Finding mold in your home or business is never a pleasant sight. After your initial response, you’re probably wondering what to do next, whom to call, or how much the mold remediation costs. Here’s an advice Q & A in case you don’t know where to start when you find mold.
- What Is Mold?
Mold is a harmful fungus that lives both inside and outside your home. It lives in shady, wet areas. It is airborne, so it is always present in a building when humidity levels increase above 60 percent. It usually should be lower than 50 percent, ideally. Mold is often found in hidden places like the attic, basement, and crawl space. It isn’t the same thing as mildew, which commonly grows in window panes, showers, or bathroom walls.
- Why Should I Be Concerned About Mold?
When mold is found in a home or business, mold professionals classify it as air pollution. Mold spores, when they grow out of control, are considered harmful because people are susceptible to health risks, including respiratory and allergic conditions. Some people are more at risk than others, such as newborns, the elderly, and compromised immunity.
- What Amount Of Mold Is Harmful?
Currently, the CDC and the EPA do not establish what the acceptable level of mold is or what quantity is tolerable. There is evidence to suggest that some people are more susceptible to mold (such as a person with a weakened immune system), so everyone has the potential to react differently to several types of mold and at different growth levels.
- What Types Of Mold Is Dangerous?
While there is no consensus on how many types of mold species exist in the world, but some experts cite more than 100,000 different variations. Don’t panic or feel overwhelmed. Only a dozen are likely to end up in a residential or commercial building.
- Pathogenic molds cause health risks like acute medical problems.
- Allergenic molds cause allergies and health issues like respiratory illnesses.
- Toxigenic molds produce toxic material that can be deadly if untreated.
The most common indoor molds in buildings in the northeast of the United States will include Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Penicillium, and Stachybotrys chartarum.
- I See Black Mold, But There Is No Musty Odor. Is It Dangerous?
Because mold grows in hard-to-see places, you won’t always smell it until it begins to develop and produce a gaseous odor. Since mold grows when the moisture is above 60%, it’s possible that the growth pattern has not reached its potential, but test it to be sure.
- Is the temperature below seventy or humidity below 55?
- Have you found any water leaks or moisture sources lately?
- Have you cleaned your carpets or bought new furniture or décor?
- Have you bought any new items like books or moved in old possessions?
- If you are unsure, call us for a complete mold inspection.
Restore Pro is always available to help customers with mold remediation, and moisture repairs like leaks or porous building material. Call 1-800-847-0114 or www.facebook.com/RestorePro911/.
