Almost all homeowners have a security system to protect their homes from break-ins. However, one of the most important things to protect your home from is mold. Especially living in South Florida, mold is constantly a threat to invade your home. There is mold all around us. When the mold is outside, it is not very harmful. However, when mold starts to grow indoors, your exposure to it increases exponentially. Mold can cause you numerous health problems, so it is vital you have professionals come in and do the remediation for you. There are certain keys to know how to detect mold fast.

How To Detect Mold Fast

Mold can not just grow anywhere it wants. There are certain elements that have to be present for mold to start forming. The most important factor that needs to be there for mold to grow is moisture. This can come in a variety of different ways, either from, a cracked pipe, condensation, or even places of high humidity. Without moisture, it is impossible for mold to start forming. You should make regular checks around your home looking for things such as water stains in the roof or walls, any cracked pipes, or standing water. Without, any water supply mold will not be able to form.

When mold growth is indoors, you will either be able to see or smell it. You do not always have to send a sample out to a lab to confirm you have mold if it is visible. Floridahealth.gov states on their website  “In most cases, if visible mold growth is present, sampling is not needed.” Mold does not always look the same either, so it is important to know what you are looking for. Also on the Florida health website are useful guidelines for what the mold may look like. It states,

• “Look for visible mold growth (it may look cottony, velvety, rough, or leathery and have different colors like white, gray, brown, black, yellow, or green). Mold often appears as a staining or fuzzy growth on furniture or building materials (walls, ceilings, or anything made of wood or paper). Look for signs of moisture or water damage (water leaks, standing water, water stains, condensation, etc.).”

Mold most commonly grows in bathrooms, kitchens, basements, or other underground areas. This is because these are the areas of the house that have the most moisture. It is vital to know how to detect mold fast so that it can be properly taken care of.

Steps To Clean and Dispose of Mold

Mold remediation can be dangerous. There are specific rules and protocols to abide by during remediation to ensure both the safety of the workers and the tenants. When faced with mold in your home you have a couple of different options. If it is a small area of mold then generally the homeowner can clean and properly dispose of the mold.

These mold removal steps are quite simple. They include using a detergent/soapy water or a commercial mildew or mold cleaner. When handling a little mold remediation yourself goggles and gloves should be worn at all time. It is not required but using basic workman’s mask is also suggested. However, if the mold has grown into a large area then it is imperative you call a professionally licensed mold remediator. The mold remediation process can be tricky if it has spread over a wide enough area. The pros you hire will come in and in most cases do all of the following:

1. Set up a plastic seal around the entire infected room to keep the spores from becoming airborne and circulating throughout the house.
2. Set up heavy duty Hepa Air filters to clean the air in the contaminated room, so the mold spores do not spread through the air.
3. They will then kill the mold with the necessary chemicals.
4. After all the mold has been killed, they will then take out all the affected surfaces, in most cases going two feet past the affected area to ensure safety.

Possible Health Problems From Mold

Most people have a common misconception and think that mold is terrible for the environment. However, this could not be further from the truth. Mold is everywhere; it is the eco-systems version of a garbage disposal. Mold breaks down biodegradable organic material which provides much of the nutrients soil has today. Although, when the mold is indoors it is an entirely different story. The concentration of how much mold you are breathing in changes dramatically and this can cause many health issues. For some breathing into much mold can bring on mild illnesses such as a sore throat, or irritated eyes. There are cases, however, when mold can cause much more serious health issue such as a severe lung infection. Mold can be very dangerous if not found early. That is exactly why you need to know how to detect mold fast.