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What Does the Presence of Mold Mean?

Indoor environments are not immune to mold growth, and toxins released by mold could potentially cause severe illness. After being breathed in, mold spores eventually settle in the lungs and begin to grow.

Fortunately, it’s possible to reduce the likelihood of mold in your home by implementing a few different strategies. For example, you can keep your home dry by keeping it clean, installing proper ventilation, and promptly fixing water leaks.

Mold Growth Requirements

What does the presence of mold mean? Well, it means that conditions are suitable for mold growth in your home. Mold needs four things to grow: Spores, food, warmth, and moisture.

Mold Spores:

Have you ever wondered why mold grows on food or how it gets into our homes? We’re here to tell you about mold spores.

When mold starts growing, it uses up nutrients in foods. This causes the food to rot and further spreads the spores. These spores float around in the air until they land somewhere suitable. There, they grow into mold colonies.

The mold spores that you inhale are normally harmless. However, once they land in your lungs, they can start breeding. This makes mold potentially dangerous. Once mold forms in your house, it spreads quickly. In one day, mold can cover walls, ceilings, furniture, carpeting, and everything else, leading to serious health problems.

Mold Food:

Mold grows almost everywhere – it can even grow in your home. Mold can grow on most materials and surfaces if certain requirements are met, including something for the mold to feed off of. This is why it’s essential that you hire professional home inspection services at the first sign of a mold infestation.

Appropriate Temperatures:

Mold growth occurs best at temperatures between 50° F and 120° F. At lower temperatures, mold growth slows down considerably. Mold does not grow well at freezing temperatures. If you find mold growing indoors during winter months, it could mean there are still spores present in the air.

Considerable Moisture:

Mold needs moisture to grow. So if you have mold growing in your home, it probably isn’t coming from outside. You’ll find mold everywhere there’s water combined with warmth.

If you see mold growing inside your house, call a professional immediately. They’ll know what to do.

How Does Mold Affect People?

Mold spores are everywhere. They exist in soil, water, air, plants, animals, food, and even us. Some types of mold produce allergens that trigger asthma attacks and hay fever symptoms. Others can make you sick; some mold can even cause life-threatening conditions.

This is why it’s so important to visit your doctor if you aren’t feeling well after being exposed to mold in your home and call a professional to remove it instead of trying to get rid of it yourself.

How to Minimize Mold Growth

While mold doesn’t pose much of a health risk unless it becomes airborne, it can cause damage to your home’s structure and contents. So how do you prevent mold growth?

Here are some tips to help keep your house free of mold:

1) Ventilate your home properly

Venting out excess humidity helps reduce the amount of mold present in your home. You don’t want to vent directly into the outside environment because that could lead to condensation issues. Instead, use exhaust fans to pull stale air out of rooms and ductwork.

2) Keep moisture out of basement areas

Basements tend to collect moisture, making them prime breeding grounds for mold. To avoid this problem, install dehumidifiers in basement spaces. These devices work by pulling moisture out of the air and converting it into usable energy.

3) Seal damp spots immediately

If you notice wet spots in your home, such as bathroom tiles or kitchen counters, try cleaning them off immediately. This will minimize the chance of mold growth. You can also call an expert to ensure the mold gets cut off.

Mold Experts You Can Rely On

Mold can be tricky to get rid of on your own. Colonies can retreat into your ceiling boards, in between tile cracks, and hide in other hard-to-reach places, ready to come out and spread all over again.

This is why you should always opt for professional help to make your home safe again. And if you need to evaluate your property, call Titan Inspection Services today to asses the mold growth in your home.