Tuesday, March 19, 2024

How Dangerous Is Mold In Your Home

Should I Move Out If I Have Black Mold

How dangerous is basement mold?

Ultimately, you should always prioritize your health above all else. If you have black mold in your house that is contained in a small enough area to be sufficiently removed, its likely that this will solve the issue .

Black mold is, however, a fungus that spreads and grows through its microscopic spores that permeate beyond where we can see. One of the trickiest aspects about this problem is that often people dont even realize that its growing inside their home until they start wheezing. And even if you clean it off, no longer seeing it in your home might not be enough to ensure your safety.

If you have a respiratory condition or simply dont feel comfortable regularly occupying a space that could be fostering black mold, either employ a removal expert to get rid of it or ask your landlord/building manager to get it removed. If you cannot get it removed, you may want to consider moving house for the sake of your health.

Your House Smells Musty

Were not knocking your cleaning skills, but mold that grows undetected can pose a real health risk. This is especially true for the elderly, warns Dr. Parikh. Their symptoms are generally similar, but all chronic conditions are worse in the elderly as their bodies are not as resilient as younger patients and usually have other medical problems which may interfere with or complicate the treatment, says Dr. Parikh. Here are 9 ways to get rid of mildew.

White Mold Vs Efflorescence

Whilst a white mold is a fungus, efflorescence is a deposit of salt, laid down when water moves through certain household structures. Theyre often confused because both present as a white powder in the home. Though white mold is associated with health issues and damage to a property, efflorescence is not.

The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors explains that efflorescence occurs when salty water moves through a porous material in a building, such as brick, concrete, stucco, or stone. As the water evaporates away, it leaves this white powdery substance which is, in fact, crystalline salt. Though an efflorescence itself isnt inherently damaging to the materials it appears on, it is indicative of a moisture problem and there could well be a mold problem later on if the moisture doesnt subside.

Luckily, theres a super simple test to differentiate between white mold and efflorescence. Spray the white powder with water and if its an efflorescence the powder will dissolve and if its a white mold, it will remain. Where mold is growing, youll notice its spread across the area but efflorescence will not independently spread once it has appeared.

If youre very unsure if its mold or efflorescence, you can either have a mold inspection done by a licensed inspector or get a DIY mold test kit and do it yourself. If you want to do it yourself, this well-rated one on Amazon thats very inexpensive for some peace of mind.

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Testing For Black Mold

You can have your mold tested to find out exactly what kind it is. Cost varies, but you can expect to pay hundreds of dollars to determine the type of mold.

There are also black mold testing kits, available at the hardware store or on , that you can purchase for around $35-50. With this DIY route, you take samples from a suspected affected surface, then send off to be tested in a lab.

Cleaning Up Small And Medium Mould Problems

$1,000,000 Awarded In Toxic Mold Settlement  ExpertsPost

Bleach is not necessary to clean up mould.

You can clean up small areas of mould if you follow the proper procedures and use the right protective equipment. Unless the mould growth is on smooth surfaces such as bathroom tiles, surface cleaning will not eliminate the problem.

In most cases you can clean up medium areas of mould if you follow the proper procedures and use the right protective equipment. Materials damaged by mould must be physically removed and disposed of under safe conditions. However, it is important to seek professional assistance if there is a large mould problem or if mould comes back after cleaning.

Susceptible individuals such as pregnant women, infants, children, the elderly, and occupants with asthma, allergies or other health problems should not be in or near the area where the mould is being cleaned up.

Minimum protective gear needed:

  • a disposable N95 mask and
  • household disposable gloves.

You can purchase an N95 mask from a hardware store. Make sure that the label says “N95”. Other masks are designed to provide limited protection against dust and are not suitable for protecting against mould exposure. Make sure that the mask is properly fitted and you can breathe through the mask.

Read Also: How To Test For Mold And Mildew In Your Home

Fungus In The Furniture

Mildew is attracted to moist leather and wood, and mold particles are more likely to be retained in porous materials like upholstered furniture and foam. Frequently inspect thefibers of your furniturefor any discolored spots, fuzz or spores.

Does your furniture seem a little funky? Mold particles are attracted to porous materials like upholstered furniture and foam. Be sure to inspect the fibers of your couches and chairs for any discolored spots, fuzz or spores.

ProClean Pensacola

Toxic Mold: How It Survives

Mold lives off of any organic matter and loves a warm, humid environment. This includes your leather jacket, a peach, old newspapers, bathroom walls, windowsills, ceilings, and wall-paper. Most often, mildew, which is a form of mold or fungus, infects our living or workspaces when there is a high level of moisture, like a musty basement or a shower wall. It comes in through our walls, windows, doors, carpets, or under the refrigerator.

