Don’t Mess with Mold – Get It Checked!
You find some mold on your wall, and scrub it with some borax and a sponge. All good? No! If you can see the mold, it’s already been growing in your floors and drywall for ages..
Have it checked out – healthy people die from poisonous mold. Contact ERS today.
Don’t Mess with Mold – Get It Checked!
You find some mold on your wall, and scrub it with some borax and a sponge. All good? No! If you can see the mold, it’s already been growing in your floors and drywall for ages..
Have it checked out – healthy people die from poisonous mold. Contact ERS today.
YOUR GUIDE TO MOLD
Have questions about mold? ERS has the answers. Use the FAQs, glossary terms, and resources below to help you gain a better understanding of mold, find mold growth in your home, and take steps in preventing or getting rid of mold. If you have a mold problem, call ERS for certified mold removal services.
MOLD FAQS
Q: What is mold?
A: Mold is a fungi, like mildew, mushrooms, and yeast. It can be found indoors or outdoors, and is capable of living in the harshest environmental conditions; even those atypical to mold growth. As one of the most common allergens, mold affects people across the globe.
The most common types of mold include:
- Aspergillus
- Stachybotrys Atra
- Penicillium
- Cladosporium
Q: What are the signs of mold (look and smell)? How do I know if I have a mold problem?
A: There are three signs of mold; you will smell, see, or feel it if you have a mold problem.
The type of mold that grows in your home will have a musty odor. It will be more pungent in the areas mold is growing, and may be a faint but consistent odor if it’s growing in walls or under floors. Mold in your shower or on similar surfaces will be easy to spot and identify, taking on a variation of colors from green to black. However, mold in other areas of your home like the basement can be harder to spot, especially if it’s growing behind a cabinet, under carpeting, or other hidden spaces. If you can’t see or smell mold, certain symptoms you experience at home will identify a mold problem; including watery or itchy eyes, runny nose, or congestion.
Visibly seeing mold is the most obvious sign of a mold problem. If you suspect mold, a professional mold inspection is your best source for identifying a mold problem.
Q: Is there a test for mold?
A: Yes! If you can see mold, you don’t need a test to verify a mold problem. However, if you suspect mold due to smell or symptoms, a mold test can come in handy. Mold tests include air testing, surface testing, and bulk testing. Each test uses a sample from your home that is examined under a microscope to determine the concentration of mold spores. Mold tests can be used to verify a mold problem, identify the type of mold in your home, help you find hidden mold, and confirm mold has been completely remediated. A mold inspection should be done before testing to determine if testing is necessary at all.
Q: What causes mold growth and how long does it take to grow/spread?
A: It only takes mold spores and the right conditions for mold to grow. These conditions include any warm, damp, or humid area; making homes recovering from flood and water damage especially susceptible. Mold can be brought into your home through open windows, on clothing, or pets. Mold naturally reproduces mold spores that spread to new areas for growth. Disturbing mold will result in it producing even more spores, spreading the problem faster than undisturbed mold. It’s important to get professional help when you notice a mold problem so it can be resolved immediately and future growth prevented.
Q: Where is mold most likely to grow?
A: Mold can grow on any surface with moisture, including: counters, cabinets, on and under flooring and carpets, in drywall and under wallpaper, on furniture, in HVAC systems and air ducts, and virtually anywhere else. Mold slowing begins to destroy the surfaces they grow on, decreasing property value and compromising building materials. Don’t wait to have your mold problem solved.
Q: Can I get rid of mold myself or do I need to hire a professional?
A: Getting rid of mold starts with cleaning up the existing growth and removing all moisture from the affected area. This can be difficult depending on the extent of your mold problem and the source of moisture. If all moisture is not eliminated, mold spores floating in the air or dust will begin to grow again. Mold growing in floors or walls, and especially if those areas have incurred damage, require the attention of a mold remediation and restoration company to completely solve the problem.
Q: Can mold be remediated permanently?
A: Mold can be remediated completely if all moisture is also removed completely. You can get rid of some mold yourself, like the kind that grows in your shower; but depending on the extent of the problem and source, you may need professional help. For instance, when mold is growing inside drywall, under carpeting or furniture, and in air ducts you’ll need to call a mold removal company.
Q: Is mold toxic? Are there harmful and non-harmful types of mold?
A: Mold is not toxic, but certain “toxic molds” – like Stachybotrys chartarum – are highly toxigenic and produce mycotoxins; a poison causing symptoms including eye irritation, headaches, fatigue, nausea, and respiratory issues. It’s important to note that only a few types of mold out of more than 100,000 can cause serious illnesses such as pulmonary hemorrhage or bronchitis. Molds most commonly found in homes are more likely to cause allergy like symptoms in people sensitive to mold and have no effect on others.
Q: Are there any health risks of mold? Is everyone affected the same way by mold?
A: Some people have no reaction to mold, while others will experience allergy like symptoms, asthma problems, or worsened respiratory problems caused by only a small amount of mold exposure. If you’re sensitive or allergic to mold, you may experience symptoms similar to hay-fever – red or itchy eyes, runny nose, sneezing, and possibly rashes. Those with weak immune systems – including infants, elderly, and cancer patients – should be especially cautious of mold as little mold exposure could cause illness.
