Tag: mold

Mold can cause health problems as well as problems with your home. Professional mold inspection services are available;. however, home inspections for mold and bacteria can be expensive and some people may not be able to afford a professional home inspection.

An alternative to home inspection is a mold testing kit. Mold testing kits can be purchased in stores and online. A mold testing kit will cost less than hiring a professional mold removal company. This allows you to test your own home for mold. However, since there are many types of mold that can be extremely harmful, you must approach mold testing with the greatest of care. Follow directions exactly, and consider wearing latex gloves and a face mask to handle mold. Your mold testing kit directions will tell you whether a simple mask is all that is required, or whether you need a special mask with a HEPA filter.  Some types of mold can seriously affect your respiratory system, so err on the side of caution.

Many mold testing kits can be purchased online. You also may be able to find instructions for mold testing. It is important to use a reputable mold testing kit and to follow the instructions very carefully. If you have questions about which mold testing kit is the best, you can be advised about it at your local home improvement store. You might also consider trying to find reviews of a mold testing kit online in order to determine which one to obtain.  The test should tell you what kind of mold it is, which will let you know what needs to be done to remove it. If it is a harmless type of mold, you can use a bleach solution to clean the surface. If it is toxic, it is best to hire a professional and exit the house while the mold is being dealt with.

If your house has mold you may never see it.  Your family may come down with illnesses such as lung infections and skin infections and you will not be able to understand why.  Not until there is a spike in humidity or a flood or leak will the mold show itself on the outside of your walls.  If you were to use a mold testing kit at least once a year you would be able to track the cause of infection and clean up your home creating a better environment for your family.

Mold testing kits will be able to tell you where there is an outbreak of mold in your home.  Mold feeds off of drywall, cardboard, dust mites and other fibers.  Since there are mold spores everywhere you may not be able to detect a problem.  It will not be until a humidity spike in the atmosphere that you will see the mold.  What happens during a humidity spike it that there is humidity condensing into liquid on the walls of your home and if there happens to be poor ventilation the mold will feed and rapidly multiply. 

It is easier to see the mold appear after a flood or leak because there is damage done to the house itself.  In areas of water damage you will be able to tell if an area should be treated with bleach.  When there is water damage you will be more likely to air out the affected area and make sure it dries well.  Hidden mold in the home is what you do not see and are unable to smell and these areas are best discovered by mold testing kits.

You will find that many mold testing kits are very easy to use.  There are options out there to have mold testing kits that work by the day and mold testing kits that work for a few months up to a year at a time.  The more active you are at preventing the mold in your home the healthier your family will be.

Bathrooms in a home are one of the few rooms that are constantly bombarded by water.  Whether it is from the toilets, sinks, showers, or baths, there is a constant threat to the structures surrounding these fixtures.  This threat is bathroom mold and it can be seen in nearly every bathroom that is used.  It is a fungus that is responsible for the unsightly black spots on walls or fixtures.  However, it is more than just an eyesore. 

This threat of bathroom mold can actually destroy bathrooms, and even framing if it is left untreated.  Also, this Bathroom mold can be a health concern.   As it grows, mold produces volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can cause health problems such as upper respiratory distress, chronic headaches, skin rashes, flu like symptoms, sinus congestion, and nausea. Excessive exposure to VOCs can damage the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system.  For all these reasons, cosmetic, structural, and health related; it is important to keep the level of bathroom mold to a minimum.  

The number one cause of bathroom mold is faulty or mislaid sealing and caulk jobs.  Tile is laid in bathrooms in order to keep the water away from and out of the walls.  If the tiles leaks, water droplets will seep through the tile and or grout and into the Sheetrock and framing of the house.  This is a situation that will undoubtedly turn into bathroom mold, and so as a preventative measure it is a good idea to re-grout bathroom tiles n floors.  Also, when installing the drywall for these bathrooms it is a good idea to coat them with a plastic barrier to prevent water from reaching t hem and creating bathroom mold.  Although the problem can be corrected with construction, it is a better idea to stop it at the start, and make sure that all bathrooms are properly treated for this problem.

Mold is a serious health problem that affects anyone who is in close contact with these fungi.  Though mold serves a purpose in the outside environment, it is a health risk to live or work in a facility or environment that is full of mold spores.  Unfortunately, not all molds are readily identified or recognized.  Sometimes, mold can grow in an inconspicuous place and you may not be able to recognize its signs or presence.  In these situations, it is very beneficial to use a mold kit to help identify the presence of mold.

A mold kit is an important tool that you can use in the fight against mold. Some molds are more harmful than others, so not only will your mold kit help you determine if mold spores are present, but a mold kit will also help you identify the type of mold that you are dealing with.  Once you know the type of mold problem you have, you can treat it effectively.

Mold is extremely dangerous to the health and well being of babies, infants, people with compromised immune systems, the elderly, and pregnant women.  If you have an infant or a newborn baby, you should check your home for mold.  The best way to do this is with a mold kit.  Some types of mold are invisible to the naked eye and aren’t detectable by smell.  The only way to determine if mold is growing in your home or office is to use a mold kit.

