Find mold before it becomes a major problem
Discovering that you have mold within your home can cause you to feel many things. You might initially feel disgust, frustration or even a sense of being overwhelmed. Placing the home up for sale might be the first thing that pops into your mind, but that should be a last resort. Many people actually live in a home with mold and never realize it is there. They ignore the warning signs until the problem reaches a point where the mold is taking over and affecting their health.
Warning Signs of Mold:
Therefore, it’s important to be aware of what the signs are that you may be sharing your home with more than just your family. Signs that you may have mold include:
- A strange odor: Mold has a pungent smell. When it is confined to one area of your home, you may notice an unpleasant odor when you are in that area. Mold can sometimes live within the walls or behind wallpaper, and so you might not immediately associate the smell with mold. If you do notice an unusual persistent odor in your home, the culprit may be mold.
- The appearance of mold: In your shower stall or bathtub, its easy to distinguish normal soap scum from mold. However, in the basement or cellar you may have to investigate a little further to find the mold. Mold will take hold of damp areas, so if you have a wall or floor where dampness collects, mold could very well be there as well.
- Health symptoms: Because mold is not always visible, it can be difficult realizing that you do indeed have a mold problem. If you feel listless, congested and experience watering eyes while in your home, these can all be signs of the presence of mold. It’s not uncommon for a person who lives in a home that has mold to feel better while at work or out shopping. Their health problems begin the moment they step through their front door. Mold can often be the cause of this.
Do You Have a Mold Problem?
If you do think that you may have a mold problem, you’ll need to put on your investigator hat and get to work. Check all moist areas of your home first. If that doesn’t turn up any mold consider calling in a professional.
It can be difficult to stay in a home where the mold is causing an odor or is visible. You may feel very uncomfortable; however, for most people a small amount of mold will not cause serious health problems.
If you do suffer from allergies and find it is causing breathing problems it might be wise to find a temporary place to stay until the mold problem is addressed.
Ignoring the warning signs that you may have mold only prolongs the problems you will experience. Be aggressive in locating the source of the mold and addressing it. After all, nothing is more important than your health.