Nobody wants to find mold or asbestos in their current or new home. Unfortunately, you can find it anywhere in your house or apartment, as long as there is oxygen and moisture. Its microscopic spores multiply and spread very quickly. Hence, waiting longer to discover and deal with mold makes its removal challenging. Here’s what to do if you find mold in your home.
Schedule a Mold Testing Appointment
Hiring professional contractors to perform thorough mold testing will help you identify the mold type in your home. While mold looks like black stains, furry growth, or specks of orange, brown, green, or white, it’s usually in different types. Its common types include Cladosporium, Stachybotrys atra, and Aspergillus. The severity of mold exposure symptoms depends on mold type, individual risk factors, and the duration of exposure. Professional testing and analysis will help you decide how to proceed depending on the mold type and extent of the infestation.
Address the Cause
Excess moisture is mostly the cause of mold growth. A professional can inspect your affected areas to identify and help you address the cause. This can be a cracked window, damaged pipe, or leaky roof. Fixing the problem will keep the affected area dry to prevent further mold growth and damage.
Isolate the Affected Area
Mold spores can quickly spread to other parts of your home. Therefore, isolate the affected area by closing doors, windows, and vents. Also, seal the area by placing a towel or barrier on the gaps in the windows and doors.
Use Protective Equipment
Inhaling mold spores can harm your health. Therefore, wear protective gear to prevent further exposure. Such gear includes an N-95 respirator mask, eye goggles, and long rubber gloves.
Remove the Damaged Materials
Mold affects various household items, including rugs and furniture. Removing it from your home requires careful removal of severely damaged materials. It’s almost impossible to remove mold from porous materials like mattresses and carpets. Therefore, replacing them is the best way to eradicate mold from your home. Nevertheless, you can wash or dry-clean curtains, clothes, drapes, bedding, and some non-porous items to eliminate mold.
Clean the Affected Areas
You can remove mold from hard surfaces by cleaning them with a bleach solution, soap, and water. However, please use protective equipment when cleaning the affected areas. Also, avoid mixing the bleach with other chemicals. Remember, EPA recommends hiring professionals to remove mold from areas that exceed 10 square feet.
Prevent Re-infestation
Take preventative measures to keep mold away from your home. These include:
- Keeping your home dry.
- Using fans to send moist air outside.
- Using a dehumidifier with open windows.
- Fixing leaks when they occur.
Continuous exposure to mold can lead to respiratory conditions and low lung functionality, with allergic or asthmatic people facing a higher risk of more severe symptoms. Inappropriate ventilation, insulation, and heating can lead to mold infestation, especially in overcrowded houses. Nevertheless, taking the above steps to remove mold once you find it in your home can prevent it from spreading further and causing more harm to your property and health.
Post sponsored by Asbestos Removal Winnipeg