Effective Mold Identification and Treatment Tips for a Healthy Home

We all know that April showers are supposed to bring May flowers, however, a wet spring season can do more than help plants grow. In fact, heavy rain storms can actually pose a threat to homeowners in the form of mold. While it’s common for mold to be present in the great outdoors, it can pose serious risks if left untreated within the home.

Molds are basically fungi that come in thousands of species, not all of which are harmful. However, many are capable of causing physical problems ranging from slight allergic reactions and skin conditions to more serious neurological and respiratory problems. People with weak or compromised immune systems, such as very young children and the elderly, are particularly at risk for problems related to mold.

Mold occurs normally in outdoor environments, serving as nature’s recycling center and breaking down the dead organic matter from animals or plants. Humans encounter mold and even inhale mold spores every day with no ill effects whatsoever. When mold occurs in an indoor environment, however, things change. Suddenly, mold and its accompanying spores (through which it reproduces) are encountered (and inhaled) in large concentrations. When you consider the job that mold is designed to do on organic matter, it becomes easy to see how it could become a serious health hazard.

Mold occurs as the byproduct of water damage, or in any area where the moisture level is sufficient enough to sustain its growth. Even if the mold is not dangerous to anyone’s health, it still presents a problem since it destroys the surface on which it grows, meaning that a growth that is large enough could cause serious damage. Homes, businesses, and even entire city blocks have been condemned and destroyed simply due to out of control mold growth. For this reason alone, professional mold remediation services should be brought in to handle mold infestations.

Unfortunately, too many people mistakenly believe that removing the mold is sufficient. This is not true. Unless the area is properly treated, the mold will eventually return. The affected area should be thoroughly cleaned, disinfected, and humidity levels brought down to within acceptable parameters, normally between 40-45 percent. Only by changing the environment to make it inhospitable to mold can any property owner hope to avoid mold problems in the future.

Even new homes may have mold problems, so mold inspections are recommended for new home purchases. Newly constructed homes are often tightly sealed up between the time that construction is finished and the time the home is sold. Any moisture trapped inside will have no place to go, and over time may easily give way to mold and mildew growth.

Source: Restoration Local
Published with permission from RISMedia.