Molds are everywhere in the world around us, and we don’t even think to look for them until they make us sick. They are nothing more than fungus varieties, and they travel through the air to grow on household surfaces.
There are several types of household mold, all with strange names such as Memmoniella, Aspergillus, and Stachybotrys. They invade when your house is plagued by water, whether it’s through a leaky roof, the walls, or up through the foundation during times of flooding. Tiny spores attach themselves to the insides of the walls, the top sides of ceiling tile, insulation material within the walls, or carpeting. Mildew is very similar to mold, except it grows on fabric.
If you’ve experienced dampness resulting from a leak in your roof, you might think your problem is resolved once you fix the leak and dry out the wall. However, any resurgence of high humidity will prompt fungus to grow suddenly and wildly out of control.
Symptoms that people experience include asthma, skin rashes, chronic sinus infection, nosebleeds, dizziness, and chronic exhaustion. Some of the more toxic fungi, such as black mold – which is a species of Stachybotrys – cause neurologic problems. Liver dysfunction and permanent lung damage have also been reported. You should be on guard if you or someone in your family suffers persistently from these symptoms. Ask yourself if the affected person improves in different locations. If so, that probably means that the location where symptoms are worse is infested with mold.
The first thing you need to do is eliminate moisture content in your home. Have you had a flood, or has rain invaded through the roof? Begin by checking for water in your basement or attic. Even if you don’t see visible signs of wetness, look for warped floorboards and walls. Check the crawlspace. Examine the bathroom around the shower and the toilet seal for influxes of water.
There are some steps you can take. It’s important to run a dehumidifier. If your climate permits, keep the heat turned up to dry out wet surfaces. Look for an air purifier that will remove tiny spores. You can buy kits at your hardware store to test for mold, but most of them give positive results because mold is so prevalent. You can consider hiring an environmental health expert to inspect your home; if you are deciding whether to purchase a home this is a good thing to include in the inspection.
If you are going to attempt to clean on your own, invest in a face mask and wear gloves. Bleach will kill the Ebola virus, but it will not kill the fungus itself. You should buy a professional strength fungicide at your hardware store for this purpose. When you wipe down surfaces, be thorough. For instance, if you are washing your refrigerator, be sure to include the gasket and coils of the refrigerator as well as the shelving and racks. Often the mold will appear to be gone because you cannot see the tiny spores, but it will blossom at the next sign of dampness.
Sometimes you must remove and replace contaminated flooring or drywall. For best results, you should consider hiring a professional contractor who is experienced with mold removal.
This content was provided by Boulder CO real estate experts — Automated Homefinder.
[tags]real estate,toxic mold,buying a home,mold[/tags]
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