One of the most obvious signs that you may need mold remediation is the visible presence of mold in your home or business. However, determining whether or not you do need mold remediation is not as simple as that. Mold spores are a natural part of our environment which means they can be found anywhere and everywhere. Unfortunately for us, sometimes mold inside our home or work environment can be toxic causing mild to life-threatening health issues and can even affect the structure of our home or business.
What we also need to understand is that we can’t always see the mold that is infecting our environment and could be harming our health. For this reason, BioTek Environmental would like to share with you some of the ways you can determine whether you have mold issues in your home and work environment.
Water Damage or Water Intrusion
As we have mentioned in a previous article on mold inspection, mold thrives in moist/humid conditions. However, it doesn’t mean that if you have some kind of water intrusion you will automatically have mold growth. There has to be a large presence of mold spores and the moisture or humidity issues need to be long-term in nature for mold growth to occur. Therefore, if you have noticed possible water damage signs, you must act fast to find the source of the water damage and notify mold remediation experts like BioTek Environmental to determine if there is a mold issue. If you ignore moisture damage, mold can grow and spread quickly. In fact, mold can start growing as quickly as 24 to 48 hours after water damage if there is a sufficient amount of mold spores present.
It’s not always the case, however, that water damage can be easily visible. For example, if you have leaky pipes inside walls or under the floorboards, it may be awhile before you detect it (if we detect it)!
Visible Discoloration and Stains on Walls & Ceilings
Most people think that mold is identified by black spots growing in dark damp corners of our homes. That’s not always true though, sometimes the discoloration can be yellow, gray, white, orange, brown, red and even some hues of pastel colors – basically it depends on the surface or organic substance mold settles. The physical appearance can also differ since it can look like dust, fuzz or even like granules of sand.
Unpleasant Musty Odors
Don’t always blame the dog for unpleasant odors in your home. Our homes have distinct odors but sometimes, we may notice an odor that is out of place. If you notice a persistent musty or moldy odor it may be a sign that you should call professionals to investigate and inspect your home for mold. Please note that the absence of odor does not always mean that there are no mold issues and a musty odor does not mean that it is caused by mold infestation. That is why it is important to have professionals investigate.
Health Issues Related to Mold
If there are members of your household or work environment who develop health issues for which doctors find it difficult to determine the cause, it might be wise to investigate whether the symptoms might be related to mold exposure. For example, if you notice that when you spend more time in a specific space you feel unwell and when you leave that space you begin to feel much better, it may be the result of unhealthy air quality.
Some of the following symptoms could be the result of unhealthy air quality:
- Nasal & sinus congestion
- Allergy symptoms
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Respiratory problems
- Coughing
One of the environmental hazards that can contribute to unhealthy air quality is a mold infestation. In such cases, a mold inspection and test can verify whether the health issues are due to mold contamination. Protecting our health should always be our top priority and therefore we should act fast. Being exposed to toxic molds may lead to serious health issues such as cancer, pneumonitis, neurotoxicity, and a number of other serious health issues.
Taking Appropriate Action
If there are indications of a mold infestation in your home or workplace environments, you need to take immediate action and contact mold remediation professionals. Our BioTek Environmental mold inspection and remediation specialists are experienced and equipped with the latest technology to determine whether you have mold issues. Call BioTek Environmental Inc any time of the day or night. Contact us to protect your home or business from mold infestations at 866-630-7340.
We provide mold inspection, removal, and remediation services to Columbia, Greenville, and Spartanburg, SC. Our Clean, Green Restoration methods employ EPA registered and environmentally safe chemistries to help our customers reclaim their property from mold removal, and flood and fire damage in the safest ways possible. What’s more, BioTek’s warranties for mold remediation are some of the longest and most comprehensive in the industry.
