While mold has its purpose in nature, exposure to some types of mold can cause illness or damage your home. You may think that mold growth inside your home would be obvious, but many people are surprised to learn about its presence. When you understand the common signs of mold in your home, you can take action for remediation as soon as possible. Read on to learn what to look for.
Why You Need to Know About Mold In Your Home
When mold is inside your home, it can cause everything from mild allergic symptoms to memory loss, fever, itching, and other health issues. Mold damages the surfaces that it grows on and can spread throughout the home quickly. Here are some of the more common signs of mold in your home.
1. Water Damage That Was Not Properly Addressed
Different types of mold can grow in your home, but it is most likely to thrive in dark and moist areas. Areas prone to humidity include laundry rooms, bathrooms, basements, and under the sinks. Plumbing leaks or other causes of water damage can also lead to mold growth. This often occurs when the affected areas were exposed to water and not dried out completely.
2. Areas With Visible Mold
An obvious sign of mold in your home is an area with black or dark growth. You may notice black mold when you open up your kitchen cabinets, when you pull back carpet that was exposed to flooding, or around the grout in your bathroom. Any areas with an unidentified black or dark substance likely have mold growth. Keep in mind that black mold must be removed by an experienced professional in order to reduce the risk of spreading into other areas of the home.
3. Various Health Symptoms
The various types of mold in your home can cause different health symptoms. Respiratory symptoms are common for most mold species, but you may also experience fatigue, itchy rashes, flu-like symptoms, and more. If you have unexplained symptoms that linger or that seem to get worse when you are at home, it is possible that you have a mold problem and you should hire a professional to test your home.
These are some of the more common signs that mold is growing in your home. If not dealt with promptly, mold will spread and potentially harm your family’s health and damage your home.
Buyer’s Edge provides home inspection services to Western North Carolina. Contact us to schedule your inspection.