What Are The Causes Of A Mold Allergy
Like any other allergy, mold allergy symptoms are triggered by an extremely sensitive immune system response. If people inhale tiny, airborne mold spores, their bodies recognise them as foreign invaders and develop allergy-causing antibodies to fight them. Exposure to mold spores may also lead to an immediate or delayed reaction.
Several molds are common both indoors and outdoors. Some molds that lead to allergies include Aspergillus, Alternaria, Cladosporium, and penicillium.
What Can You Do
To prevent and get rid of mold:
- Keep your house clean and dry.
- Fix water problems such as roof leaks, wet basements, and leaking pipes or faucets.
- Make sure your home is well ventilated and always use ventilation fans in bathrooms and kitchens.
- If possible, keep humidity in your house below 50% by using an air conditioner or dehumidifier.
- Avoid using carpeting in areas of the home that may become wet, such as kitchens, bathrooms and basements.
- Dry floor mats regularly.
To find mold that might be growing in your home:
- Search for moisture in areas that have a damp or moldy smell, especially in basements, kitchens and bathrooms.
- Look for water stains or colored, fuzzy growth on and around ceilings, walls, floors, windowsills and pipes.
- If you smell a musty odor, search behind and underneath materials such as carpeting, furniture or stored items.
- Inspect kitchens, bathrooms and basements for standing water, water stains and patches of out-of-place color.
To control moisture problems and mold:
- Fix any water problems immediately and clean or remove wet materials, furnishings or mold.
- Clean up spills or floods within one day. If practical, take furniture that has been wet outside to dry and clean. Direct sunlight prevents mold growth.
- Dry all surfaces and fix the problem or leak to prevent further damage.
- Install a dehumidifier when a moisture problem is evident or when the humidity is high.
Moisture In Your Crawlspace
You might not have a full basement, but youll probably have a crawlspace under your home unless your place was built with a slab-on-grade. Confined crawlspaces contain optimum mold-growing conditions, and thats due to ever-present moisture thats not taken care of. Here are some common crawlspace moisture sources:
Lack of ventilation from passive cross-flow or mechanical means
Missing or compromised vapor barrier
Bare earth floor with no concrete skim coat
Leaky water lines or drain pipes
Disconnected dryer vents that pump humid air
Condensation in furnace ducts
Drain lines from condensation in high-efficiency furnaces
Rain or flood water
Holes or cracks in foundation walls
High ground water tables
Poor exterior grading that allows water to flow against foundation
Poor drainage on foundation backfill
Blocked perimeter and footing drain tiles
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Symptoms Of Mold Exposure
Mold in your home will not always be harmful to your health. Mold growth, on the other hand, has the potential to cause health issues. Inhaling or touching mold spores can cause the following symptoms:
Symptoms can differ from person to person. They can also range from mild to severe. Mold allergy symptoms can flare up at specific times of the year or all year.
Danger Of Removing Black Mold By Yourself
Finding mold growing in your home is a major worry of homeowners, and everyone knows that the problem needs to be handled quickly before a much bigger issue develops. While household mold can come in many forms, few are more worrisome than dreaded black mold. This type of mold, scientifically known Stacybotrys chartarum and Stachybotrys chlorohalonata, can affect homes of any size, in any area of the country. The dangers of black mold come from its toxic spores, which can contribute to a variety of health ailments and greatly reduce the indoor air quality of your living environment.
So, what do you do when you find black mold growing in your familys home?
There is a lot of information out there on DIY methods for black mold removal, but that is rarely a wise idea. Done improperly, removing black mold yourself can exacerbate the problem and put your family at risk, and understanding the hidden dangers of DIY black mold removal is essential for protecting your loved ones for the long term.
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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.
Learning What Does House Mold Look Like
If youre seeing signs of fungi infestation in your home, its important to know what does house mold look like. It can appear in many colors, including black, green, white, and brown. Also, it comes in different textures, such as fuzzy, slimy, or hard.
Take a closer look at the suspected area and look for signs that they are present in your house. Keep in mind to take action immediately to avoid serious health problems. If you see any of these, call a professional to come and take a look.
Dont take chances with your health because mold is not worth the risk.
If you find this article helpful, check out the rest of our blog now!
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What Causes Mold In A House
Find out what causes mold in to grow in the home and how to handle the issue.
Timothy Dale is a home repair expert and writer with over a decade of hands-on construction and home improvement experience. He is skilled in residential, commercial, industrial and institutional plumbing, electrical, carpentry, installation, renovations, and project management.
