Look For Signs Of Moisture Or Mold
- Mold can have a cottony, velvety, granular or leathery texture
- The color of mold can vary from white, gray, brown, black, green or other colors
- Mold damage may look like discoloration or staining on the surface of building materials or furnishings
- Noticeable mold odors are described as musty or earthly
Extent Of Mould Growth
It is important to determine the extent of the mould problem in your home to help you decide on the clean-up procedure. An area of mould is considered small if it covers one square metre or less. There should be no more than three patches of mould, with the total area staying within one square metre. Many small patches of mould in one area or throughout your home are a sign of moisture problems that need to be investigated and corrected right away.
If ignored, small mould areas may become larger over time, so it is important to clean them up before the problem gets bigger. A small amount of mould may be cleaned up using proper procedures and protective equipment.
The area of mould is considered medium if there are more than three patches of mould , but the total area is less than three square metres. In this case, assessment by a qualified professional is recommended but in most cases a medium amount of mould may be cleaned up using proper procedures and protective equipment .
An area of mould is considered large if a single patch of mould is larger than three square metres. Health Canada does not recommend that an unqualified person clean up large areas of mould. You may need a professional assessment to determine why the mould is there in the first place and how to clean it up.
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Go Through Children’s Toys Carefully And Decide What Can Be Cleaned
Toys can be difficult to clean. Worn toys with a lot of surface area will be best thrown away and replaced. Washing stuffed animals by hand in hot soapy water and drying well is cumbersome, but it can help you save beloved toys. Plastic toys can be wiped down with a disinfectant and a damp rag to remove any residue.
Natural disinfectant cleaners like those from Seventh Generation are an excellent choice for kids’ toys because they are tested rigorously for safety. Always check labels to decide what products to use around children.
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Problems With Diy Mold Removal
Theres a reason molds are one of the most plentiful fungi on planet Earthbecause theyre very difficult to control. Mold produces tens of thousands of spores, which are easy to spread and invisible to the naked eye. As a result, just the act of trying to dry out or clean an area with mold can spread spores through air vents to other areas of your house. Whether you use a commercially available mold and mildew remover, or create a DIY mix using vinegar or bleach, youll only be able to clean the surface, but not the source of the problem. And theres nothing more frustrating than scrubbing down a huge mold colony only to have it come back later!
To Prevent Mold Growth In Your Home
- Keep humidity levels in your home as low as you canno higher than 50%all day long. An air conditioner or dehumidifier will help you keep the level low. You can buy a meter to check your homes humidity at a home improvement store. Humidity levels change over the course of a day so you will need to check the humidity levels more than once a day.
- Be sure the air in your home flows freely. Use exhaust fans that vent outside your home in the kitchen and bathroom. Make sure your clothes dryer vents outside your home.
- Fix any leaks in your homes roof, walls, or plumbing so mold does not have moisture to grow.
- Clean up and dry out your home fully and quickly after a flood.
- Add mold inhibitors to paints before painting. You can buy mold inhibitors at paint and home improvement stores.
- Clean bathrooms with mold-killing products.
- Remove or replace carpets and upholstery that have been soaked and cannot be dried right away. Think about not using carpet in places like bathrooms or basements that may have a lot of moisture.
- To learn more about preventing mold in your home, see the Environmental Protection Agencys book A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home at .
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Products That Kill Mold
- Chlorine bleach: Household bleach works best to destroy mold and remove any discoloration. Mix a solution of 1 cup bleach to 1 gallon of water, which can be sprayed directly on the mold. Note that bleach is quite harsh, and dilution is an important step before use. Keep in mind, however, that while bleach removes mold discoloration, is also removes color from most surfaces! Use it sparingly and when in doubt, test it out on a small, unnoticeable spot first.
Signs Of Mold Growth In The Home
There are many signs that you may have mold in your home. They include:the presence of black, green, blue, or yellow stains on a clean surface the smell of damp or rotting food the presence of moldy material such as wallpaper, carpeting, and insulation that appears wet and moist the coloration of water from a sink or shower to be off from its normal coloration.
