From meals in front of the TV to the household plants you use to keep the air fresh, the chance for mold growth is compounded with every element you add. Fabric and upholstery do a great job of collecting mold spores. If your couch or other cloth-covered furniture or curtains become moist, you may notice a foul, musty smell. This should alert you to mold. Greenery in your home can be good for air purification but, if not monitored, can also cause mold to grow.
When not in use, fireplaces and chimneys are cool, damp, and dark, making them magnetic to mold spores. And because the brick used to build most fireplaces is porous, the mold can spread quickly. You may not spend much time in these rooms of your home. This, combined with the dark, cold nature of attics, basements, and garages, makes mold highly probable. Mold in the attic is a huge problem — they can contain a lot of your ventilation systems and, if left unchecked, can spread mold throughout the rest of your home.
In your attic, check for mold:. There are a lot of areas that are prone to mold growth here, as this tends to be a moist area of the house, so here are a few reminders on where to look:. Rain from your car and water leaks from the roof are two of the main ways mold gets invited into your garage. Be sure to check for mold:. Your walls and ceiling can hide mold behind them without you being any the wiser. You can, however, pay attention to a few warning signs like a musty, earthy smell or seeing condensation on the wall or ceiling.
Wallpaper can also harbor mold. If you see peeling or moist wallpaper, you may have growth under the surface. Be careful about peeling it off yourself as this could release a cloud of spores. If you suspect mold growth in the walls, your best bet is to hire a professional.
As we talked about earlier, fabric surfaces are porous and known for collecting mold. There are many fabric surfaces particularly prone to mold growth: couches, curtains, clothing, and towels. Please note that this document presents recommendations.
EPA does not regulate mold or mold spores in indoor air. Skip to main content. Contact Us. Moisture and Mold Prevention and Control Tips Hidden Mold Cleanup and Biocides Additional Resources Overview This Guide provides information and guidance for homeowners and renters on how to clean up residential mold problems and how to prevent mold growth.
Mold Basics The key to mold control is moisture control. If mold is a problem in your home, you should clean up the mold promptly and fix the water problem. It is important to dry water-damaged areas and items within hours to prevent mold growth. Molds gradually destroy the things they grow on. You can prevent damage to your home and furnishings, save money, and avoid potential health problems by controlling moisture and eliminating mold growth. Mold Cleanup If you already have a mold problem - act quickly.
Although focused on schools and commercial buildings, this document is applicable to other building types. If you choose to hire a contractor or other professional service provider to do the cleanup, make sure the contractor has experience cleaning up mold. Do not run the HVAC system if you know or suspect that it is contaminated with mold - it could spread mold throughout the building. If you have health concerns, consult a health professional before starting cleanup.
Mold Cleanup Guidelines Bathroom Tip:. Tips and techniques The tips and techniques presented in this section will help you clean up your mold problem. Fix plumbing leaks and other water problems as soon as possible. Dry all items completely. Scrub mold off hard surfaces with detergent and water, and dry completely. Absorbent or porous materials, such as ceiling tiles and carpet, may have to be thrown away if they become moldy.
Mold can grow on or fill in the empty spaces and crevices of porous materials, so the mold may be difficult or impossible to remove completely.
Do not paint or caulk moldy surfaces. Clean up the mold and dry the surfaces before painting. Paint applied over moldy surfaces is likely to peel.
You do not need to know the type of mold growing in your home, and CDC does not recommend or perform routine sampling for molds. No matter what type of mold is present, you should remove it. Since the effect of mold on people can vary greatly, either because of the amount or type of mold, you cannot rely on sampling and culturing to know your health risk. Standards for judging what is an acceptable, tolerable or normal quantity of mold have not been established.
Sampling for mold can be expensive, and standards for judging what is and what is not an acceptable quantity of mold have not been set. The best practice is to remove the mold and work to prevent future growth. If you do decide to pay for environmental sampling for molds, before the work starts, you should ask the consultants who will do the work to establish criteria for interpreting the test results.
They should tell you in advance what they will do or what recommendations they will make based on the sampling results. Hazards presented by molds that may produce mycotoxins should be considered the same as other common molds which can grow in your house.
