Thursday, May 9, 2013

Mold Detection: How to detect toxic mold in your home?


Mold is a type of tiny living organism from the fungi family. Mold spores thrive on moisture and they spreads rapidly with the presence of moisture. They can grow on any materials and surfaces, in particular on objects made of cellulose.

Recent studies show that most of the homes are having some sort of mold infections due to unknown indoor moisture problems. This leads to the rapid growth of mold in damp areas like bathroom, water-damaged basement, leaking pipes and roofs. Indoor mold growth poses great health threats and should be removed quickly to prevent it from spreading. Thus mold detection is very important, one should be very observant to the presence of mold and take appropriate actions to stop mold from mushrooming.

Do-it-yourself mold detection in home

1. Hunt for visible mold
Recognize the natural characteristics of mold will help in detection of visible mold. Molds appear in the form of cotton-like element. They usually d evelop in the color of gray, green, black or white.
2. Smell the mold
Another straightforward way of mold detection is by the smell. Molds produce strong earthy and musty odors. So, whenever there are moldy smells that put you off, start to investigate immediately. However, there are still molds, which are odor-free, and these molds usually grow behind the walls, in between panels and canals. So, if your home does not smell moldy, it may not mean that your home is mold free.

3. Basement search
If your basement experiences water damage such as flooding, you may want to do a thorough check in your basement, as it is very likely that your basement is filled with toxic molds. Look for any sign of water seepage or water stains on walls and ceilings. The strong odors of mustiness could be an indication of mold growth.

4. Beware of hidden mold
Unseen mold is deemed to be the most dangerous type as it can cultivate extensively without being detected by naked eyes. Be wary of frequent episodes of nasal congestion or stuffy nose and constant clearing of throat. These could suggest the presence of hidden mold growth. The unknown earthy odors would further confirm the existence of hidden molds.

5. DIY test kits for mold detection
Get yourself a do-it-yourself mold test kit to help detecting harmful molds in your home. These test kits can be obtained from most of the home improvement and hardware stalls. They are easy to use, by following the instructions you are able to get the results instantly.

6. Get help from certified mold inspector
When you are experiencing mold exposure like symptoms but fail to detect any indoor mold growth, you can get help from certified mold inspectors. Their expertise in mold detection can help to identify the exact spots of possible hidden mold growth.





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