Searching for a local home restoration company for mold removal?
Contact STOP Restoration of Portland for your concerns.
Organisms such as mold grow both indoors and outdoors. Although they are a normal and significant part of the ecosystem outside, they can be a problem when found indoors. Mold usually grows in dark and damp spots. More than being just a cosmetic nuisance, mold can cause major damage to your house and impact your health.
How Does Mold Enter the House?
Mold is beneficial when found in the open air as it breaks down animal and plant matter. These fungi release minuscule spores into the air that can enter through your windows, doors, heating vents, clothing, shoes, air-conditioning, and even from your pets’ fur.
Where Does Mold Usually Grow?
Even if mold enters your house through any of the aforementioned ways, it won’t grow until it finds the right conditions for growth. They can generally attach to materials like paper, wood, fabric, carpet, etc., but will only grow in spaces with a lot of moisture and minimal light, for instance, showers, bathtubs, sinks, close to leaky pipes, near windows or basements and attics.
Types of Mold
There are different kinds of mold that can grow within the house. In order to determine what kind you’re dealing with, you should hire a mold restoration company. They will test the mold for you and use the correct and effective method to eradicate it from your house to avoid further damage to your property. The few molds that are common within the house are Penicillium, Cladosporium and Aspergillus. A few other molds like Alternaria, Aureobasidium, Stachybotrys Chartarum and Trichoderma aren’t common in the house but can still sometimes be found.
Signs of Mold
Mold usually starts as a small spot but quickly expands and affects more surface area. Usually, it can be noticed pretty early on, unless it is in a location that isn’t easily accessible. It could be green, white, black, spotted or honestly, any color and is usually cottony, velvety or powdery. Here’s how you can confirm whether it is mold or not:
– A musty, earthy smell is coming from it.
– There is a lack of light and excessive moisture nearby.
– The material it is growing on is cracked, warped or peeling.
– If you add even a drop of bleach, the color appears to lighten within a minute or two.
– If you have noticed it grow or spread.
Do not touch it with your bare hands as it can cause serious health issues.
Health Concerns from Mold
Mold might not make you sick immediately if present in the house, but it could cause health issues, especially for immune-compromised individuals. If you touch or inhale mold, your symptoms could be similar to an allergy:
– Congestion
– Runny nose
– Sneezing
– Sore throat
– Skin rash
– Coughing
– Headache
– Wheezing
– Lung irritation
If you have pre-existing conditions like asthma, allergies, cystic fibrosis, or a compromised immune system, you are prone to much more serious health issues.
Contact a Mold Removal Company
If you have noticed mold growth in your house, contact STOP Restoration of Portland immediately to help eradicate it and make your space safe again.
