Recognizing the Signs of Household Mold

If you’ve ever dealt with water damage in your home, you know that one of the most unwelcome side effects is the potential presence of household mold. After you’ve cleaned up from the flood, leak, or another water nightmare, you still have to be diligent in your mold inspection ( or have a professional do the cleanup, and then they will do the mold inspection). Preventing the spread of mold and mildew is one of the biggest benefits to having your basement waterproofing completed (plus, not having a flooded basement is a serious plus as well). If you’ve had water damage in the past, look out for these signs of household mold.

Odor

The smell is one of the first and biggest signs that you have an issue with household mold or mildew. Both mold and mildew have a dusty, damp, and earthy odor. If you’re smelling the musty, old-basement, something-was-wet smell, have a professional come out and test for mold. While most mold is not immediately dangerous, some is (like black mold).

Health Effects

If people in your home have recently developed upper respiratory issues or have ongoing and worsening asthma-like conditions, it could be a sign of mold. Ongoing cold symptoms, flu symptoms, or seasonal allergies that persist through many seasons can also indicate the presence of mold. This is because the mold and the mold spores trigger an allergic reaction in most people, including stuffy head, headache, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, and other symptoms.

Visible Signs

If you can see visible signs of mold, well, that’s a pretty clear sign that you have mold. But those visible signs don’t always look like the mold you see on bread. Wet spots, especially persistent wet spots and spots that are stained like they’ve been wet, can be signs of mold, since those are the conditions that mold favors. Black or green spots or splotches are also a sign of mold. Finally, general staining or discoloration, especially on walls or ceiling drywall, may indicate that mold is growing on the other side.

Testing

Finally, if you have a mold inspection done and the results indicate the presence of mold, you’ve got mold. All joking aside, mold is a truly serious health issue, so if you have had any recent flooding or other water damage, you should have a professional come out and test for mold. Even if you don’t see or smell any signs, the peace of mind of knowing for sure that there isn’t mold growing in your home is worth it.

Contact All Aspects Waterproofing Today to Prevent Water Damage!

When it comes to finding the best solution for your crawl space encapsulation and waterproofing needs, contact All Aspect Waterproofing, a Better Business Bureau A+ rated company with over 30 years of experience in the Washington, DC./Maryland/Virginia area. We have a great deal of experience in waterproofing, mold testing, and mold remediation, and we want to make you feel at home again. Contact us online or by calling 1-866-999-3110 or 301-766-4420.  To see what we’re up to, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Houzz.