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How To Remove Mold From Wood
In areas like the kitchen, where there’s higher humidity from cooking or running the dishwasher, you may find mold on your wood cabinets if there is poor ventilation. Mold can also grow on wood furniture and paneling if it’s humid and the air circulation is low. To remove mold from wood cabinets, paneling, or furniture, follow the steps below:
- Using a vacuum with a HEPA filter , vacuum the loose spores with the soft brush attachment.
- Then, mix a few drops of dish detergent, like Dawn Platinum, with a gallon of water and use a rag to apply the solution. Wet the surface to remove the mold but do not saturate it.
- Follow-up with a cloth dipped in clear water, wring it out well, and wipe the surface dry. Don’t let the wood stay wet for too long as it could damage the finish.
Persistent Cough Or Cold
Have you been fighting a cough that just wont seem to go away? Prolonged exposure to mold mayexacerbate respiratory illnesses, like persistent or recurring bronchitis and pneumonia. The first line of defense is to consult with your doctor for treatment and to rule out any other underlying illnesses. If there are other indications of a mold problem in your home, this must also be treated by professionals promptly and comprehensively.
Are you suffering from a pesky cough or cold that just doesnt seem to go away? Mold in your home may be to blame. To treat the problem promptly and comprehensively, call the experts at ProClean Pensacola at 484-8500. #MoldRemoval#MoldRemediation#PersistentCough
ProClean Pensacola
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Take Care Of Repairs Removal And Remediation
You want to clean up the mold growth and address its moisture source as soon as possible. Dont put things off while youre trying to negotiate with the seller. Mold growth spreads very quickly, but you can take care of small outbreaks with DIY mold cleanup. If affected areas cover more than 3 square feet or include porous materials like drywall, bring in a mold remediation contractor.
How Do Doctors Test For Mold Exposure
If you are aware of mold growth in your home and you feel sick, inform your doctor about the mold and your symptoms right away. But sometimes you cant see mold, and it is not clear whether its mold exposure thats made you sick or not.
Because mold allergy or mold exposure symptoms can resemble that of other allergies, the doctor will typically start by asking about your medical and family medical history. Additionally, doctors usually run tests for mold exposure which may include one or more of the following:
- Skin test for reactions to allergens, including mold
- IgG mold antibodies test to see the immune systems reaction to molds. A positive test means that an individual was or is currently exposed to mold
- Urine mycotoxins test
- A fungal culture of the nasal sinuses
The type of testing youll receive depends on the doctor you visit, so be sure to ask questions ahead of time so you can feel confident in your diagnosis.
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Talk With An Attorney
If you believe the seller was aware of your new homes mold problem, talk to an attorney. Share documentation from the second home inspection report. The Illinois Residential Real Property Disclosure Act doesnt specifically cover mold, but it does cite issues related to recurring leaks and plumbing defects. Still, you may need evidence of intent. For example, if the seller painted over mold, you could have a strong case.
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Removing Mold From Tile And Grout
There are lots of effective store-bought cleaners for removing mold in tile and grout, but if youd like to go the DIY route, follow these instructions.
The Spruce / Leticia Almeida
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What To Do If You Have Mold
If there is mold in your apartment, you need to notify your landlord immediately. You might also consider asking your landlord to bring in a professional mold inspector. Mold usually grows in difficult to see places, like behind walls or appliances, and the professionals will have equipment to detect it. Whatever they do to find the mold, though, it is important that you and your landlord work together to get it addressed immediately.
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Causes Of Black Mold In House
Despite how many thousands of types of mold exist, they all share a lot in common. Across the board, wet, damp, or humid environments are perfect for colonization.
As such, flooding is a significant cause of black mold in the home. Even a small leak in the roof can create the perfect environment for mold to thrive in once wallpaper and wooden structures get wet, mold will appear rapidly.
Black mold in particular is caused by condensation, so it can appear around skirting boards, in corners, on ceilings, or on other cold surfaces in bathrooms and kitchens, where hot water regularly condenses against the cold surfaces of walls, porcelain toilets and sinks.
