A Guide To Molds

Molds play an important part in nature's cycle by breaking down dead organic matter, such as dead trees and fallen leaves. But indoor growth of molds should be avoided as they can cause health problems such as allergic reactions, fever, sneezing, red eyes, runny nose, and skin rashes.

Mold Cleaning

Even when dead, mold spores remain toxic and allergenic. To clean mold from the building, porous materials such as sheetrock and carpet must be removed as microbial growth cannot be completely cleaned from them. Hydrogen peroxide and boric acid are quite effective in killing molds, and they are odourless making them suitable to be used by the people who are sensitive to chemicals.

In some cases, the indoor mold growth may be hidden, such as on the back side of wallpaper, wall, top of ceiling tiles, under the carpets and so on. Inspection of such molds can be quite difficult, and while doing so, make sure to use protective equipment. It is however best to hire an environmental professional for help to inspect the mold in the house or building.

To check for molds in your home, look for moldy odours. If there is leak in the house, first sign of mold is usually a musty odour near the leak. But, do not touch or sniff the mold, as it may negatively affect your health. It is a good idea to first equip yourself for mold inspection, or if your suspect mold, contact an experienced and certified mold inspector.

Look for molds in the closets and basement, as sometimes, mold occurs in the places that have high level of humidity. The mold also usually starts in the place that has poor circulation of air such as bathrooms, closets and basements.

Tack strips under the carpet can become stained and easily rot if water has been entering the walls. Water in the walls also indicate mold there. But peeling the carpet to check for mold may loosen or damage the carpet.

In case of heavy wallpaper, moisture entering the walls gets trapped behind the wallpaper and gets mixed with wall paper glue, giving rise to mold problem. During mold inspection, usually wallpaper is not peeled, and hence it is difficult to discover the mold in such places.

If you suspect the mold problem in the house, and are concerned about possible health issues caused by mold, it is advisable to hire a mold inspector, who uses various equipments such as humidity meters, moisture meters, air samples and borescopes to detect mold problem. Professional mold inspector will be able to suggest the possible steps that need to be taken in order to get rid of the mold from the house or building.