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Tag Archives: Black Mold

Mold Likes To Hide

This Is Where Mold Likes To Hide

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Ah, all those moist little hidden nooks and crannies in your home–mold loves those areas! While it is hard to completely eliminate mold growth and mold spores in your home, knowing mold’s favorite hiding places can help you wage your battle and act proactively. Mold often can’t be seen but you will usually be able to smell it, particularly if you’ve been away from home for a while and your home has been closed up and airtight.

Moisture And Mold

Where does it hide? As a fungus, mold likes damp, warm locations, and it can survive year round, indoors or out. Mold releases spores into the air, and when they land on a humid spot, the mold grows like gangbusters.

Showers And Baths

Showers and bathtubs are the usual culprits, and any leaky sink or pipe can be a haven for mold, so be sure to look in these moist areas for any mold growth.

Closer To The Outdoors, Farther From Living Spaces

Basements are always a mold breeding ground. Be sure to inspect walls, floors, pipe areas and crawlspaces where mold loves to hide.

Also be sure to look around windows, not just in your basement, but in your entire home. Moisture condenses around windows, and mold can easily grow in the crevices and on windowsills.

Attic spaces are another breeding ground for mold.

Look around hot water heaters, piping and exposed insulation for mold.

Mold In The Laundry?

You probably think of your washing machine as a clean machine, but think again. Mold can easily grow inside. Leave the washer door open to dry out, or run a bleach cycle or washing machine cleaner through a cycle to prevent and/or eliminate mold.

Not The Fridge!

Refrigerators are another mold magnet. Look on the gaskets, drip pans and water dispenser for mold, particularly if you have a refrigerator in a non-climate controlled area like a garage or outdoor space.

Carpet

Carpeting can also be a breeding ground for mold, particularly carpet in wet areas like bathrooms, mud rooms or outdoor sun rooms where there is more moisture. Mold can easily grow underneath a carpet or even the carpet pad. If you have allergies, think about non-carpet flooring for these wet areas and even for your bedroom.

In The Walls

Mold can easily hid on drywall, particularly on the backside of drywall that is facing a wet area or exterior exposed wall. Likewise, mold can get behind paneling or wallpaper in wet rooms, and can even form on inside walls and wood framing where condensation is a problem. Mold can particularly get inside ductwork very easily and spread throughout your entire home.

You can sometimes see mold, but when you can’t, you can smell it – it’s that musty odor that gives you the first clue. If you suspect mold, give a professional a call. A professional test is the only way to determine the exact mold you have. Then, we will help you get rid of it.

Common Cold Or Allergy To Mold?

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You have a stuffy nose – you are congested. Your eyes are itchy, and you keep sneezing. Do you have the common cold, or are you suffering an allergy to mold? Mold allergies cause the majority of allergy-related rhinitis and asthma. However, unlike symptoms from the common cold, allergy symptoms from mold stay around longer. Because mold allergies are similar to allergies related to animal dander, dust, and pollen, the best way to identify a mold allergy is through a medical history and physical, and lab testing by a medical professional.

Mold is a naturally occurring fungi. Some fungi are helpful and even edible as is the case with penicillin and mushrooms. However, other fungi can be poisonous and trigger illness in humans. While you cannot completely rid yourself of exposure to mold, you can identify problems and get them treated appropriately.

Common places of mold indoors

If you are experiencing long-term cold-like symptoms, you may have a mold issue in your home or office. Some common areas that you can inspect are:

  • Bathrooms
  • Basements and crawl spaces
  • Carpet and carpet padding
  • Dust
  • Furniture and mattresses
  • Humidifiers
  • Refrigerators
  • Areas of your home with humidity in excess of 50%

Once you identify the location of mold, you should have it properly mitigated. Wear a mask and clean moldy areas with an antifungal reagent like chlorine bleach. You should leave the reagent for several hours before washing and drying. You can then follow-up the treatment with a preventive spray. It is important to address any issues that cause mold like water getting into your home, improper ventilation, and too great a percentage of indoor humidity.

Some other ways to prevent mold growth and exposure are:

  • Vacuum and dust regularly
  • Keep your home dry and address any water issues
  • Use a dehumidifier
  • Place dust-proof encasings on your mattresses
  • Treat air ventilation systems
  • Clean humidifiers thoroughly
  • Keep indoor humidity at an optimal level

Although you may have symptoms of mold allergy, it may just be the common cold. If your cold symptoms resolve in a short while, it is likely a simple cold virus. However, if you and your family experiences long-term cold symptoms and you are concerned about the presence of mold in your home, consider getting an assessment by a doctor to determine if you are experiencing a mold allergy.

Following this advice can help you to avoid ongoing mold allergy issues and can help you to prevent asthma attacks.

The Worst Time of Year for Mold

The Worst Time of Year for Mold

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Mold is an unwelcome guest anytime of the year. It has the potential to harm your health – particularly if you suffer from mold allergies – and ruin parts of your home or the items in it. And while there are particular conditions that help mold to flourish, it’s unfortunately a problem you need to watch out for throughout the year.

Fall Mold Bloom

The fall climate in many areas of the country has certain atmospheric qualities that foster mold growth outdoors. Musty piles of leaves and other decaying matter are hotbeds for mold growth, and disturbances to these areas generate a lot of airborne spore activity. Allergy sufferers are warned to take care to avoid disturbing natural mold growth areas and take other proactive measures to prevent significant exposure.

