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.
How Does Black Mold Form
The main reason behind the formation of black mold is moisture, which can be caused by several things, such as, water leakage, lack of proper ventilation, flooding, irregular maintenance, humidifiers, condensation, clogged-up gutters, damp clothes, humid basements, or even water accumulation around the foundation of your house.
Black Mold Causes Severe Side Effects
Black mold emits something called mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are irritants that black mold and other mold types give off. When these irritants are inhaled, the person can quickly experience negative side effects. These can include side effects ranging from mild irritation to permanent brain damage.
When you are exposed to these irritants for a prolonged period of time, the side effects worsen. This means that the longer you go without finding the black mold in your home, the worse off you and your family can be.
These side effects are certainly unpleasant and dangerous for adults to be exposed to, but others are at even more risk. Children and senior citizens are at particularly high risk when it comes to black mold. With weakened immune systems and strength, these age groups could experience a fatal event if exposed for prolonged periods of time.
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Black Mold Eats Cellulose
One important thing to remember is that it is attracted to cellulose. Wood contains this black mold food, so it will commonly be found growing on wood around the home. Other materials that contain cellulose include drywall, wallpaper, and even some paint. So, black mold could easily also be found on the walls and ceiling, depending on the composition of them in your home.
Toxic Black Mold: The Truths
Some truths and myths about toxic black mold.
We believe the best starting point for a healthy home is knowledge! And one topic where many people think they know the facts, and most marketing supports their belief, is about mold. But the reality is that a lot of the facts you think you know about mold are really myths and one of the most common myths is that there is such a thing as toxic black mold!
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How To Test For Black Mold In Your House
The first step in figuring out if you have mold in your house if it is not visible to the naked eye is by smell. Since mold grows in wet and damp locations, it could be hidden behind a wall, floor or ceiling. A musty, earthy odour will permeate around building materials.
Basements and crawlspaces are places that promote black mold growth, especially if there has been flooding due to heavy rains or snowmelt. If mold issues are not dealt with in these less-trafficked areas, mold can continue to grow and spread, and affect the indoor air quality and the health of you and your family, in your entire house.
Black mold in attics is also a problem for houses that have leaky roofs or are not properly weatherproofed or insulated.
If you discover black mold in your home, it is recommended that you get a mold inspection from a certified professional. If it is present then mold testing can let you know if the black mold in your home is toxic or non-toxic to ensure your safety. Hiring a mold removal company would be the next step.
Create A Bleach Mixture
If the black mold growth in your home is small enough for you to treat alone, a simple mixture of bleach and water can help. Add one cup of bleach to one gallon of water and apply it to the moldy spots. You can also find commercial black mold removal products.
Apply the cleaner to the mold spot and scrub away the growth. Be sure to dry the area thoroughly when youre done.
Do NOT mix bleach with ammonia. This combination can create toxic fumes that are far more dangerous than any mold youre trying to clean.
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Mold Testing To Test Or Not To Test
Black mold, or Stachybotrys mold, is generally greenish-black and slightly slimy or wet, but can also look gray with a powdery texture. Other molds may look very similar. This is why it is nearly impossible to tell the type of mold by appearance, smell or location. The only way to definitively identify a mold species is under examination of a microscope. Testing can sometimes be costly, depending on the circumstances, and isnt necessary in every situation. Official testing is often sought for real estate transactions or insurance purposes. Many types of mold can cause health problems therefore, if visible mold is present in your home or building, you should arrange to have it removed and remediated, no matter what type it is.
Types Of Mold Colors Commonly Found In The House
by Lisa | Apr 17, 2020 | Mold |
Molds come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and while some may think that color can serve as an identifying characteristic, unfortunately, it is not. The main means of identifying molds involve looking closely at the structure, spore, and growth morphology, which isnt easily done without access to a lab. Color isnt a good distinguishing characteristic of mold or toxicity because one patch can have multiple colors or change color for several reasons. Some factors that affect mold color are:
- Food source
- Humidity level
- Light exposure
Regardless of what color a mold is, if its in your house, thats a sign that there is an active moisture problem and it should be removed as soon as possible so the moisture problem can be fixed. Heres a guide to mold colors that you might find in your home.
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Direct Water Away From Your House
Take note that black mold prevention isnt just an indoor task. You should also control moisture sources outdoors, especially your downspouts.
Make sure that your drains and downspouts are pointed away from your homes foundation. This way, the moisture wont get into your basement and allow black mold to form. You should also fix your landscaping to ensure that water isnt getting trapped in certain spots.
Identifying 37 Types Of Mold Living Around You
Mold is, by and large, typically living substance of which size is microscopic. The organism which varies in form and color can grow anywhere as long as the surroundings are moist and dark. The mold can be highly hazardous to the humans health affecting the vulnerable people like pregnant women and children.
Here are types of mold frequently found both in homes and business you need to know:
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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.
Bread Mold: How To Identify Types Of Mold
Bread mold is a type of fungus and is therefore eukaryotic and multi-cellular. Mold cells are present in a long filamentous structure called a hypha.
The mold cells are connected via pores in the septa between cells and are surrounded by a tube-shaped cell wall. A collection of hyphae is called a mycelium and is a single organism.
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How Can You Be Exposed To Black Mold
You can be exposed to black mold, or any species of mold, by breathing in microscopic mold particles in the air, or through consumption of food that contains it.
Stachybotrys is unique because its spores are sticky and easily adhere to a surface when the mold colony dries. They are not regularly found in the air unless the mold colony has been disturbed. Though its spores are not readily airborne, black mold can produce other harmful contaminants more easily found in the air .