There are a number of different mold kits that you can use and they are readily available.  You should check for mold and if it is detected, you will need to remove it immediately.  If the source of the mold problem is generally localized or in a small area, you can more than likely treat the mold yourself and remove the problem.  However, if the mold is widespread and in an inaccessible area, the best course of action may be to have a professional come and eradicate the problem.

Carpet mold is a really nasty thing to think about.  It stinks.  It’s usually ugly.  And it can actually make us sick.

Mold spores are everywhere – in the air and on every surface, inside or out.  A little mold is usually not a problem and we don’t even know it’s there.  When the conditions are right for growth of a mold colony, however, things can get out of hand quickly.

Carpet mold colonies begin when carpet becomes damp consistently or for an extended length of time.  This might happen when water pipes or the roof spring a leak.  Even a small leak can lead to an unsightly, even dangerous, mold colony so even the small repairs need to be completed in a timely manner.

In order to become an issue, the microorganisms that make carpet mold need moisture to live in and something to eat.  The leak provides the moisture and almost everything that falls onto the carpet becomes a feast for the mold.

The organisms that cause carpet mold feed on all the foods and beverages we do so any spills will leave a residue behind.  So will pet hair, human hair, and the dead skin cells we constantly slough off without even knowing it.  These things don’t seem too appetizing to us but the mold loves them.

Even the most meticulously cleaned carpets and rugs are subject to invasion by carpet mold because the amount of feeding matter and moisture required of these tiny creatures is much smaller than we can see and much smaller than most cleaning devices or solutions can eliminate entirely.

It takes a long time for a carpet mold colony to build to noticeable proportions under normal everyday wear.  People who have allergies to mold may get headaches or other allergic symptoms from the carpet but most people will not notice it.

It’s when really big problems occur that carpet mold becomes a problem for just about everybody.  Burst pipes due to freezing weather conditions; storm damage from rain or windstorms. tornadoes, or hurricanes; or prolonged periods of neglect cause the most obvious carpet mold problems.

Repairing the damage done by any of these situations will certainly eliminate the source of the problem but may not be enough to eliminate the carpet mold build-up.

It’s likely to be months before a colony becomes big enough to be detected.  It’s not unusual that the problem will call for replacing carpet, flooring, and perhaps even walls months after the original problem occurs if carpet mold issues aren’t addressed at the onset of the problem.

And it’s almost impossible to thoroughly remove carpet mold colonies without the help of professional technicians trained and equipped to remedy the problem in a way that is safe for everyone.

Mold is the cause of many allergies.  As a fungus, mold is an important part of the natural environment.  It helps break down decaying leaves, trees, plants, and other organic material.  However, when it is in your home, it is a serious health factor.  Mold in the home must be removed, cleaned, and prevented.  However, if you are allergic to mold, you’ll find that you may have a difficult time being outside when the mold count is high.

Like the pollen count, the mold count measures how many mold spores are in the air in a twenty-four hour period.  When the mold count is high, allergy sufferers know that they will need to take extra precaution to avoid the implications and effects of mold allergy.

By using the mold count, people can ensure that they stay healthy and avoid being outside on days when there is an excessive amount of mold spores in the air.  Mold spreads in the air through spores.  When spores land, they multiply quickly. In fact, people can breathe in millions of mold spores within minutes.  For those with mold allergies, this can have disastrous results.

Some of the symptoms of mold allergies include a runny nose, congestion, sinus headache, nausea, watery eyes, and coughing.  People respond to mold in different ways, and for some people, a high mold count will not cause them any problems.  However, for some people, such as babies, pregnant women, the elderly, and those with a compromised immune system, high mold levels can cause sickness and great discomfort.  Many people with asthma find that mold allergy creates serious symptoms such as labored breathing, and shortness of breath.  When there is a high level of mold in the air, it is very important for those who are sick, weak, or sensitive to mold to avoid contact with mold spores.

We’ve all seen roof mold.  We may not have been able to identify it as such at the time but we know it as those big ugly black stains along a roof.  These stains are pretty common and they are one of the reasons a new roof on a home stands out so distinctly from all the others.

Roof mold is unsightly, of course, but it’s a bit more than that, too.  It can eat away at the weatherproof seal the roof provides to our homes, leading the way for interior damage and repairs inside.

When roofing shingles become lose or damaged, they can develop cavities and pockets along the roof that collect water.  Over time, these damp spots grow into a colony of roof mold than can eat away at the structure of the roof itself.

Mold spores are everywhere and no one can avoid them entirely.  As a rule, they pose no problems.  It’s just when conditions are right for their growth into a colony that the problems begin.

Starting small, so small we can’t even see it, roof mold establishes itself in a tiny spot on the roof and weakens the area around it as the colony feeds on the roofing materials. 

One small spot that easily goes unnoticed by the human eye can become a roof leak that damages everything underneath, including walls, family heirlooms, the baby’s crib, and the new carpet just installed in the formal dining room.

