware of they are less common and/or do not presentmajor health concerns. The molds below are considered allergenic molds orpathogenic molds.
Bipolaris
Bipolarisis a widespread fungus that is most frequently associated with grasses, plantmaterial, decaying food, and soil. It is found both in indoor and outdoorenvironments. Various species of this fungus can produce the mycotoxinsterigmatocystin
Chrysonilia
Chrysoniliahas a wide distribution. It is commonly referred to as red bread mold. It has been isolated from carpet and mattress dust as well.
Geomyces
Geomyces is a saprophytic fungus widespread in nature. It is frequently isolated from soil and from air samples. In indoor environments, it is found in mattress dust, on damp walls, and paper in libraries. It also found on swimming pool floors and gymnasium floors.
Geotrichum
Acommon contaminant of grains, fruits, dairy products, paper, textiles, soil,and water.
Gliocladium
Gliocladium species are saprobes and commonly strongly cellulolytic. They have a world-wide distribution and are commonly isolated from a wide range of plant debris and soil. Gliocladium is also commonly isolated from moldy fabrics.
Gliomastix
Gliomastixis a type of mold frequently found in soil and has been isolated from bottled fruit, textiles, cosmetics, paper, paint, asbestos, and wood.
Memnoniella
Myrothecium
Oidiodendron
There are two common species ofOidiodendron.
Paecilomyces
Phoma
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Do I Need Professional Testing
In short, usually not! Because, remember the saying: no mold, no matter what color, belongs in a healthy home. And that is good news because a professional mold inspection with testing can run anywhere from $300-$750. In most cases where mold is clearly visible, knowing exactly what type of mold you have is unnecessary. We advise most of our clients to forgo the inspection process and just apply that money saved to the cost of fixing the problem. The EPA agrees that mold testing isnt necessary in most cases.
There are exceptions, however, such as when a mold inspection with testing is required as part of a real estate sale or if you require proof that a mold problem is present, such as for a legal dispute. If you think you may have a mold problem, but arent sure, then we recommend formal testing from a professional. And if you require clearance testing to verify an all clear after a mold problem is fixed, then professional mold testing is necessary.
Looking For Mold Removal Specialists
With over 25 years of experience in the industry of mold removal, we are proud to say we are one of the best in the business in Toronto and GTA.
If youre looking for a free mold inspection, information on the causes of mold or mold removal tips, were happy to help!
Get in touch with Clean First for unrivaled experience, professionalism and mold removal expertise.
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Effects Of Mold On Human Health
It is critical to identify and eliminate mold as soon as it begins to develop. Mold can be highly toxic and can have a long-lasting effect on human health depending on the species and the extent of exposure. Children, seniors, pregnant women and people with pre-existing health conditions are particularly vulnerable to the effects of mold. Mold is such a severe health issue that organizations like the Institute of Medicine , the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have all researched and published findings on the links between this toxic substance and different illnesses and health conditions.
Here are some of the important health effects of mold exposure:
- Mold Sensitivity: Some people are particularly sensitive to mold, while others can develop a sensitivity over time due to prolonged exposure. Other people may have more sensitive mold allergies and can be severely affected by it. Mold sensitivity includes symptoms like:
- Chest and nasal congestion
- Watering, dry or sore eyes
- Skin irritation
- Headaches