A disruption to a black mold colony can be as simple as slamming a door, opening a window or knocking into contaminated furniture. More force is required for Stachybotrys spores to become airborne, as compared to other commonly found indoor molds .
Determine If There Is A Smell
Another way that you can identity black mold is by the smell. This will be harder for those that dont have a trained nose. However, most mold smells the same. You should be paying attention to the smell of certain areas of your home. If there is a musty or mildew smell, theres a good chance that you have mold somewhere in your home.
You should follow these smells as best that you can, and then use visual and texture clues to determine if the mold is indeed black mold.
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Symptoms Of Black Mold Exposure In Adults: What You Need To Know
Molds are one of the most common problems among households. But of the thousands of mold types, theres one thats been plaguing homes for years: black molds. Its dark color is often attributed to its menacing health effects. In this post, I will discuss the symptoms of black mold exposure in adults and what you can do if your family got in contact with this allergen.
Remember that any type of mold can be dangerous to a persons health. This is why you should act fast the moment you discover the presence of molds in your home.
Keep It Clean And Dry
It never hurts to clean regularly. Make sure humid areas and rooms with plumbing get regular spot checks. Add mold and mildew removal products to your cleaning routine, especially for the bathroom and kitchen.
Mold thrives on moisture, so use dehumidifiers in humid areas of your home like bathrooms, basements, or closets.
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Symptoms Of Black Mold Exposure In Adults
Exposure to black molds must be avoided at all times. With or without sensitivities, you can still experience poisoning. The following are the symptoms of black mold exposure in adults:
- Itchy and red eyes
- Respiratory irritations
Those with asthma and other breathing problems must be extra careful. The mold spores are enough to trigger an attack. If you inhaled the mycotoxins, the effect would be much worse.
The same goes for immunocompromised individuals. They are at a higher risk of developing an infection when exposed to black molds for long periods.
Aside from adults, infants and children are also vulnerable when exposed to black molds. Its actually a risk factor for asthma among children.
If you suspect that youre experiencing black mold poisoning, you should seek medical care right away. Youll undergo a blood test and skin prick test to determine if you have an allergic reaction to black molds. The doctor can also provide prescriptions to ease the symptoms. Ultimately, an allergy shot will help reduce your flaring immune system.
Green Mold: The Most Common
Seeing that a mold is green doesnt actually say much. There are thousands of species of mold alone that are green. Green mold is the most common form of mold and can be found on nearly any surface. It grows indoors, outdoors, on wood, in walls and practically anywhere else you can think of. Fortunately, green mold does not pose significant health or property risks like some of its colored counterparts.
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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!
How Does Mold Form On Bread
As molds, and fungi in general, are heterotrophs, they are required to consume nutrients in order to obtain the energy needed to function. In order to grow, mold requires nutrients, moisture, air, and an appropriate temperature. The carbohydrates from wheat found in bread are suitable nutrients on which mold can grow, and bread contains the required levels of moisture to support mold growth. If the bread is in an environment with a temperature of greater than 4 °C and has access to the open air, mold can grow.
If they can make penicillin out of moldy bread, they can sure make something out of you. Muhammad Ali
Mold grows on food items such as bread by first coming into contact with the bread as a spore. Mold spores are ubiquitous in the air and float until they come into contact with an object on which they can grow. Once the spore has landed, it colonizes the food item, such as bread, by germinating into a hypha, which spreads out into the bread like a net. The hypha exude digestive enzymes which catabolize nutrients for the mold to absorb.
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Is Black Mold The Worst
Many people believe something called “black mold,” or “toxic black mold,” is a specific type of noxious mold that can severely sicken or even kill you because it releases noxious mycotoxins or mold poisons. But that’s not totally accurate. First, molds of all colors can cause illness. And second, there are many types of black-colored molds. The one most people have in mind when they refer to black mold, or toxic black mold, is Stachybotrys chartarum , a greenish-black mold.
Research published in Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry suggests S. chartarum may be linked to serious health problems such as mycotoxicosis, or mold poisoning. Other possible ill effects include body aches, headaches, memory loss, mood swings and nosebleeds. But the science isn’t definitive. A 2017 report published in Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology states, “There is no scientific evidence that exposure to visible black mold in apartments and buildings can lead to the vague and subjective symptoms of memory loss, inability to focus, fatigue, and headaches that were reported by people who erroneously believed that they were suffering from ‘mycotoxicosis.’ Similarly, a causal relationship between cases of infant pulmonary hemorrhage and exposure to ‘black mold’ has never been proven. Finally, there is no evidence of a link between autoimmune disease and mold exposure.”
Toxic Mold: The Complete Picture
The story about toxic mold whether black, white, or orange is more complex than most people know. First, although all mold growth is capable of producing mycotoxins , none produce mycotoxins all the time. Not even Stachybotrys.
- Mycotoxins are produced only when two conditions occur at the same time: 1. When mold is eating and producing secondary metabolites and, 2. In the presence of competing bacteria or mold. If both conditions are not present then mycotoxins will not be produced.
- Second, mycotoxins are not some mysterious substance with properties like radiation that can penetrate through walls. They dont stick to contents creating cross-contamination days or weeks later. They also cant be killed, because they arent alive.
- Third, mycotoxins are not even the most prevalent component of mold that can cause reactions. Mold growth can also generate gas which are more common than the particles containing the mycotoxins, so the focus on mycotoxins is limiting.
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Types Of Mold Categorized By Health Effects
