What do people living in ranch homes in Texas, New York apartments, Seattle condos, and New England townhomes all have in common? They are all at risk from mold!
While many of us may associate mold with damp climates, the fact is that mold can occur in homes all around the country. And when it does, it can threaten the condition of the home and, more importantly, the health of its residents.
When we say “mold,” we’re talking about certain types of fungi. When you think of a fungus, you may think of a mushroom – and molds are indeed related to mushrooms. Molds (which are multicellular) and yeasts (single-celled fungi that are often called molds as well) enjoy the same sorts of environments that mushrooms do – which means that they don’t need light but do need moisture.
The need for moisture may reassure residents of drier climates – but it shouldn’t. No matter how dry the outside climate is in your region, you can still be at risk for mold in your home.
Why? Simple: your home has water all over.
Your home is supposed to have water all over, of course. [pullquote]We humans may not have a lot in common with fungi, but we do both need water to live![/pullquote] So we humans pump water into our homes. We shower in it, we bathe in it, we use it to cook, we use it to clean, and we use it to flush our toilets. Molds use it to grow.
If all of your water stays exactly where it needs to be, you’ll be fairly safe from mold. But water isn’t easy to contain. A burst pipe can cause flooding that clues you into the problem fast, but a small leak can breed mold before you spot it. In either case, it is incredibly important to deal with the matter immediately, as even a small bout of flooding from a burst pipe can leave behind lingering mold problems in everything from carpets to wall finishes to furniture. Rather than needing to renovate your interior and buy new furniture later, dealing with the problem immediately can help you save expenses in the long run.
And while you can probably count on yourself to remember to dump the water from the pot down the drain when you finish cooking, what about the condensation that formed on the ceiling while you were boiling it? It could invite – you guessed it – mold.
You shouldn’t hang around near any type of mold for too long because you’ll be breathing in spores – tiny particles that mold uses to reproduce. Spores are so small that they can end up deep in your lungs, where they’ll cause problems.
The good news is that most types of mold are not likely to cause immediate problems with your health – you don’t have to evacuate your home while you wait for the specialist! But the bad news is that some types of mold are more dangerous than others, and you should not trust yourself to diagnose the problem.
When you see mold in your home, the solution is simple: call in a mold expert.
A certified mold remediation specialist will be able to tell you right away what kind of mold you’re dealing with, how dangerous it is, and how serious the problem has become. You won’t know the answers to those questions until you call the experts, so act fast!
You’ll also want to move quickly because mold problems grow – after all, that’s what mold itself does! [pullquote]If you put off mold remediation, you’ll be allowing the problem (and the eventual cost to fix it) to grow while putting your health at risk.[/pullquote]
A mold specialist may simply clean off the mold and recommend you install a hood or vent above your stove. Or he or she may tell you that the project is much more vital and extensive than that. You won’t know until you call, and you can’t evaluate these things yourself. Protecting your space from mold isn’t something you can do yourself, but it is a problem with an easy solution: call an expert. They will be able to point you in the proper direction for removal, as well as recommend additional professionals to help you renovate or rebuild your house in any compromised areas.
Mold is an unfortunate problem to have, but it is certainly one that is rectifiable so long as you follow the proper steps.
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