Yearlong Threat

Indoors, mold activity is a problem any month of the year. Moist areas are particularly attractive to mold blooms and can attract spores at any time. If you have leaks in your home, you must repair them as quickly as possible to minimize the likelihood of mold.

Additionally, humid homes attract mold more quickly than do non-humid homes, as mold flourishes at humidity levels of 30% or higher. If you live in a humid climate, there is little you can do to reduce the humidity, so keeping your home clean and as dry as possible is essential.

Keeping your home well ventilated – particularly in areas like the bathroom and basement – will provide essential air flow to keep things nice and dry. You can use exhaust systems for large dank areas, like the basement to facilitate the best air flow. Even making simple changes, like moving large furniture and bookshelves away from exterior walls will make a difference when it comes to moving the air around.

Regular Maintenance

Keeping your home clean is the best way to fight mold, and there are some big tasks that should be done on a yearly or quarterly basis. Thoroughly clean your carpets and upholstery regularly, and clean up spills or wet spots as soon as they happen. Also make sure that your bedding and sheets are regularly cleaned and stored in a dry linen closet to keep mold growth at bay.

By following some simple steps for prevention and addressing mold issues as soon as they occur, you can keep your home and life mold-free.

Mold In House Sonoma County

Health Risks of Mold in Your Home

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When you think of mold, you probably think of things like dank basements, dirty bathrooms, musty smells, and water damage. Mold can wreak havoc on a home, but the mold in your home can also cause you health risks. Here are five health risks that can be caused by toxic molds in your home.

#1 Allergic Reactions

The most common health effect of mold in your home is allergic reactions. Otherwise healthy adults and children may experience symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, runny nose, watery eyes, and skin irritation.

#2 Worsening Asthma Symptoms

Controlling asthma can be a struggle for some people, and if there is mold in your home, it can become even harder to control. Mold in your home can cause your asthma symptoms like chest tightness and shortness of breath to become worse. If you have good control of your asthma symptoms and they start to worsen, you may want to check for mold in your home.

#3 Increased Headaches

You may experience increased or more severe headaches if your are exposed to mold in your home. Allergic reactions, sinus pressure, or a response to mycotoxins that some molds produce can cause your headaches. These headaches have the potential of becoming migraines if the mold isn’t removed.

#4 Fatigue

All of us feel fatigued at one point or another, but when it gets to the point where you need over 12 hours of sleep a night or can’t stand long enough to take a shower, it can become debilitating. Lack of oxygen intake, coughing at night, and illness and infection are all reasons that mold exposure can cause you to feel overly fatigued.

#5 Mental and Neurological Issues

The most well-known toxic mold, black mold, releases neurotoxins that can impair your mental ability by killing neurons in the brain. Some of these impairments include confusion, difficulty paying attention, anxiety, seizures, and memory loss. You may also experience increased irritability due to exposure to black mold. #6 Suppressed Immune System If you are typically a healthy adult, you may find yourself getting sick more often if you are exposed to mold. The toxins in black mold can cause your immune system to be compromised, and you’ll be more susceptible to infections and illness. If you are experiencing unexplained symptoms that could be related to toxic mold exposure, you should take steps immediately to remove the mold from your home. Health issues caused by mold exposure typically subside once the mold is gone.

Black Mold Santa Rosa

Health Effects of Black Mold in the Home

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Having mold in a home may seem like an innocuous issue. However, the presence of toxic black mold can be a serious problem. People who allow black mold to get built up in their homes are putting themselves at risk for a number of serious health risks.

Neurologic Issues

Black mold produces toxins that are capable of killing neurons in the brain, which can ultimately impair a person’s mental ability, cause nervous disorders, and cause personality changes.

Respiratory issues

People who live in a house that contains black mold can easily breathe in the spores and toxins that the mold produces. This can cause irritation and damage to the nasal cavity, mouth, and throat. Symptoms can range from breathing problems to bleeding in the lungs.

Circulatory issues

The toxins in black mold can easily seep into the book if it is absorbed through a person’s skin or eyes, if it has been ingested or breathed in. Once the toxins reach the blood, the affected person can experience heart damage, blood clotting, and both internal and external hemorrhaging.

Vision issues

If the toxins from black mold reach someone’s eyes, it is quite possible vision issues will result and permanent damage is possible.

Skin issues

Human skin is susceptible to damage caused by black mold toxins. Those who are affected may experience crawling skin, dermatitis, and jaundice.

Immune system issues

The toxins in black mold emit chemicals that can harm the immune system. Anyone who is affected by toxic black mold is more easily susceptible to infections and illness.

Reproductive system issues

The black mold is extremely toxic for a fetus and can lead to birth defects. The toxins have also been linked to other reproductive issues such as infertility, miscarriage, and impotence.

Extreme fatigue

One way the human body attempts to combat the effects of the toxic black mold is by releasing a natural sedative. The purpose of it is to slow down the negative effects, but it also results in extreme fatigue and soreness in the joints and muscles.

Cancer

It is strongly believed that exposure to toxic black mold can result in cancer; however more research is still needed for confirmation.

General health issues

Some general health issues related to toxic black mold include hair loss, hearing loss, anorexia, liver disease, coma, and death.

There is no disputing that toxic black mold has the potential for great harm for anyone who comes into contact with it. Anyone who suspects there is a black mold issue in their home should contact a professional to have it removed as soon as possible.