What you need to know about mold.

Posted by Assured Home Inspectors on December 9th, 2022

What is mold and where is it found? Mold are tiny creatures that create spores and can be found virtually everywhere indoors and out. It grows on plants, food, and other organic matter. It needs moisture to grow, so address moisture issues quickly.

Mold exposure is unhealthy for everyone, but it is more dangerous for older people, babies, and immunocompromised people. It can cause respiratory difficulties like wheezing, nasal and sinus congestion, watery red eyes, mose and throat irritation, skin irritation, aches and pains, fevers, asthma, emphysema and in some cases even death.

You can be exposed to mold when moldy objects are damaged or disturbed and the spores are released into the air. Flooding, leaky roofs, humidifiers, wet basements or crawl spaces, plumbing leaks, house plants, steam from cooking, wet clothes and clothes dryers vented indoors can cause mold problems.

The mold Stachybotrys Chartarum is a greenish-black toxic mold with about 15 species that grows in areas where the relative humidity is above 55%. It colonizes well in high-cellulose material. This type of mold is thought to be a possible cause of the sick building syndrome.  Childrens’ exposure to Stachybotrys spores are thought most likely to cause pulmonary hemosiderosis (bleeding in the lungs) and can cause a wide array of symptoms such as respitory problems, nasal and sinus congestion, immune suppression, central nervous system problems and much more.  

To detect mold, we perform two types of tests, cartridge and swab tests. Cartridge tests indoor and outdoor air by pulling air into the cartridge where a sticky substance that traps the spores. The swab test collects samples of suspicious staining on a surface.

After our mold inspection, the mold laboratory typically returns a report within 3 business days. The report shows the type of mold discovered, if any, the level of concern, and information regarding the health risks and typical dangers. If mold is found, our inspectors recommend that a qualified remediation company determines what actions should be taken to properly address the issues.

Do you suspect you have mold? Suspicious about the property you’re about to buy? Schedule a mold inspection with AHI.

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