Ekspansio / Getty Images
Most people have seen some type of mold throughout their lives because mold can appear in a variety of places, like food that has gone bad, growing across wet stones, or showing up in the corners of a damp cellar. While you can toss rotten food and walk around moldy growths outdoors, when you find mold growing inside your home, the problem isn’t as easy to deal with. You will need to be able to identify what is causing the mold to grow and spread in order to take steps to resolve the issue.
Mold is a form of fungi. It thrives in damp, dark environments where there is organic matter, like wood, to feast on. Common areas around the home to find mold include bathrooms, kitchens, basements, attics, doors, and windows. Use this guide to find out what causes mold to grow in a house and how to eliminate it.
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.
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How Mold And Mildew Affect Your Home
Mold needs to consume something to survive, and its perfectly happy eating your house if you let it. Some molds and mildews are fond of the cellulose in the paper backing on drywall, insulation and wallpaper. Others have a ravenous appetite for the glues used to bond carpet to its backing. Left unchecked, mold eventually destroys the parts of the drywall, wallpaper and carpet it attacks.
But many molds just like to feast on the every day dust and dirt that gather in the perpetually moist regions of your house. They wont destroy your house, but they can sure make it look, feel and smell bad. Mold can mar your walls with white spider weblike growths or clusters of small black specks. It creates the smell we often refer to as musty. This white mold in a basement can be slippery and dangerous when it grows on damp basement stairs. Molds rarely go so far as to rot wood or do structural damagetheyll leave that to their fungal cousinsbut they can wreak plenty of havoc. We cant overemphasize that mold needs moisture to get established, grow and reproduce. Mold problems and longstanding moisture or high humidity conditions go hand in hand. To conquer mold, you must also conquer moisture problems. Fig. B shows common hangouts for mold and some steps you can take to minimize its growth and the damage it inflicts.
How To Control Mold Growth
While it is impossible to completely get rid of mold spores in the air, you can prevent mold growth by controlling moisture levels in your home. Taking the following basic measures can help you keep your home mold-free:
- Keep your indoor humidity level below 60 percent, ideally between 30 and 50 percent, and open windows to let fresh air in if it isnt too humid outdoors.
- Dont let water build up anywhere and be sure to ventilate damp rooms.
- Be sure to transfer wet clothes in the washing machine to the dryer immediately.
- Fix any leaks or seepage in the house as soon as you notice them.
- Use dehumidifiers and air conditioners in crawl spaces, basements and other areas of the house where mold tends to grow.
Mold can be a health and safety issue if it becomes a problem in your home, so avoid the issue by taking steps to prevent its growth. Youll thank yourself later!
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How Do Molds Affect People
Exposure to damp and moldy environments may cause a variety of health effects, or none at all. Some people are sensitive to molds. For these people, exposure to molds can lead to symptoms such as stuffy nose, wheezing, and red or itchy eyes, or skin. Some people, such as those with allergies to molds or with asthma, may have more intense reactions. Severe reactions may occur among workers exposed to large amounts of molds in occupational settings, such as farmers working around moldy hay. Severe reactions may include fever and shortness of breath.
In 2004 the Institute of Medicine found there was sufficient evidence to link indoor exposure to mold with upper respiratory tract symptoms, cough, and wheeze in otherwise healthy people with asthma symptoms in people with asthma and with hypersensitivity pneumonitis in individuals susceptible to that immune-mediated condition.
In 2009, the World Health Organization issued additional guidance, the WHO Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality: Dampness and Mould . Other recent studies have suggested a potential link of early mold exposure to development of asthma in some children, particularly among children who may be genetically susceptible to asthma development, and that selected interventions that improve housing conditions can reduce morbidity from asthma and respiratory allergies.
How Can Mold Allergy Be Prevented
While people cannot prevent mold allergy, they can take steps to prevent and remove mold. To keep mold out of their house, people can take the following steps:
Control moisture and take steps to keep the humidity in the house low.
- Ensure to adequately ventilate the house and immediately repair any water leaks.
- Clean mold using household cleaners or a bleach and water solution of 1 cup bleach and 1 gallon of water. Mold must be cleaned while wearing protective clothing such as gloves and a respirator.
- People with severe reactions to mold should not do the cleaning by themselves.
- Discard carpets, rugs, or other textiles that get wet and do not dry immediately. Other absorbent items, such as ceiling tiles, need to be thoroughly cleaned of mold.
- Mold can be both indoor and outdoor. However, when the outdoor mold count is high, it may be best for people to stay indoors. Keep the gardens free of damp and decaying leaves or wood piles.
