Top Signs of Mold in Your Home and How Professional Remediation Can Help

Get rid of nasty mold in your home and live comfortably through the help of professional remediation services



Have you seen fuzzy, slimy, or discolored patches around your walls, floors, or clothes? Then, you might have a homeowner's worst nightmare: a mold infection. Like any unsightly and dangerous object, you must get rid of it immediately, or else you'll face the consequences.

While mold removal might seem easy, removing the mold yourself is risky. It should be left to professional mold or mildew removal services in Woodstock, GA, and surrounding areas.

What is Mold and Why Should You Be Concerned? 

As annoying as molds are, they're a natural part of life and are found practically anywhere there is oxygen and moisture. 

While molds help the environment outdoors by decomposing dead organic waste like falling leaves, dead trees, and other garbage, when it comes to finding mold inside your home, their growth should be prevented, especially since there are various health risks that you might experience if you leave these molds be:

Allergies and Irritation

While mold might seem too small to make much of a difference if you're constantly exposed to it, your body might start reacting negatively, and you may develop an allergy. As a result, you might experience coughing, wheezing, sneezing, runny nose, and even skin irritation.

Asthma

If you’re already prone to asthma, having mold growing around your house might increase that risk or might make your pre-existing asthma even worse. As a result, this might cause clogged airways and produce even more mucus. Children are particularly vulnerable, so if you find moldy vents, it may be time to call professional services for vent cleaning Atlanta.

Lung Infections

Mold can also cause pneumonia. So, if you're not careful, mold might infect your lungs and cause severe sarcoidosis, emphysema, or tuberculosis.

Eye Infections

Aside from skin irritation, mold can also cause eye irritations and, although rare, can even cause eye infections. If you've been feeling eye pain, redness, excessive tearing, and even blurred vision, consider hiring mold or mildew removal services. 

Common Signs of Mold in Your Home 

Mold can happen whenever and wherever so one should never undermine mold; knowing the common signs of mold in your home can help you deal with the mold early on. 

Bad Odor

One of the common signs of mold is the foul odor that emits around your house. This foul stench is caused by Mold volatile organic compounds (MVOCs), the chemicals mold releases during its life cycle. So, if you’ve been smelling a musty, damp fragrance around the room, this might be a sign that mold has entered your house. 

Visible Black Spots and Discoloration

If you've seen any grey, black, green, or bluish flecks on your wall, grout lines, or other surfaces, then what you’re seeing is most likely mold. 

Mold can also have a slimy, fuzzy, or powdery texture. Mold is typically seen when walls, floors, or ceilings have dark water stains. Whether you can do it yourself or need professional mildew removal services, you should act right away to get rid of the mold.

Allergic Reactions

Suppose one of your family members or friends has been experiencing allergic reactions such as rashes, coughing, or sneezing. In that case, the main culprit might be the mold. 

Another indication is if your family members or friends already have allergies. Still, these symptoms often worsen inside the house, and that's a clear sign of mold in their room or around the house. As such, it's better always to do vent cleaning Atlanta and check basement crawl space encapsulations.

Peeling Wallpaper

Suppose you have wallpaper in your house and notice that the wallpaper has been peeling or bubbling. In that case, mold might be growing underneath. 

Because of the changing seasons, especially during summer, the condensation that forms underneath the wallpaper causes the wallpaper to loosen, allowing mold an opportunity to grow along your walls. While peeling wallpaper might be caused by faulty gluing, it's best to check with professional mildew removal services to ensure everything's in tip-top shape. 

Why DIY Mold Removal is Risky

Mold removal might seem like an easy task since all you have to do is buy some mold removal solution; it can worsen the problem instead of resolving it. Here are the main reasons why DIY mold removal is risky:

Incomplete Removal

Mold is infamously difficult to get rid of. Mold spores can persist in the air and on surfaces, causing regrowth within a few days, so you might think you've thoroughly cleaned off the mold. Still, they return quickly because you missed a few spots or used the wrong solution. 

As such, professionals use specific tools, solutions, and techniques to eliminate the mold to the point that it will lower the chances of regrowth in your house. 

