What Is Mold?

If you live in the San Francisco metropolitan area, you are dealing with mold – preventing it, identifying it, and possibly dealing with it. You might assume that if you keep your home clean, you won’t have to worry about identifying mold or eliminating it from your home. Unfortunately, even the tidiest of Bay Area residences is at risk for mold, as we have one of the most humid climates on the west coast. Mold can grow in places you might not be able to see, and it can create a serious danger for you and your family.

Mold — A Hidden Hazard

Mold loves dark, damp environments, which are often the places that you can’t see or don’t expect, such as behind walls, along the bottoms of couches or chairs, on the backs of picture frames, inside heating and air conditioning systems, inside of wall board and even under carpet. Sometimes you know exactly where the mold risk lies because of a flood, dripping pipes or fixtures, an overflowing toilet or sink, a sewer backup, or a leaky roof or window casing. Even when you know there is excessive moisture, mold growth can begin as soon as 24 hours after water damage occurs.

 The Signs of Mold

The most obvious way to identify mold is to see it, but that’s not always as easy as it sounds. There are many different types of mold, and they don’t necessarily look alike. Colors can vary from black to green to white and even yellow. Even though their colors may vary, there is one thing they all have common: mold is always moist. Mold spores require a source of water to germinate, so mold tends to look slimy, sometimes velvety, but always wet.

Mold is not always visible, but it is often identifiable by its musty smell. Some molds smell stronger than others, but they almost always bear the odor of mildew caused by the microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOCs) that they release into the air. It’s a sour odor, sometimes quite pungent.

You may also suspect a mold problem if you begin experiencing unexplained health problems, most notably respiratory issues, coughing and sneezing.

The Dangers of Mold

When it comes to mold in the home, toxic black mold (scientific name Stachybotrys Chartarum) gets the bold headlines and the majority of the attention for its sometimes dramatic negative health effects, including breathing problems, skin rashes, bleeding, cold-like symptoms, fatigue, nausea, brain fog, immune system suppression and damage to the internal organs that can even lead to death. While these effects are serious, they are far less common than those caused by other household molds, like white mold.

White mold may not be as dangerous as black mold, it is much more widespread and can still have an impact on your health. Sclerotinia and other mold strains can cause reactions with symptoms such as constricted breathing, coughing, sneezing, lung inflammation and wheezing, even in people who do not have allergies.

Protect Yourself Against Mold

Here are three easy steps you can take to protect yourself and your family from the effects of mold:

1.    Buy a few quality dehumidifiers and place them in the most humid areas of your home, usually the kitchen and the bathrooms. You also might want to consider buying a hygrometer, which measures the level of humidity inside the house. Aim for around 45 percent humidity in your home, as this is the ideal condition for your comfort, but not high enough for most molds to grow.

2.    Keep your home clean and dust-free. Although cleaning won’t protect you from all mold problems, it will help you avoid most surface mold. Some molds thrive on dust particles, so limiting dust accumulation will also make a difference.

3.    Schedule a mold inspection from a team of professionals who have the experience necessary to look for hidden areas where mold may be growing.

Call the Mold Professionals at Vital Restoration

Call Vital Restoration at 650-262-4545 to schedule an inspection by the most experienced and knowledgeable local IICRC certified professionals in the cleaning and restoration field. We can determine if you have a mold problem, identify the type of mold and where it is, and then eliminate the problem using the most cutting-edge tools to stop mold growth and remove the existing mold from your home.

We pride ourselves on our rapid emergency response, any time of the day or night, 365 days a year. Don’t put your health and the health of your loved ones at risk any longer. Call the San Francisco mold inspection and remediation experts atVital Restoration today at 620-262-4545 for your free estimate.