Naturally, black mold will also thrive on a broken AC unit or the back of a freezer, where there is a contrast between the heat caused by the appliance and the cold, wet air it creates.
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Warning Signs You Have A Mold Problem
Molds are types of fungi that may grow indoors or outdoors, usually in damp, warm, and humid environments. The most common types of household molds might be found around bathrooms, basements, drywall, ceiling tiles, carpet, wallpaper, under sinks, and around plumbing pipes.
Mold in the home can pose serious health risks, but unfortunately many dont realize they have a mold problem because they dont know what to look for. Here you will read a little about mold warning signs, first as it relates to your health, and secondly as it relates to the structure and history of your home.
Mold Warning Signs: Allergies and Other Health Issues
When someone has mold in their home, they usually show allergy-related symptoms. If youre not sure whether your allergy-like symptoms are caused by mold in your home, then consider this question: do your symptoms get better once you go outdoors or leave your home? If so, then there is good chance that mold is the culprit.
Symptoms of mold allergies include:
- Itchy, watery eyes
- Irritated, itchy skin
Some forms of household mold are toxic, causing serious, life-threatening illness. These highly-dangerous molds might cause symptoms such as bleeding, internal organ damage, mental impairment, cancer, and even death.
Mold Warning Signs in Your Home
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Is Red Mold Dangerous
Even though red mold is unsightly, the mold itself is usually harmless if youre in good health.
If youre sensitive or allergic to mold, exposure can cause problems like respiratory distress. Also, exposure can trigger infections in the skin, lungs, eyes, and other organs.
Those susceptible to complications include:
- shortness of breath
Complications dont only occur from breathing in mold, but also from ingesting mold. So be sure to discard any food that contains red mold. Accidentally ingesting red mold might not be harmful, but its safer to err on the side of caution.
If youve been exposed to red mold and develop signs of irritation, see a doctor immediately to treat the reaction.
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Dangerous Mold Vs Mildew
The most common type of mold found in homes is mildew. Mildew is a surface mold that grows in warm, damp places like your bathroom and on fabrics and books stored in damp basements. Mildew begins as a gray or white powdery colony. It will turn black or brown if not removed promptly and often looks like soil accumulation. To test if the surface is covered with mildew or just dirt, dab the stain with a cotton swab dipped in household chlorine bleach. If the stain lightens or disappears after two or three minutes, its mildew. If not, its probably just dirt.
If you detect a musty smell anywhere in your home, then you have a high concentration of mold. It can be coming from a hamper filled with damp towels, from a damp crawlspace under your home, or from carpets that have mold growing in the padding. If you smell that odor, its definitely time to take action to get rid of the problem.
All mildew is mold, but not all molds are mildew. Mildew can discolor and slowly harm surfaces but there are much more dangerous molds that can damage the structure of your home. If you see a black or green mold that is fuzzy or slimy and the drywall or wood underneath is soft or crumbly, there is irreversible rot, and the mold and the damaged surfaces must be removed immediately.
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Detecting Mold On Wood
Humans can easily detect most molds. Seriously, how can you not?
They are smelly and ugly and usually take on a distinct color. What is interesting, though, is that mold starts growing long before humans can detect it.
This implies that your piece of wooden furniture or door can be infested with mold, and you wouldnt suspect a thing until its too late.
How then can you detect this kind of mold growth? First, let us introduce you to a moisture meter.
Well, this meter doesnt detect mold growth it only detects moisture content, which can then correlate to mold growth. If the moisture content in the wood is more than 20%, then its a valuable sign that the wood may be infested with mold.
When detecting the presence of mold, you should also focus on the affected area of your home or office. Check kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and the like. Where you feel moisture and heat can be trapped is a suitable mold-growing spot.
The sure way to detect mold is to have a professional come to your home and do a mold inspection. This will involve taking samples of any visible mold and sending them to a laboratory for analysis. The lab will determine if the mold is harmful and what type of mold it is.
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How Do I Detect Mold Inside My Walls And Drywall
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.
