Molds are always present in the environment. We can’t completely eradicate them as they are part of the natural world. They are usually not harmful, but that doesn’t mean it never is. It can pose serious health concerns, especially for vulnerable family members and those with existing allergies and other respiratory conditions.
Of course, nobody wants to be an alarmist, but there’s nothing wrong with being observant and cautious either. Check out these tips to see if your health is at risk from molds inside your home.
Can you smell it?
Just because you can’t see it, it doesn’t mean it’s not there. Mold is often described as having a pungy, earthy scent. If you notice a musty odor in a particular area of your home, there’s a good chance that mold is present.
If you have a chance to leave the house for a full day, be mindful of the smell once you enter your home. A whiff of a pungent, organic scent will tell you that you may have a problem at hand.
Can you see it?
Mold colonies may look like a greenish, brownish, or blackish map of sorts. Sometimes it can be white or take on other colors like purple. You’ll usually find it where there’s water damage or leaks. You can check your ceiling, walls, basement, laundry areas, under sinks, bathtub, or near air conditioning units.
Pay close attention to carpets, curtains, window sills, and indoor potted plants. Molds can easily grow on these as well, and their pores will circulate inside your home.
Check your bathroom as well. They often start under the sink, around the toilet bowl, or in the shower, and it’s usually really hard to take it off.
If you leave your house for a full day or more, pay attention to leather or fabric furniture. If you notice them being covered with a thin white film, that’s mold.
Are you having respiratory symptoms?
If you’re experiencing specific symptoms when staying at home for prolonged periods, this can signify that you’re sensitive to mold presence in your home.
Here are the symptoms you should watch out for:
– Itchy and runny nose;
– Itchy, watery, and redness of the eyes;
– Coughing and scratchy throat and palate;
– Chronic sinusitis;
– Wheezing or difficulty in breathing
If you or anyone in your family is experiencing the symptoms listed above, it is best to consult with your doctor. Also, have your home tested for molds.
Get professional mold testing
Not all molds are harmful. However, some of them can cause serious medical conditions. For some, symptoms can be as mild as colds, skin rashes, and allergies. Meanwhile, exposure to toxic black mold can be dangerous and life-threatening.
Toxic mold spores could be present in your home, and you might not even know about them. With the threat of COVID-19 and seasonal allergies, it is essential now more than ever to have your home tested for mold growth.
If you think you have molds at home, hiring professionals to perform mold testing is strongly advised. Living in a mold-free environment will ensure that your family lives in a safe and healthy home all year round.
Why mold testing is important
Not all molds can be seen by the naked eye. In most cases, the only indication that it is present in your home is that musty odor in some areas of your home. Professional mold testing can detect all traces of visible and invisible molds.
We’ll do a thorough inspection of different areas of your home. We’ll get into the crawl spaces, basements and assess even unexpected sources of molds, which you may easily miss. We’ll take samples from different areas and send them to the lab for analysis.
You’ll also receive a comprehensive report, along with some recommendations on how to get rid of mold. This will give you your money’s worth and offer you peace of mind. We can assure you that we’ll leave you with safe indoor air before we complete our services.
We at Certified Indoor Air Quality Professionals have 16 years of experience in what we do, and we keep getting better. We offer free consultations to give you the resources you need to protect your home.
Call us now at 303-995-7015 for Mold Testing and Remediation Services.