Q: Can mold exposure be decreased or prevented?
A: Reduce mold exposure by following a few common guidelines:
Control humidity by making sure your home is properly ventilated – you want to eliminate moisture in all areas likely to grow mold; including the bathroom, kitchen, and basement. When humidity is high outdoors, use air conditioners and dehumidifiers to decrease moisture in indoor air. Most importantly, remove any mold growth already existing in your house.
MOLD IN YOUR BASEMENT
Terms & Definitions
Black Mold
Stachybotrys chartarum, aka “black mold” or “toxic black mold”, is a toxigenic mold that grows inside homes. A greenish-black color, it releases mycotoxins that are dangerous to human health. Black mold should be removed immediately if found.
Contaminant
A contaminant is essentially any substance or matter – physical, chemical, biological or radiological – in water. Flood water is frequently high in contaminants.
There are 70,000 classified types of fungi; including mold, mushrooms, yeasts, truffles, morels, rust, and more. Though fungi are similar to plants, they are not plants; nor animal. Fungi are important to our environment, decomposing organic matters and restoring nutrients in soil.
Mold that you can’t see but is showing other signs, such as odor or symptoms, is considered hidden mold. Hidden mold can be found places like under carpet and flooring, behind dry wall and wallpaper, in ceiling tiles and air ducts.
Mildew is a surface fungus. Similar to mold, mildew grows in moist areas of your home and has an unpleasant odor. Mildew is white in color and easy to clean up with store bought cleaners.
Mitigation
Similar to remediation and abatement, mitigation is the act of reducing a situation’s severity. Mitigating mold will relieve any symptoms or damage caused by mold growth.
Mold Abatement
The process of reducing, decreasing, or eliminating mold in your home.
Mold Allergy
Mold is one of the most common allergies across the world. Sensitivity to mold ranges, with symptoms including itchy throat, coughing, wheezing, irritated eyes, runny nose, sneezing, and nasal congestion.
Mold Certification
Professionals can become certified in mold inspection and removal by passing the IICRC’s Mold Removal Specialist (MRS) certification exam. The certification assures your mold remover meets all state licensing requirements and can perform mold remediation to the highest standards with successful results.
You can be exposed to mold in a number of ways, the most common form of exposure is breathing in air contaminated with mold. The level of mold exposure is dependent on the mold concentration in indoor air, making it difficult to measure. If mold is on a surface in an open area like on the walls or furniture, or in your air ducts, mold exposure will be higher. If mold is in a closed off area, like behind dry wall or under flooring, mold exposure will be lower.
Mold Illness
Mold illness is a pseudonym used to describe a subgroup of Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS). Mold illness is not an allergy, but a biotoxin illness affecting those with weak immune systems and high exposure to air contaminated with toxic microbes like fungi and bacteria. Mold illness is frequently linked to water damaged buildings with poor ventilation, flat roofs, water leaks, and other construction defects.
A qualified mold inspector (one properly trained and certified in mold inspection and removal) look for more than just visible signs of mold. They’ll look for hidden mold in walls and crawlspaces, sources of moisture that can lead to future mold, and signs of past mold growth as well as current. Mold inspections are performed when: mold is suspected due to allergic reaction or odor, confirm a mold or water problem has been successfully remediated, and ensure there is no existing mold or moisture problem in the home you are renting or buying.
Mold Prevention
Mold prevention is the act of taking certain steps to reduce the chance of mold growth. Since mold grows in warm, damp, and moist areas, preventing mold starts with controlling humidity and moisture. Use exhaust fans in the kitchen when the dishwasher is running or stove is being used, and during and after showers until all humidity is removed. If you have any leaks or water problems, they need to be solved completely. Use your air conditioner or dehumidifiers during humid seasons to reduce moisture build up. All existing mold growth must be removed immediately.
Mold Removal
Mold removal is a service remediating existing mold problems and preventing future mold growth. The process includes: identifying the source of mold (leak, water damage, etc.) and repairing any water or moisture problems. The contaminated area is then isolated (closed off from other rooms) and dust suppressed, keeping mold spores from traveling to other areas likely to grow mold. All affected materials will be removed and disposed of, and the areas fully cleaned of mold. Any remaining moisture will be dried and all materials disposed of replaced, restoring your building back to normal.
Mold Spores
Mold spores are produced from mold and become airborne when disturbed. Not visible to the naked eye, exposure to mold spores through breathing cause allergic reactions, asthma attacks, and other respiratory issues in people sensitive to mold.
Mold testing can be used to: identify type of mold, find hidden mold, verify a mold problem, or confirm mold remediation. Tests include air sampling (analyzing the amount of spores found in a sample of air), surface sampling (using a swab or taping method to test for mold spores on common surfaces), or bulk sampling (using a piece of material to check for mold exposure).
Reversing the effect of environmental damage; including water, fire, and mold. Mold remediation includes removing all mold completely and restoring affected areas back to their original condition.
Restoration
Restoration is the process of returning something, such as an area contaminated with mold or affected by fire or water damage, to its former condition. If walls, flooring, or other building materials are damaged beyond repair, they’ll be replaced.
Mold is not toxic, but some types are toxigenic, producing mycotoxins that can cause illness. Stachybotrys chartarum is the most common type of toxic mold, also known as black mold.