The best way to prevent damage from roof mold is to maintain the integrity of the roof itself.  Repair any loose shingles as soon as they are detected and replace any shingles that are torn, broken, or damaged in any way.

When damage from severe weather events or fallen trees or limbs may by suspected, repairs done the sooner the better will save costly repairs to larger areas later.

Working on the roof is one task of homeownership that many people feel unqualified to handle alone.  Roofing companies and those that offer most building repairs and construction projects can help with routine maintenance checks and special checks after potential damage to the roof.

Keeping a roof in good shape isn’t just a cosmetic endeavor.  That unsightly roof mold, when allowed to build to damaging proportions, may mean there’ll soon be another pretty new stain-free roof on the block.

There are many ways to test for mold. Mold sampling methods include taking a sample of mold with tape, with a vacuum suction method, or by swabbing the surface where the mold is.  Some mold collection methods are better for mold sampling than others.  It is good to be aware of the limitations of each method before deciding which to use.

Some mold sampling kits necessitate the cultivation of mold for identification. The user would put the mold on  a culture and allow the mold to grow in order to determine the type of mold that it is.  The problem with conducting mold sampling without professional advice is that it may be unclear which is the best area to sample (there may be harmless molds growing alongside more dangerous molds, leading to an ambiguous mold situation.  Your test may identify a harmless mold when in fact a dangerous mold is present. 

Because of the focus on a certain type of harmful, toxic black mold, homeowners may be inclined to overlook other varieties of non-black mold, but these lighter-colored molds may also cause health problems.  Similarly, not all black molds need professional remediation; some can be addressed by any homeowner with a simple diluted bleach wash.  However, in order to determine which kind of mold you do have, a professional mold sampling is  not a bad idea.  Professionals will have the best knowledge of where mold may be hiding, and they will be able to take a more accurate sampling. One way that they might do this is by taking a more extensive sampling of mold from the site and using a microscope to identify the types of mold that are growing.  This is generally more comprehensive and accurate than taking a culture.

One thing to be aware of is that where one mold thrives, the conditions for mold in general are good. Even if you have a harmless mold variety that’s easy to treat, it’s a good idea to address the humidity that the mold is feeding off of so that more molds don’t take up residence in your home.

Exposure to mold is very common inside and outside of the home.  However, some individuals have more vulnerability to mold than others.  Small children, medically frail elderly, people with autoimmune diseases, and those suffering from respiratory infections or difficulties are the most susceptible to mold ailments.  Mold exposure in its more mild forms may cause cold-like symptoms, watery eyes, sore throat, wheezing and dizziness, and trigger asthma attacks.  Some mold spores are very small and can be easily inhaled deeply into the lungs.  It is a health risk to live in houses with high mold levels so, if there is a musty smell in the home, than there is surely a mold problem that must be addressed. Depending on the prevalence of the problem and the mold, homeowners may wish to have a mold professional conduct a mold identification consultation.

Mold Identification is often achieved through a microscope where the naked eye may mistake a dangerous type for a common kitchen mold. For example, a homeowner may see black grime on tiles and believe it to be grout when in fact though the process of mold identification the grout is found to be Stachybotrys chartarum or toxic black mold and causing all kinds of horrific health problems.  Typically, mold identification of a specific classification of mold is not usually necessary or recommended because of the expense in testing the molds. 

However, there are some more inexpensive alternatives in mold identification such as air testing and tape testing.  Air testing will assess the extent of contamination throughout the residence and sampling can be done to assess the microbial contamination on site.  Tape testing is a method used to determine if a mold is toxic and should be examined further for toxicity and health risks.  There are also 24-hour labs available for quick and inexpensive testing of samples.

Mold is a fungal organism that can spread and grow very quickly when given the most favorable conditions needed such as poorly lit, damp surfaces.  When conditions for growth are not favorable however, the mold becomes a fine powder and is usually airborne until it can stick to a surface where conditions can be met for growth.  Airborne molds can cause many health risks both minor and severe. 

Removing a mold stain can be as big a challenge as many large household chores.  Sometimes chlorine bleach is recommended for use in a 10% solution for bathrooms to kill mold and remove the mold stain.  However, chlorine bleach does not always kill the mold body and may require prolonged and frequent uses to completely kill the mold.  If the mold is not completely killed, discoloration and damage can continue at the site of the mold stain.  To begin an effective mold stain removal process, circulation of dry air and sunlight are needed to help kill an active mold.  Wooden floors can stand to be severely damaged from a mold stain that goes unnoticed.  To remove a mold stain from a hardwood floor, dry the area and treat with chlorine bleach solution.  Afterward, scrape the affected area with a piece of metal and sand the area down after scraping.

Believe it or not, clothing can be stained by mold as well.  To remove a mold stain from clothing, make sure the garment is thoroughly aired out preferably in the sunlight and dried.  The ultraviolet rays of the sun should effectively kill the mold and allow the garment to be cleaned by normal means in the washing machine using bleach when conventional cleaning may fail. Unfortunately, a mold stain cannot always be removed such as the case on paper and paintings without ruining or damaging it.  Prevention is the only key to keeping paper goods and artwork mold free.