Mold spores can also be carried in on our clothing, shoes, pets and our bodies. Doctors warn against breathing in mold over long periods of time. Often times, our homes and offices are infested with toxic mold and mildew. And, because it can hide in cracks in our walls, as well as other invisible places, most of us are unaware that we are being exposed to the extremely harmful effects.

Today, mold growth in homes and places of work is more of a health issue than we may think. So its important that you recognize the symptoms of mold in your home, and take steps to protect yourself and your family.

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Also Check: Can You Die From Mold In Your House

Types Of Dangerous Mold In The Home And How To Protect Against It

Mold in your crawl space or basement can damage your health as well as the structural integrity of your home if you dont work to remove it.

Types of Dangerous Mold in the Home and How to Protect Against it

If youve ever let a dish of food sit in your refrigerator for too long, you know how easily mold can make its way into your home. Unfortunately, some molds are more dangerous than others, both to the health and to the structural integrity of your home.

If youre looking to protect your home from damage, youll need to know what kinds of molds youll want to look out for. When you know what youre dealing with, you can more easily remove that mold from your home. Alternatively, youll be able to let the contractors in your area know what kind of mold you have in your home, and theyll be able to come in and help you take back your space for yourself.

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Where Causes Black Mold

Warning signs of mold in your home

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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Identifying Mold In Your Home

  • Appearance or dark spots or clusters. Look for spots or clustered growths, especially in warm, moist rooms.
  • Musty smell. You may be able to identify mold by a musty smell.
  • Allergies or asthma. If you experience asthma attacks or allergy symptoms in your home, that may also indicate theres mold.
  • Potential causes. Look for causes of mold growth, like a leak, water damage, lack of ventilation, or old food, papers, or wood.

What Causes Mould In Buildings

Condensation is the leading cause of mould in homes across the UK.

It most commonly occurs in parts of the home where there are high moisture levels – in bathrooms, kitchens, and around windows.

When the temperature falls to a level known as the dew point, water vapour in the air forms into water droplets.

If water vapour comes into contact with a surface in the home that’s below the dew point, such as an uninsulated external wall or a cold window, then water droplets will form.

If left untreated, the surface can become damp and create the conditions for mould to grow.

Catherine Noakes, professor of Environment Engineering for Buildings at the University of Leeds, said older and poorly insulated properties are more prone to this.

Mould can also be caused by daily tasks which create excess moisture.

“Sometimes it’s occupant behaviour – things that we all do and we cannot change,” Prof Noakes said.

“We all shower, we all cook, and we all dry washing at home.”

Prof Noakes warned that mould conditions could be made worse this winter if people don’t put on the heating because of high energy bills.

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How Do Molds Get In The Indoor Environment And How Do They Grow

Mold is found both indoors and outdoors. Mold can enter your home through open doorways, windows, vents, and heating and air conditioning systems. Mold in the air outside can also attach itself to clothing, shoes, and pets can and be carried indoors. When mold spores drop on places where there is excessive moisture, such as where leakage may have occurred in roofs, pipes, walls, plant pots, or where there has been flooding, they will grow. Many building materials provide suitable nutrients that encourage mold to grow. Wet cellulose materials, including paper and paper products, cardboard, ceiling tiles, wood, and wood products, are particularly conducive for the growth of some molds. Other materials such as dust, paints, wallpaper, insulation materials, drywall, carpet, fabric, and upholstery, commonly support mold growth.

White Mold Vs Black Mold

The Dangers Of Mold In Your Home

When someone talks about black mold, theyre usually referring to a particular species of black-colored mold Stachybotrys chartarum. Both white mold and black mold are bad for your health, but current research suggests that black mold isnt as severely toxic as previously thought. Unfortunately, both molds can also damage your property, so swift removal is necessary.

Black mold is easy to tell apart from white mold due to that distinctive color difference, but do remember that white mold can sometimes start to look black later in its life cycle. Black mold grows in a more irregular fashion than white mold and it has a very notable musty aroma. Like white mold, black mold penetrates into the material on which it is growing, and this is why it can be so damaging to structures within a property.

Black molds produce harmful mycotoxins which can irritate the respiratory system, especially in those with an allergy. Mold is a known allergen and though the toxicity of black mold may have been exaggerated by some sources, it is absolutely true that it can trigger dangerous allergic reactions in those who are susceptible.

