If you suspect you have mold in your house, you need to act immediately. Mold spreads quickly and can be extremely dangerous. It causes respiratory problems, sinus infections and can even be fatal. Some of the causes of mold in the home are: flooding from broken pipes or natural causes; sewage backup; bath, toilet, or sink overflow; leaky pipes or ceilings; high humidity from steam, dryers or humidifiers. Before mold can be eliminated, the moisture must be completely controlled.
Often, mold will be visible around windows or discolored walls. Sometimes, it is between walls and can only be smelt. Other times, it will be invisible and not detected by smell, and show up as respiratory symptoms and other health problems. Common symptoms include: wheezing, asthma, sinus congestion, hacking cough, head aches, mood swings, and body aches. If you suspect your health problems are due to mold, tell your doctor. If the mold in your home is causing health issues, it needs to be removed by a professional. Also, if the mold in your home has spread beyond twenty-five square feet of space, you will need a professional. Otherwise, here is what you can do to rid your home of mold:
Eliminate moisture: Dry out your home as much as possible. Remove and throw away moldy carpeting, furniture, or other items. Use fans and ventilation to remove water from the home. Get rid of ruined and wet walls, tiles, insulation and wood.
Gather supplies: To eliminate mold you will need the following items: rubber gloves, ventilator mask, buckets, pine oil based cleaner, bleach, a wet dry shop vacuum, sponges and rags.
Clean: Find a way to maximize ventilation in the area. Use the mask and rubber gloves. Vacuum out any moisture. Clean hard surfaces first with water and pine-oil solution, then with a ten percent bleach solution. Let the bleach sit on the surface for at least ten minutes, then rinse and dry thoroughly. Throw away porous materials.
To prevent mold in your home, here is what you can do: Stop leaks immediately inside the home, thoroughly dry any exposed components as soon as moisture is discovered and disinfect the area, try to keep the humidity in your home below forty percent, use water and mold resistant building materials, and routinely check potential problem areas.
Mold in the home is very common, but, can be controlled and prevented if caught quickly. If your home has been flooded or is experiencing a high amount of moisture, mold can grow in less than forty-eight hours. Once it sets in, it can grow very quickly, especially in porous materials. In most cases, carpets and furniture exposed to mold should be thrown away. Mold can live deep inside the fabric and fibers and keep coming back. Food that has been exposed, even if does not show immediate signs of mold, should also be thrown away. If you think mold is a potential danger for your home, be very vigilant and aggressively attack mold if it appears.