Health Risks 

Without proper safety equipment, mold can release toxic spores into the air, detrimental to anyone with pre-existing asthma or other respiratory conditions. 

Professional mildew removal services are trained to securely control and remove mold, reducing exposure to harmful spores in even the tiniest basement crawl space encapsulation spaces. 

Opposite Effect

While your intentions might seem reasonable, if you're not used to dealing with mold, your actions can make things worse instead of removing the spores, which you originally intended to do. If you don't take the proper containment precautions, you could unintentionally allow mold to spread, making the issue more serious and costly to resolve.

How Professional Mildew Removal Services Works 

There's no better way to get rid of mold than hiring the right mildew removal services. While hiring mildew removal services might seem like a waste of money, there's a reason why they're called professionals. Here's a breakdown of how they work on removing mold and mildew:

1. Find the affected areas.

Professional mildew removal services follow a methodical procedure to get rid of mildew and stop it from coming back. They first find the affected areas by identifying any mildew and the moisture sources fostering its growth through an inspection.

2. Contain the mold or mildew.

After finding the affected areas, they contain mold or mildew to prevent the spores from spreading. They isolate the affected areas by using physical barriers and negative air pressure systems to reduce contamination in nearby areas.

3. Clean and disinfect.

Next is the cleaning and disinfecting process, which employs specific cleaning solutions and methods. While they generally kill the mold and remove visible stains from surfaces, if the mold has spread too deep, replacing the object entirely or throwing it away is recommended.

4. Control the moisture.

Moisture is a mold’s best friend, so professional mildew removal services offer additional services such as house sanitation, dehumidifier installation, enhanced ventilation, and finding and repairing leaks. You can even do vent cleaning Atlanta. 

Removing moisture guarantees a long-lasting treatment and stops mildew growth in the future. As such, a few even do basement crawl space encapsulation to improve the air quality.

Tips for Preventing Mold Growth in the Future

Mold is a force to be reckoned with. While it might be small, its effects pack quite a punch; from damaging our house to affecting your health, it should be immediately dealt with if found. While addressing mold when the problem arises is important, prevention is key if you want your house and family to be safe and healthy. 

1. Keep your home dry. 

Moisture is what attracts molds in the first place. As such, keeping your home dry is crucial in keeping mold away. 

Always inspect any spots that can regularly accumulate moisture or water, such as windows, refrigerators, water tanks, and even your plants. Don’t forget that vent cleaning Atlanta is necessary in the fight against mold. However, if you want to be extra safe, then it’s best to have basement crawl space encapsulation.

2. Ensure your home is adequately ventilated.

Next, your home must be adequately ventilated since it helps prevent any humidity from getting trapped and causing mold to grow. 

Good ventilation can also help reduce moisture and even dry any damp parts of the house faster. Suppose you want to improve ventilation and air quality. In that case, having a basement crawl space encapsulation is the way to go. 

3. Monitor humidity indoors.

If you want to be extra safe, one fantastic tip is to monitor humidity indoors by buying a moisture meter. Ensure to maintain your home's humidity between 30 and 60%, as the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advises. 

4. Use mold-resistant products.

Suppose you're just starting or planning to renovate your home. In that case, it's best to use mold-resistant products such as Sheetrock, mold-resistant drywall, and paints that include mold inhibitors. 

You can also use moisture-resistant drywall in damp spaces like kitchens, laundry rooms, basements, and bathrooms, and even encapsulate basement crawl space to be extra safe. 

Work With an Expert Vent Cleaning Atlanta Company Today 

Mold and mildew aren't an easy problem to solve. While you can do everything on your own, some things are best left to professionals. While mold and mildew removal are vital to keep your home safe, prevention is always better, and one way of preventing these spores from spreading is by vent cleaning Atlanta and basement crawl space encapsulation.

However, you can’t just choose any professional vent cleaning Atlanta services; you need a team with the expertise and experience to clean your vents effectively and prevent the spread of mold and mildew. At Southern Remediation, you won’t have to worry about mold or mildew again. Contact us today and have your vents professionally cleaned and your mold dealt with.