Not all fungi produce mycotoxins and even those that do will not do so under all surface or environmental conditions. Mold growth, which often looks like spots, can be many different colors, and can smell musty. Color is not an indication of how dangerous a mold may be. Any mold should be removed and the moisture source that helped it grow should be removed. There are very few reports that toxigenic molds found inside homes can cause unique or rare health conditions such as pulmonary hemorrhage or memory loss.
These case reports are rare, and a causal link between the presence of the toxigenic mold and these conditions has not been proven. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate.
Basic Facts about Mold and Dampness. Minus Related Pages. How common is mold in buildings? How do molds get in the indoor environment and how do they grow? How do you know if you have a mold problem? Large mold infestations can usually be seen or smelled. How do molds affect people? Even standing water in the sink or plumbing traps contribute to evaporation and keep the bathroom's relative humidity high. Bathrooms have many surfaces where mold can start. Inside vanity cabinets is a common spot for mold to start.
Another common place for mold is behind toilets where air circulation is blocked. All this is due to the presence of moisture that rises from these sources:. Kitchens are second to bathrooms as the location where the most water is contained in plumbing components. That includes water supply lines, drain pipes, sinks, dishwashers and even ice makers. Kitchens store passive water in pots left on counters and inside fridges. Dishes are left on the counter to dry, and kettles steam away on the stove.
All this makes your kitchen a high-humidity environment that increases the odds of mold forming. Consider these moisture sources in your kitchen:. There are many different forms of HVAC systems and their parts. That depends on the climate. Most HVAC systems have ductwork that moves warm air about and cold air in return.
Removing mold from ductwork can be a terrible chore. Ductwork is also the place where airborne debris gets trapped. Trapped material also locks in moisture and starts promoting a colony of mold. Here are the HVAC sources of moisture:. Request Job Estimate. Inside your home is not the only place to be worried about mold. It happens outside as well and can present considerable mold damage. Exterior environments around your home are an extension of nature. There are all the elements of mold spores everywhere, along with favorable temperatures, oxygen, light levels, food and, of course, moisture.
Moisture is much harder to control outdoors than in. That includes water hammering at your home from rain, wind, snow, ice and sweltering humidity in the heat of summer. Sunlight is the savior from outdoor mold. These are the places to watch out for mold. They're also the locations to control moisture. Some of the main outdoor moisture culprits are:.
Plumbing leaks and blocked drains are the main reasons for mold-related house problems. Unfortunately, by the time you notice the signs, the damage is done. A thriving mold situation may be well in motion. The initial signs and symptoms of having a mold infestation will come through your senses.
Identifying a mold problem is one thing. Remediating it is entirely another. The important thing when dealing with mold is to act on it early. Start remediation and cleanup work immediately.
Once mold takes a firm hold, it might not be possible to eradicate the mess without significant demolition and replacement of expensive materials. It might also require calling in a professional company that specializes in mold remediation.
There are some basic actions you can take in stopping mold before it gets away. Some suggested steps are:. The exception is a black, toxic mold called Stachybotrys chartarum that can be lethal under some circumstances. Stachybotrys appears as a dark green to jet black mass of dots.
If your mold colony looks like that, make sure you take personal precautions in handling this pathogen. Identifying and cleaning up after experiencing a mold problem is not a pleasant experience. Despite the possible health hazards, mold remediation can be time-consuming, not to mention extremely expensive. Some mold infestations are so severe, occupants are forced to move out and then struggle with insurance companies to compensate them for repairs to the damage.
The simplest solution to any mold issue is to avoid having one. Preventing mold in homes is easy to do, provided you know what to look for and stop problems before they happen. That includes having periodic plumbing inspections or calling a plumber to fix any water leak or drainage block as soon as you suspect one. Mold is a fast-acting organism. The EPA guide reports that mold spores can cultivate within 24 — 48 hours of finding a warm, moist place. Time is of the essence. Mold prevention is part of regular homeowner maintenance.
The EPA recommends you think of mold prevention in four parts:. Educating yourself about the signs and symptoms of mold is one of the best preventative actions you can take.
There is plenty of information available online.
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