The 4 Clues That You Have Mold In Your Home

Most people do not spend a lot of time thinking about mold. All they want is to get rid of it by wiping mold from bathroom walls, throwing away molding leftovers or painting over a moldy wall. The problem is that mold is not that easy to get rid of and it is not friendly. Mold can grow in unexpected places in your home and have effects that you are not prepared for. Whether you want to or not, you have to think about mold and how you can tell if your home has any.

You Can See The Mold

If you have a wall or other surface in your home showing black-green spots, it might be mold. This will often occur in places that have been damp or wet. You cannot always tell if this is mold and experts also have a hard time determining this from sight alone. Experts will need to take samples for testing to be sure.

Sampling will tell you if you have mold and the type if there is. Regardless of the type of mold, it can be dangerous. This is why you need to have it taken care of as soon as possible.

It is important to note that mold will not always grow where you can see it. The majority of mold will grow out of sight. There are thousands of different types of mold with different colors allowing it to blend into the place where it grows. You could easily have a mold problem in your home even when you cannot see the mold.

There Has Been Water Damage

When there is any water damage to your home, it is reasonable to assume there will be mold growth afterward. The water causing the damage as soaked into everything leaving it damp or wet. This provides the perfect conditions for mold to grow.

There are also certain areas of your home that are prone to being humid, damp and west such as the attic, basement and anywhere you have a source of water. There are also signs of mold in areas that are not meant to be wet including:

• Yellow-brown water stains

• Soggy or spongy walls

• Bubbling and dimpling of the ceiling

• Peeling paint

• Damaged wooden window frames, ceiling moldings, and baseboards

When the water damage is fresh, mold can be prevented through quick water damage restoration. If you find the damage a while after it occurred, there is a good chance mold has started to grow.

Another point to keep an eye on is condensation on the inside of the windows, particularly in winter. If there is condensation, it is likely that the relative humidity is too high. This can be a sign of moisture problems in your home which you need to address.

You Can Smell Mold

If you have never smelled mold before, you will still know the smell when it hits you. Mold has a musty and overpowering smell which is one of a kind, particularly in closed areas. An odor may be your only hint that you have mold if it is growing behind a wall, beneath your wallpaper or in the vents of your home. If something in your home does not smell right, you need to pay attention even if the scent is only in one small area-

The smell of mold comes from the gases it releases as it feeds, reproduces and grows. Even if you cannot see the mold, but can smell it, you need to check it out. Mold has to be taken care of carefully and quickly because it can spread rapidly.

You Are Sick And Not Getting Better

You need to listen to your body and mold can cause health issues even when you cannot see or smell it. If you have respiratory problems or headaches, you need to get your home checked. Exposure to mold has been known to cause certain symptoms such as:

• Coughing

• Sinus problems such as post-nasal drip and congestion

• Irritated and itchy eyes

• Dizziness

• Headaches

• Skin irritation such as a rash

While these symptoms are not that different from the common cold, you need to be aware of them. A good hint that the cause of the symptoms is mold and not illness is when you feel better when you leave the house.

While the symptoms of mold exposure seem mild, there are long-term health problems which can be severe if the exposure continues. This is particularly true for people who are sensitive to mold. If you or someone else in your family is having a reaction to something in your home and you cannot identify it, you should have the property checked for mold. This should be done by a professional mold remediation expert.

If you suspect that you have mold for any reason, whether one of these signs of not, you need to have this checked immediately. You do not want the mold to spread into other areas of your home because this will happen if it is left untreated. If there is mold, you also have a source of water supporting it which means your home requires repairs.