PRIDE & PROTECTION FOR YOUR HOME
Mold Facts
- Molds are part of the natural environment.
- Outdoors, molds play a part in nature by breaking down dead organic matter such as fallen leaves and dead trees, but indoors, mold growth should be avoided.
- Molds are microscopic fungi that live on plant and animal matter. Molds can be found almost anywhere, and grow best in damp places such as kitchens, bathrooms, and basements.
- Molds reproduce by means of tiny spores; the spores are invisible to the naked eye and float through outdoor and indoor air.
- Mold may begin growing indoors when mold spores land on surfaces that are wet.
- There are many types of mold, and none of them will grow without water or moisture.
- The EPA says, "there is no practical way to eliminate all mold and mold spores in the indoor environment; the way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture.
- Mold spores are virtually everywhere, and will grow quickly once they achieve the ideal conditions. So, to prevent mold growth, it's important to find spots that may give mold the ideal conditions it needs to grow, and eliminate those conditions.
Mold In My Home
- Molds can be found almost anywhere; they can grow on virtually any substance, providing moisture is present.
- There are molds that can grow on wood, paper, carpet, and foods.
- Molds have the potential to cause health problems.
- Molds produce allergens (substances that can cause allergic reactions), irritants, and in some cases, potentially toxic substances (mycotoxins).
- Inhaling or touching mold or mold spores may cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. Allergic responses include hay fever-type symptoms, such as sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, and skin rash (dermatitis).
- Allergic reactions to mold are common. They can be immediate or delayed.
- Molds can also cause asthma attacks in people with asthma who are allergic to mold.
- In addition, mold exposure can irritate the eyes, skin, nose, throat, and lungs of both mold-allergic and non-allergic people.
The key to mold control is moisture control. It is impossible to get rid of all mold and mold spores indoors; some mold spores will be found floating through the air and in house dust. The mold spores will not grow if moisture is not present. Indoor mold growth can and should be prevented or controlled by controlling moisture indoors. If there is mold growth in your home, you must clean up the mold and fix the water problem. If you clean up the mold, but don't fix the water problem, most likely, the mold problem will come back.
When to test for Mold
Remember even the cleanest homes have mold in them that is not a concern. The concern is if the home has an elevated level of mold in it. Only a mold test can determine this for sure.
- Surface sampling may be useful to determine
if an area has been adequately cleaned or remediated. - Investigating hidden mold problems may be difficult and will require caution when the investigation involves disturbing potential sites of mold growth. For example, removal of wallpaper can lead to a massive release of spores if there is mold growing on the underside of the paper. If you believe that you may have a hidden mold problem, consider hiring an experienced professional.
- You should be aware that although a substance may look like mold, a positive determination of whether it is mold or not can be made only by an expert and may require laboratory analysis for final confirmation.
For a quick list of facts, click the following link: "Ten Things You Should Know About Mold"
I Can Test For Mold
Whether your home is in Ravenna, Cleveland, Akron, or any other part of Northeast Ohio. You could have costly mold in your home. Have me test your home for mold. Please call me on my cell phone at (330)344-9700 or toll-free at (844)333-5308 or fill out an inspection Request TODAY! I look forward to hearing from you.