The Comfort of Clean

Does Your Home Need A Mold Inspection?

30 January 2020

Irma Stewart

Mold can be a surprisingly insidious source of trouble in a house. Sometimes it's very evident, growing on basement walls. Other times, though, it might be lurking in odd corners of the residence or even in the air vents. Let's take a look at four indications that you might want to speak with a mold inspection services provider.

Physical Symptoms

Signs of mold exposure can range from the relatively minor to the downright concerning. Unsurprisingly, folks with conditions like asthma and COPD are at greater risk of complications from being exposed to mold. Lesser symptoms may be mistaken for simple allergies, but you should note if the symptoms persist during parts of the year when doors and windows are closed and pollen can't get into your house. Headaches due to mold exposure have been reported in many cases, too.

In extreme cases, especially with people who have respiratory disorders or weakened immune systems, wheezing can lead to hospitalization. Children and the elderly are also at greater risk of adverse responses to mold.

Funky Smells

Especially in humid regions of the country, the collection of mold often leads to odd smells in homes. To be clear, it's not unusual for odd smells to occur at predictable moments, such as the first couple of days after a heating system starts running regularly in the fall. If the smells prove to be persistent, lasting a weak or more, it may be time for a mold inspection.

Discoloration of Surfaces

One of the more obvious indicators of mold's presence in a house is discoloration of surfaces, especially walls, ceilings, and floors. These issues usually first appear in relatively closed spaced, such as basements and service closets, because air circulation is minimized and humidity can collect.

Untreated porous surfaces are especially prone to taking up mold colonies, so look at things like the undersides of wooden tables to see if anything appears to be growing. Carpets, particularly shaggy ones, also frequently collect mold spores and can foster outbreaks when they get wet.

Most molds will appear to be black, dark green, or dark blue. It usually grows in semi-circular patches, but it may follow certain features on surfaces, such as cracks in a basement wall.

Peeling Paint or Wallpaper

Mold releases gases as it grows, and this can cause paint and wallpaper to peel. Even waterproofing paints used to seal basements can peel if sufficient amounts of mold form behind them.

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