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What Causes Attic Mold

Seasonal and holiday decorations are typically stored here which means that entrance happens only twice per year. This means that attic mold will often go overlooked, especially if there is poor lighting or no lighting in the attic space. If you cannot see the mold, and do not already take preventative measures to fight against the attic mold, and then you will not know it is there until you attempt to move out, or suffer damage which requires an inspection of your home.

Attic mold is toxic and if it is growing in your attic and goes unchecked, it can account for health issues suffered by your family which might otherwise be attributed to the common cold. The first step in preventing attic mold is being able to identify it.

Dangers Of Mold In Your Home

What are the dangers of mold in your home and how should these dangers be addressed? As molds grow and their colonies develop, they release toxins and other byproducts into your indoor environment. These mold toxins and byproducts can be the direct cause of many diverse health issues in humans and animals alike.

Your first question may be just where did all of this mold come from? Usually, mold is a result of unwanted moisture in your home. This moisture can result from slow plumbing leaks, a major water loss due to flooding, broken pipes, malfunctioning appliances, etc. The moisture could also be the result of just abnormally high humidity problems or unaddressed dampness issues in a basement or crawlspace.

Every living thing on earth requires water, and mold is no exception. However mold, unlike almost every other form of plant and animal life, requires no light source. In fact, for mold, the less light the better. Whenever uncontrolled water enters into a building the potential for microbial growth explodes.

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Quines Tienen El Mayor Riesgo De Presentar Problemas De Salud Asociados A La Exposicin Al Moho

Las personas con alergias pueden ser más sensibles al moho. Las personas inmunodeprimidas o que tengan una enfermedad pulmonar subyacente son más susceptibles a las infecciones por hongos. Las personas con enfermedades respiratorias crónicas podrían tener dificultad para respirar. Las personas inmunodeprimidas tienen un mayor riesgo de presentar infecciones provocadas por el moho. Si usted o los miembros de su familia tienen estas afecciones, deberían consultar a un médico calificado para obtener un diagnóstico y tratamiento.

How To Recognize A Mold Problem

How Dangerous is Black Mold?

Many people would say, Thats easy, I can see it. And while this can be true if the mold problem becomes large enough or isnt hidden inside wall cavities or under floors and such, one of the easiest ways to detect mold early is to smell it. Those earthy or musty odors can be detected by our noses and are sometimes the first thing you will detect. The odors are byproducts of molds metabolism, and are referred to as Microbiological Volatile Organic Compounds . Does breathing in the actual MOVCs cause harm? The medical community is still undecided on that issue.

The next way a mold problem is recognized is the obvious one you can see it. Many times it isnt recognized as a mold problem until the mold can be seen.

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You Find Dark Or Colored Spots On Your Walls

Mold can appear in many shapes, textures, and colors. It can look like anything from green, dripping slime definitely something youd notice to an innocuous-looking grey fuzz. If your walls are coming out in spots, its worth double-checking that there isnt a leak in the pipes or uncontrolled humidity in the room.

If you have a pre-existing breathing problem that seems to flare up after long periods at home, mold could be the culprit.

Most species of household mold wont bother people without breathing issues but can aggravate asthma in individuals who already suffer from the condition. Consider scheduling a doctors appointment and a mold inspection if your breathing problems seem to worsen without a clear cause.

Top Tips For Controlling Mold

It’s impossible to get rid of all mold and mold spores in your home, but because mold spores can’t grow without moisture, reducing moisture in your home is the best way to prevent or eliminate mold growth. If there is already mold growing in your home, it’s important to clean up the mold and fix the problem causing dampness. If you clean up the mold but don’t fix the problem, the mold will most likely return.

Following is some advice for reducing moisture throughout the home with specific tips for the areas most prone to dampness and mold growth:

Around the house:

In the kitchen:

  • Use exhaust fans to move moisture outside whenever you are cooking, washing dishes, or cleaning.
  • Turn off certain appliances if you notice moisture on windows and other surfaces.
  • Check for leaks around the kitchen sink, refrigerator ice makers, and other sources of water. Repair if necessary.
  • Empty and clean refrigerator drip pans if necessary.

In basements and crawl spaces:

In the laundry room:

  • Vent your clothes dryer to the outside.
  • Make sure the vent is clear of obstructions, such as lint, and that there are no holes that leak air. If the vent duct is damaged, replace it with a metal duct. Have the duct cleaned at least once a year.
  • Avoid leaving damp clothes in the laundry basket or dryer. Wash and dry them promptly.

In bathrooms:

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