Mold
Do you know the early signs of mold in house? When we hear the word ‘mold’, we imagine things that make our stomach sick. It makes us imagine the smell of spoiled milk or green patches on old bread.
However, we can’t always see the signs when mold infests your home. Mold can grow in the most unexpected spot, even in a sparkling-clean place at your home.
Mold grows quickly on any surface in the house, including carpet, food, wood, and paper. This fast growth of mold is according to the Environmental Protection Agency. It can appear purple, black, green, orange, or white. Its appearance varies depending on the species and the surface it has latched onto. Sometimes, depending on where it is growing, you can’t even see it, which is why it’s so important to get someone like this company offering mold testing in Stamford, CT out to take a look at your home, should you have any concerns or suspicions that you may have mold.
Mold releases tiny spores that float through the air in your home. Its colonies can quickly multiply if left unchecked and untreated. Mold in your house can cause significant health risks for your family and permanent structural damage to your home.
That’s why it is crucial to understand the signs of mold in your house. In this article, you will find 11 signs that your home may have mold and how to treat it if it does.
Top 10+ Signs of a Mold in House
1. Prolonged Cough or Cold
Prolonged mold exposure may trigger respiratory disorders such as chronic or recurring bronchitis and pneumonia. If you have been battling a cough that won’t go away, this could be caused by mold in your house. The first thing to do is to visit your doctor to get treatment and to check if there are any underlying illnesses. Also, you need to check if there are other signs of a mold problem in your house. Then, you need to seek professional help to treat the mold.
2. Stained Carpets
Mold is easy to grow and multiply on carpeted surfaces and rugs in your house. Check your carpets regularly to see any spots, stains, or musty odor. If you discover something unusual, check both sides of the carpet and padding.
Pro-tip: The best way to detect and avoid mold problems on your carpets and rugs is to have them cleaned a few times a year professionally.
3. Mold in the Furniture
Mold can grow on wet leather and wood. It can easily get trapped in porous materials such as foam or seat covers. Therefore, you must check your furniture regularly and examine if there are discolored areas or mold spores.
4. Warped Walls
Too much moisture on the wall can cause bubbles on paint and deformed wallpaper. Moisture allows mold to grow. So when you notice your wallpaper becomes warped, find the source of the moisture right away. Once you locate the moisture source, fix the problem before mold grows.
5. Rotten Smell
If you smell a wet and musty odor in your house, this could be a sign of a mold problem. The smell that reminds you of old books could be caused by volatile organic compounds released by mold during its life cycle. If you smell this odor from your flooring or walls, maybe you have a mold problem in your home.
6. Previous Water Damage Incident
Water damage incidents such as floods or burst pipes in your home can lead to mold growth after the incident. After the water is drained, the moisture can trigger the mold to grow in the area.
People who experience water damage incidents in their homes often have mold problems after the damage. It can be costly to treat the mold issue, and the mold can damage the structure of your house.
7. Musty Odor from Air Conditioner
When you turn on your air conditioner, does it cause a musty odor? Are there any black, fuzzy spots on the AC filter? That might be the sign of black mold.
First, to avoid mold on your AC you need to use HEPA filters. Then you need to clean and replace the HEPA filters regularly to remove moisture and dust that can cause mold growth.
8. Stained Tiles
Visible dirt in the grout between your bathroom tiles is a sign of mold and mildew growth.
To avoid the mold issue in your bathroom, use a squeegee to scrape water from the tub and walls after showering. Also, try to avoid putting wet towels and clothes in the hamper, and clean the shower curtain as soon as you see any discoloration.
Pro-Tip: A squeegee can be purchased easily at an affordable price.
According to the EPA, eliminating all mold in your house can be difficult to do. Therefore, it is critical to be cautious in spotting any potential signs of mold.
If you see any mold signs mentioned, it is essential to eliminate mold colonies before they multiply further.
9. Spotted Clothes
Stained clothes could be one of the signs of a mold problem in your home. So you need to check regularly if white or black spots on your clothes feel fluffy or slimy to the touch.
Pro-tip: Mold can quickly grow on damp clothes. Putting your dirty clothes immediately into the washing machine can prevent mold growth.
Pro-tip: Watch this DIY video about how to clean the air conditioners at your home.
10. Water Heater Closet
A water heater closet can be a good place for mold to grow because it’s prone to moisture. However, mold growth in the water heater closet can be difficult to detect or notice because it’s often located in hard-to-reach parts of the home. In order to avoid mold in your water heater closet, you need to check for condensation on the floor and walls around the heater regularly.
11. Allergy or Asthma Reactions
People with allergies or asthma could have respiratory problems triggered by mycotoxin, a toxic compound produced by certain types of mold. Do you experience coughing, sneezing, feeling tired, or having a runny nose regardless of the season? Maybe you need to check if there’s mold growth in your house.
Have a Professional Remove Mold in Your House
In some cases the signs of mold in house might be severe, hiring a professional to remove all the mold in your house is recommended. You should search for certified mold removal specialists nearby your area who will conduct a step-by-step procedure to eliminate the mold completely.
First, they will examine the area for mold, tracing it back to its source if possible. Then they will treat the damaged area and remove moldy, non-salvageable, porous materials. A negative air pressure technology may be used to prevent hazardous mold spores from migrating from the air to your lungs.
Following that, they will remove mold on non-porous surfaces using HEPA-filtered vacuums. Then, they will install air scrubbers with HEPA filters.
Finally, a ULV fogging with a powerful antibacterial solution is the last step of professional mold removal. This last step will make sure that all the mold is removed thoroughly and will sanitize any remaining salvageable contents as needed.
When you notice a mold sign in your house, you must act right away. Even a little amount of mold in the home can quickly multiply, and there is a good chance that there is more mold than what you see.
