What Are The Signs Of Mold In The Home?
Mold typically has a fuzzy or slimy texture, with green or brown discoloration. However, a mold’s strong, musty scent is often the first indicator of its presence. In the home, mold growth is most common when there is a significant amount of trapped moisture. To catch mold growth in its earliest stages, it is important to check for water stains in hidden places such as underneath carpets, or behind frequently-used appliances and utilities. Mold is most often found in bathroom tiles, in cracks around windows, behind the refrigerator, and around the air conditioner unit. To know for sure if mold is in your home, schedule a residential mold inspection.
How Do You Know When To Test For Mold?
Even if you haven’t found visible proof of mold growth or detected a musty scent, there are other signs that it may be present in your home. First and foremost, if there is excess condensation on your windows, questionable stains on your walls, or peeling wallpaper, there is reason to believe that mold could develop sooner or later. Additionally, if you have experienced unexplainable allergic reactions, breathing problems, fatigue, or skin rashes, this could be a sign that mold is already present in the airways of your home. Schedule a residential mold inspection to know for sure.
It’s Important To Schedule A Residential Mold Inspection:
There are several situations when it’s especially important to schedule a residential mold inspection.
- Buying a New Home: Before making an offer to purchase a new home, it is important to schedule a residential mold inspection, to ensure that there isn’t hidden mold growth that sellers are unaware of. Proper mold testing from a professional can help you ensure that the new home is worth your investment. If mold growth is left undetected, it can cause problems for you down the road in terms of your family’s health and the structural integrity of your home.
- After Water Damage of any kind: Mold growth is typically found around water stains and trapped moisture, so it is important to test for mold after water damage. Water damage could occur from a pipe leakage, or from heavy rainfall. It’s best to check your attic, basement, and windows for early signs of mold; these are common locations with excess moisture.
- When unexplained respiratory symptoms arise: If you or a loved one is experiencing unexplained health concerns such as respiratory problems, chronic fatigue, or heightened allergy symptoms, it may be from undetected mold growth in the home. A residential mold inspection will identify the presence of mold in the home, the type of mold, and the best solution to eradicate it.
- After mold remediation in the home: Even if it seems that all signs of mold have vanished, it is important to do one final inspection after the mold remediation process, to ensure that all mold has been removed on a microscopic level.
What To Expect During Residential Mold Inspection
There are several steps to expect during a residential mold inspection. First, a mold inspector will consult you about specific concerns that you may have already noticed within your home. In this stage of the process, it is important to reveal if your home has experienced water damage, and if there are specific areas in the home that would be susceptible to mold growth.
Next, during a residential mold inspection, the inspector will look for signs of mold growth and perform various tests on the areas of the home that have suspicions of mold. Depending on the situation, the inspector may take up to three types of samples, including air samples, surface samples, or “bulk samples.” After the samples have been gathered, the tests will be sent to a laboratory to analyze its contents. Finally, once lab results become available, the mold technicians will provide you with an interpretation of their findings. If necessary, the mold inspector will provide recommendations for complete mold remediation.
Contact MSR Restoration For Residential Mold Inspection And Remediation
Identifying mold is not always easy – contact the professionals at MSR Restoration for an expert residential mold inspection. If you suspect you have a problem, MSR Restoration will visit your home to provide a free evaluation. From inspections, to mold remediation, MSR Restoration is your complete mold solution!