Finding Hidden Mold Before Its Too Late
If you are a homeowner, you may already know that excessive moisture can promote mold growth that could cause allergic reactions in some individuals, as well as damage building components and personal items.
The key to controlling mold lies in eliminating the source of moisture and the conditions that promotes its growth.
Investigating a mold-related issue has many facets and can be a daunting task, especially for individuals who are not familiar with the inspection process.
Often, observing the appearance and pattern of mold growth on surfaces can provide pertinent information regarding the moisture source.
For instance, if you observe a linear growth pattern on ceiling areas, this could indicate condensation issue.
More specifically, the line to the AC unit in the attic could be sweating, resulting in water from the line dripping on the upper surface of the ceiling tiles.
Picture of mold growing on ceiling
In contrast, mold growing in a circular pattern on the surface of a ceiling usually indicates a leak centered in that location. When indoor humidity is an issue, the mold growth will be scattered and take the shape of droplets.
Picture of mold growth caused by high indoor humidity levels
Mold growing along baseboards of an exterior wall that has no plumbing could indicate a water intrusion issue.
Mold growth may also appear in the form of black conk-like structures on surfaces such as wallboard and drywall, if they are hidden behind cabinets or furniture.
What Causes Mold Sickness
The toxins in your system from breathing in mold spores add to the total amount of toxicity in your body. We call this the Total Body Burden. When your burden is high, you start experiencing symptoms many which are seemingly unrelated.
For most people, toxins get flushed out from the body when eliminating waste.
For some, the toxic load is so high that its too much for the body to eliminate them all efficiently. For others, they may have poor detoxification processes or they may even recycle or reabsorb these mycotoxins back, as the body tries to eliminate them. Genetics plays a huge role in this difference from person to person
In short, multiple symptoms happen because, as we say in environmental medicine genetics points the gun, and then the environment pulls the trigger.
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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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
To Test Or Not To Test
Stachybotrys is usually greenish-black and somewhat slimy or wet, but may also appear grayish with a sooty, powdery texture. Additionally, other molds may look similar. Thats why it is impossible to tell if any given mold is black mold by looks, smell or even location. The only way to determine a mold species is examination under a microscope. Testing is costly, advises the CDC, and isnt really necessary. Any mold can cause health problems, as they point out. Therefore, you should arrange to have any mold in your home removed, no matter what type it is.
References
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Colored Or Dark Spots On The Wall
Mold can develop in many colors, textures, and shapes. It can look like anything from green slime to a harmless-looking grey fuzz. If there are unusually colored spots on the walls, you should make sure that theres a pipe leak or uncontrolled humidity in the area. If so, mold is the likely perpetrator of various spots on the wall.
How Do I Detect Black Mold Inside My Walls In The First Place
Peeling wallpaper can also be a symptom of mold. While some scruffiness and discoloration tend to eventually strike your wallpaper, unusual surface or peeling abnormalities such as crackling or bubbling can be a sign of wall moisture. And remember, a reliable precursor to mold is always going to be moisture. Make sure to pay attention to any warped areas that feel damp.
To keep mold from growing in your cooling or heating systems, you can have a specialist check them regularly. Another indication of mold in the house is dark grout between bathroom tiles. Even if this type is most likely the harmless type, there could be flooding in the adjacent room or a leak in bathroom plumbing that could produce a more toxic fungus type that only professionals can remove. A sample sent for testing will let you know whether or not your shower is harmless.
Mold could also be the culprit when you have pre-existent problems with breathing that after long periods at home seem to flare up. Many household species of mold wont affect persons that do not have issues with breathing. However, in individuals suffering from asthma, it could aggravate it. Consider a mold inspection and a doctors appointment if the problems with your breathing seem to get worse with no clear cause.
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Your Seasonal Allergies Never Subside
If you seasonal allergies are dragging on and on, there might be a moldy reason for your endless sniffles.
Symptoms of mold exposure can mimic or even worsen existing seasonal allergies. If your symptoms seem to improve during the day while youre at work before worsening in the evening upon your return home, that might be a clue.
Common Types Of House Mold
Wondering what types of mold are the most common in houses and which ones you should be concerned about? Lets discuss a few of the most common types of household mold now.
- Cladosporium Cladosporium is one of the most common household molds. It usually grows in a greenish-brown colony, but can also be nearly black in color. It is rarely harmful unless you have a mold allergy, but may cause minor issues like toenail or fingernail infections.
- Penicillium Penicillium is sometimes called green mold, as it is usually dark green in color. It tends to grow in large, consistent patches on the walls. As the name suggests, penicillin is derived from some kinds of this mold. However, some kinds of penicillium mold may be toxic to humans and animals.
- Aspergillus This type of mold is usually greenish-white in color, and may be more raised with a more cloudy appearance than other types of mold. It is not harmful, unless you have a weakened immune system, in which case it could infect the lungs or sinuses.
- Alternaria Alternaria mold is usually greenish-white, but can also appear in black patches, so its sometimes confused with black mold. Alternaria can be a factor in exacerbating asthma, particularly for those who may have mold allergies.
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What Mold Smells Like
Mold has a damp, musty scentsimilar to what youd smell after opening an old book. In general, smell is not a good way to determine if there is a mold problem, says Laureen Burton, a staff chemist and toxicologist for the Environmental Protection Agency . The smell of indoor molds can differ depending on the type of mold, the surface on which its growing, and its source of moisture. Plus, she says, some people dont notice a smell at all.
