Mold Inspections & Removal: Basics of Mold Growth in Your Home
October 29th, 2014
Because mold is an extremely resilient and adaptive organism, it is a common problem in homes. Most homes contain cool, dark areas that provide the perfect growing conditions for mold. Once a mold infestation begins, it is important for you and your family’s health that it is handled correctly.
A thorough mold inspection and removal treatment is highly recommended in order to ensure all sources of mold have been detected and removed. In order to prevent mold growth in the future, is important that homeowners learn how mold grows and develops.
How Does Mold Grow?
Mold needs three things in order to grow: a food source, moisture and room to grow and expand. Mold typically chooses porous materials as food, such as wood, dirt, leaves or paper.
In most cases, mold grows in attics, basements and bathrooms. This is because these areas are susceptible to leaks in roofs, leaks from plumbing, high humidity, clothes dryers that do not ventilate outdoors and flooding.
Mold grows when a mold spore is able to attach itself to a moist surface that it is able to feed off of. A mold spore is an airborne particle that is invisible to the naked eye, but as it grows and multiplies, may become visible. There are many types of mold, but all of them require moisture to survive.
How to Detect Mold Growth
Mold is often discovered in one of two ways, by smell and by sight. Mold can be detected even when it is hidden in a house because it will give off a musty smell. This is the reason basements often have a distinct odor.
Small amounts of mold growth can be seen, but people often mistake it for spots or dirt. More advanced cases of mold growth are fairly obvious. They are usually found in corners and cool dark spaces. The colors can range from a bright white to a dark black with brown, tan, green, red, orange, yellow, and even blue in between.
What Does Mold Growth Mean for My Family & My Home
Airborne mold spores can cause respiratory issues similar to allergies. Although rare, extreme cases of stachybotrys mold growth has been found to cause bleeding in the lungs. Mold can have a stronger effect on children, the elderly and those with existing respiratory conditions than healthy adults.
Since mold attaches to wood and other porous materials, untreated mold growth can cause structural damage to your home. Support beams and other affected materials may need to be replaced.
Trust Professional Mold Inspection & Removal Experts
If your home is showing signs of mold growth, it is important to resolve the issue as soon as possible. There are do-it-yourself options, but those methods don’t always ensure the best results. Get The Lead Out has a team of mold inspection and removal experts that will locate all sources of mold and safely treat all affected areas. From there, we can offer solutions to prevent future growth.
Located in Charlotte, we have the capability to serve homeowners across the Carolinas. To learn more or to schedule your inspection, please call (704) 376-3594.