- Regularly check the local mold counts to determine if the air quality is safe.
- Wear a mask and avoid stepping outside during the specific time
- Use a dehumidifier
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So What Is A Mycotoxin
Mycotoxins, literally fungus poison in Latin, are secondary metabolites that can be produced by molds, and are not living organisms. Mycotoxins are a byproduct of mold. Not all mold spores produce mycotoxins, but some do. So the molds that produce mycotoxins are the ones that could be categorized as toxic or poisonous.
So, where is the line between an allergic mold and a toxic mold? That line is defined by the presence of mycotoxins, and is NOT defined by color. Mycotoxins are invisible and cannot be detected just by looking at the mold growth.
by Dr. Michele Neil-Sherwood | Health Tips
Mold is a big problem in most homes, but many people are unaware of the problem. Of course, everyone looks at the shower curtain, under the sink, or in the basement when he or she think about mold issues, but mold can grow just about anywhere.
Mold can be found in drywall, in the roof , and even in ones Christmas tree. One study found that Christmas trees can breed mold, quietly releasing millions of spores into the room causing winter allergies and asthma attacks. Studies have found that indoor air quality dropped six-fold over the 14 days a Christmas tree typically decorates a room.
There are 1,000 types of mold that can be found growing in the modern American home. Scientists classify these molds based on the effect they have on humans and other living things.
How Do I Remove Black Mold
Black mold can be removed with a variety of commercial cleaners, bleaches, and/or disinfectants. It is important to follow the instructions on the product label and take precautions to protect yourself from exposure to black mold spores. Once black mold has been removed, take steps to prevent it from returning, such as fixing leaky pipes and ensuring good ventilation.
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What Can You Do About It
If you or anyone in your family has been exposed to indoor mold, the best first step is to talk to a health professional and make sure that there is no risk of respiratory issues. If symptoms have already started to appear, your doctor may want to conduct follow-up observations to make sure that the mold hasnt spread.
Equally important is preventing further mold exposure by stopping the growth and removing the colony in your home. Sometimes this can be as simple as decreasing the humidity and improving air circulation in the affected area. Other times, though, you might have to resort to more invasive tactics, which we will discuss in other posts.
As with any health risk, if you start to see the symptoms get worse, dont hesitate to seek medical advice. After all, its better to get treated now than to have to deal with the effects later down the road.
Most important is to make sure you 100% get rid of the mold problem that is affecting your health. If youre looking for an experienced mold removal team in Concord NH, call us immediately to come take care of things for you.
Poor Construction Of Walls
The main reason for mold growth during construction work is the uncontrolled moisture content in the form of condensation, liquid flow, high humidity, and capillary action.
It will help if you regularly inspect the moisture incursion of your walls and quickly respond. The Environmental Protection Agency stipulates that mold growth can begin in as little as one to two days after walls become wet.
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Common Causes Of Mold In Homes
One of the most common forms of mold found in many homes is known as Alternaria.
You may know exactly what it looks like, typically characterized by its velvet-like texture and dark green and brown coloring.
Alternaria mold tends to grow where ever dampness occurs, and throughout the average home, this could be a number of obvious places.
Its a hyper-allergenic mold, meaning long-term exposure can lead to respiration problems in the upper respiratory tract, nose, and mouth.
So if youre wondering what the exact causes of mold could be in your home, we outline it all in this blog.
Mold And Bacteria Are Microorganisms
Mold shares its classification with yeasts and mushrooms. While bacteria is unicellular, or structurally a one-celled organism, mold is multicellular. However, mold and bacteria do have one thing in common: they thrive in a humid environment.
Even though mold can be beneficial in laboratory settings, just like bacteria and viruses, mold is considered a severe threat to human health.
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How To Get Rid Of Mold In A House
Mold growth in a home indicates there is a moisture problem and your first step should be to fix the moisture problem. This means fixing any leaks and getting the humidity levels as low as you can using an air conditioner or dehumidifier. Properly ventilating the area with exhaust fans will also help.
After fixing the moisture problem, you should remove all moldy items from your house. If mold is growing on carpet, drywall or ceiling tiles, the only solution is removal and replacement.
You can remove mold from hard surfaces by scrubbing it with commercial products, soap and water, vinegar or a bleach solution of no more than 1 cup of bleach in 1 gallon of water. Never mix bleach with ammonia or other household cleaners.
If the area is too large for you to clean yourself, you should contact a professional who has experience in cleaning mold.