The mold smell is caused by microbial volatile organic compounds , which are substances that are naturally produced by molds as they grow. The health effects of inhaling mVOCs are largely unknown, says Burton, although exposure to some mVOCs has been linked to symptoms such as headaches, nasal irritation, dizziness, fatigue, and nausea.
How Long Do Mold Symptoms Last
The tricky thing about mold exposure is that its different for each person. The amount of time mold exposure symptoms persist depends on:
- What type of mold they are exposed to,
- How long the exposure has been,
- How well their bodies eliminate toxins
Those who process toxins well can see their symptoms disappear as quickly as a few days.
Others who eliminate toxins slowly can experience symptoms for much longer. They could be ill for months or even years after the source of mold is eliminated.
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How To Tell When Mold Is Behind Your Walls
Mold may be a part of nature, but its one natural thing that you never want to see in your home. Even the most minor examples of mold can be visually unappealing and potentially cause health issues, especially for people who are allergic. Learn about what causes mold in the home, what to look for, and how to prevent and treat it to keep every room in the house clean and safe.
What To Do If You Find Mold In Your House
- If you see mold growing, avoid touching the contaminated items with your bare hands- always use rubber gloves.
- Always wear safety equipment such as gloves and goggles, and at a minimum, an N95 respirator- when necessary.
- Do not attempt to disturb mold without first isolating the area to protect others in the home.
- Avoid breathing in mold spores.
- Avoid mold contact with eyes.
- If the area involves gross contamination, consult a licensed mold remediation specialist.
- If the mold growth is caused by sewer backup, flooding, or other contaminated water sources consult a remediation contractor. Contaminants like bacteria and viruses present on the materials
Mold growth is not always visible and easy to detect. Sometimes, mold could be growing on the back of drywall, wall coverings , under carpeting, in air ducts, behind ceiling tiles, and in wall cavities.
Other possible locations include behind furniture, drapes, in attics, and crawlspaces.
Any location where moisture can accumulate by condensation, water intrusion, or plumbing leaks should be assessed thoroughly to uncover hidden mold growth.
Uncovering hidden mold can be difficult and sometimes require intrusive inspections.
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How Mold And Mildew Form
Mold and mildew need the right conditions for growth. To begin, they need mold spores as a type of seed. Spores grow with three factors: food , water, and oxygen. Increasing or decreasing any of these factors will cause mold and mildew to grow or die.
Spores land on the surface, germinate, and grow. Mold and mildew may start as early as 24 to 48 hours after the surface has been dampened. Mildew’s white-gray spots spread outward, not upward, remaining on the surface. Mold, though, eats into its basewhich makes it harder to removeand sometimes grows upward.
Your Bathroom Exhaust Fan Is On The Fritz
Mold is a particularly common problem in bathrooms with inadequate ventilation, says Yoel Piotraut, a managing partner at MyHome Design + Remodeling. A bathroom exhaust fan is an essential tool to keep toxic mold at baybut it wont work if its clogged or not running well. In fact, if its still steamy five to ten minutes after you get out of the shower, your fan isnt circulating enough air. It may need to be cleaned or replaced with a unit that meets the square footage of your bathroom. Piotraut also suggests cleaning the walls regularly with a bleach solution or other mold-killing product. These are the household items you use that could be poisoning your air.
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You Feel Like You Have A Lingering Cold Or Are Battling Flu
“It is pretty tough to detect until it starts coming through the walls because mold, as you know, is a problem with some sort of leak somewhere,” Hayes-Raitt said. “So the problem starts behind the walls. But if you’re getting sick, it might be because of a mold problem.”
If you’re dealing with symptoms that you can’t exactly pinpoint, it could be that you’re stressed, haven’t been taking care of yourself, or wound up with some sort of virus, of course, but it could also potentially be that you’re dealing with mold.
If possible, Hayes-Raitt said that one of the best ways to determine if the sickness you feel is related to the house or not is to leave for a few days and then return home. If you feel those same symptoms coming on again, it might be the result of something more than a cold or virus.
Can I Just Get Into The Wall And Use Bleach To Clean It
It may be tempting to get into the wall and spray everything with bleach by yourself. However, if you have never done this before, it is better to call someone licensed to deal with mold. This is especially true if you have never gone into the wall and dont know how to detect how extensive the mold damage is. Leaving the eradication of mold to professionals will save not only your health but also your sanity. A professional team will have all the protective gear, detection tools and methods necessary to get rid of all the mold in your home.
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Your Asthma Is Acting Up
Mold spores can find their way into the lungs and trigger asthma symptoms. One study found that dampness or mold in houses could account for one in five cases of asthma in the United States. If your asthma seems to be getting worse, you may have undetected mold in your house, according to the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America. The group warns that mold can also cause a rare but more serious condition called allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis: This is a dramatic allergic and inflammatory reaction that leads to severe sneezing, coughing, and shortness of breath.
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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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.
How To Test For Mold
You probably don’t need to do mold testing or buy a mold test kit, especially if the fungus is visible. Because the health effects of mold vary from person to person, the CDC says that if you can see it or smell it, it should be removed, no matter what type of mold is in your home.
While it’s not possible to completely eliminate mold in your house, you can prevent a build-up by cleaning up any wet or damp spots and fixing any existing water leaks.
Neither the CDC nor the Environmental Protection Agency recommends doing routine mold samplingsboth organizations point out that there are no federal limits for mold in buildings, so people can’t check their apartment complex’s compliance with the law, for example. Plus, the testing can be expensive.
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