Mold inspection:
Is there mold in your house? If so, how do you remove it?
Mold is often hard to detect. Testing for mold will ensure you know if and what action may need to be taken.
Mold can cause health problems for those who are exposed to it, especially people with allergies or respiratory issues. Mold can also cause damage to your home’s structure and even your belongings.
What causes mold in the house?
Mold grows in a variety of reasons in the home:
- Moisture: Mold thrives in moist environments. High moisture levels from issues such as a leaking roof, a plumbing leak, or high humidity due to poor air circulation can create the perfect conditions for mold growth.
- Poor ventilation: Without proper ventilation, air inside the home can become stagnant, leading to increased humidity and moisture buildup. This condition can encourage mold growth.
- Water damage: If the home has experienced water damage from a foundation crack or experiencing flooding or a burst pipe, this can create an environment where mold can grow and spread rapidly.
- Organic materials: Mold feeds on materials such as wood, paper, and fabric. If these organic materials are present in the home and are exposed to moisture, it is a food source for mold.
- Lack of sunlight: Mold thrives in dark environments. If there are areas in the home with little to no natural light, this can create an environment where mold may grow.
What does mold in the house smell like?
- There could be a musty, sour, earthy, or pungent smell
- Some areas of mold may not have an odor at all
Mold grows in a variety of areas in the home, for example:
- Mold staining on the roof sheathing in the attic due to poor ventilation
- Mold staining on bathroom walls due to excessive humidity or lack of air circulation
A very common area of mold growth is in the attic of the home. A poorly ventilated attic tends to have near-perfect conditions for mold growth (hot and humid with an abundant food source from the wood sheathing). If you add a bathroom fan that terminates in the attic, that adds more moisture to the poorly ventilated attic. How often does a homeowner ever go up in their attic? This area of the home is neglected so the mold problem is allowed to grow undisturbed – sometimes for many years!
If you have experienced any of these signs or odors in any of these areas, it is a good idea to have the area professionally inspected and the mold remediated to prevent potential health issues and potential structural damage.
We offer mold inspection and testing. We help you determine if mold is present, the extent of the mold growth, and help uncover the source of the moisture that might be causing the mold growth.
It is important to correct the issue causing the source of the mold issue prior to or at the time of the mold remediation.