You’ll immediately see mold on your shower or tub, and you’ll probably spot it inside your garage or in the kitchen. These are all common places to find mold because the conditions are optimal in these areas of your home.
Mold is everywhere, so regardless of how hard you try to keep it out of your home, it usually will find a way in. In small amounts, it isn’t necessarily a problem. It’s when a colony develops and grows in close proximity to your living space that you have a problem.
Hidden mold is a much bigger problem than surface mold. It can get very big and very dangerous before you ever know it’s there. Removing it becomes much more necessary and will most likely require mold remediation done by a professional for safety reasons and the best results.
Mold needs certain things to survive: warmth, food, and moisture. If you can reduce the prevalence of these things, you make it harder for mold to thrive inside your home.
WHERE TO LOOK FOR MOLD IN YOUR HOME?
When all other conditions are right, mold will grow just about anywhere. But there’s another thing mold loves: darkness. Dark areas provide cover and protection from watchful homeowner who could spot mold in an obvious place.
These are a few of the areas that are most susceptible to undetected mold growth:
Behind Walls – Pipes that leak within the walls are a common cause of mold behind drywall. The only way to find mold behind the walls is to cut holes in them and use a special tool called a borescope to look around. Getting rid of said mold may require cutting out large sections of the wall and replacing the drywall.
Above Ceiling Tiles – Homes that have high humidity can easily develop mold in the ceiling. This is especially common in basements with drop-in ceilings. Simply replacing the ceiling tiles is sometimes enough to eradicate the mold issue.
Carpet Backing – Spills are the most common reason for mold to develop under carpet. Humidity can also play a part. Mold in the carpet is especially dangerous if you have children or pets that spend time in the floor. It also causes mold spores to be released every time you walk on the affected area of carpet.
Beneath Floorboards – Small openings where floor materials connect allow moisture to seep in. This is common in bathrooms and kitchens, where water is used daily. Mold beneath the floorboards can cause the floor to rot due to the moisture and mold combined.
HVAC Vents & Ducts – Mold in your HVAC system is very dangerous because it can spread throughout your home very quickly. But it’s also very hard to find. Ducts and vents are dark and hard to reach, often requiring a professional to thoroughly inspect them. If you suspect mold in your HVAC system, you should turn it off and wait until an inspection is completed before running it again.
Attic & Basement – If you don’t use your attic and/or basement as living space on a daily basis, mold can take over before you even know it’s there. These rooms are typically dark, moist and offer plenty of food for mold. Items stored in these places can also develop mold, which can destroy precious family heirlooms, photos and other items.
Crawlspace – If you don’t have any home issues that need to be checked or repaired, it could be years before anyone enters the crawl space of your home. Unfortunately, this area is susceptible to leaks and moisture, which often leads to mold. Mold within the crawlspace can then infiltrate the foundation of your home and spread pretty much anywhere in the house.
Under Wallpaper – Wallpaper that is not hung correctly can develop pockets between the paper and the wall where mold can grow completely undetected. This is also true for old wallpaper when the adhesive deteriorates. The simple solution is removing the wallpaper, but the ripping and scraping is a quick way to spread mold.
Chimney – A functioning chimney is less likely to develop mold because the smoke and fire will keep it at bay. However, a dummy chimney can easily develop mold, especially if there is a roof leak that causes excess moisture. Depending on where the mold is located in the chimney, it may be necessary to go in from the roof to remove it.
Appliances – Home appliances develop mold all the time, but it isn’t always easy to see. This can include your washing machine, dishwasher, and refrigerator. Mold on leftovers may be easy to spot, but it’s not so easy to find when it develops between the inner and outer parts of the tub.
Why Do These Areas Develop Mold?
The common characteristic for all of these places is darkness.
Combined with the rest of mold’s needs, a dark environment makes it hard for you to find mold. You would need to take drastic measures to even look for mold in some of these places.
And finding it is only the beginning. Once mold is found in an inconvenient place, the struggle to remove it begins. This can often mean tearing out a wall or pulling up an entire floor of carpet because the mold is so well established.
Central Illinois Mold Remediation
Knowing the signs of mold can help you identify an issue in your home. For instance, your family or pets may experience cold or allergy symptoms like sneezing, coughing, irritated eyes, or skin rashes. If there is no other cause for these symptoms, mold should be your next suspicion.
Pure Maintenance of Central Illinois can do an inspection of your whole house and determine if you have a hidden mold issue. We have tools to help search even the tightest spaces to discover hidden mold – and the skill and experience to remove it with the least amount of damage possible. We serve Central Illinois – including Champaign, Decatur, Bloomington, Peoria & surrounding communities.
When it comes to mold inspection and removal, trusting Pure Maintenance of Central Illinois is much safer than attempting to do it yourself.
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