If you’ve ever had a water issue in your home, you probably have a few questions about mold. Was there enough water damage to grow mold? How will I know if I have a mold problem? And, will the mold effect my health? Here are a few myths and facts about mold to help you after you’ve experienced water damage.
Mold doesn’t affect my health.
This is a myth. There are several ways that mold can affect your health. It may manifest as an allergy, as an infection, irritation, or toxicity. Those suffering from a mold problem may be chronically ill, and may more seriously affect those with a sensitive immune system. It may manifest as sneezing fits, watering eyes, headaches, or dizziness. Or, you may not have any symptoms, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t effected by mold.
I will notice know if I have a mold problem.
Unfortunately, this isn’t always true. Sometimes mold grows inside walls, or between floors and ceilings. Mold can grow in areas where you won’t be able to see it, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t a problem. The chemicals from mold can still wreak havoc on your health!
It’s only black mold you need to be afraid of.
This is a myth. While black mold is bad, there are several types of toxic mold. In fact, there are other types of mold that grow ahead of black mold, and eventually feed it.
All mold is bad mold.
This isn’t fact. If you’ve ever eaten cheese you’re probably a fan of mold! There is mold all around us and it is a natural part of life. What you need to be concerned about is the concentration of mold you have indoors. Mold growing on walls or other surfaces in your home is problematic.
Dead mold won’t affect my health.
This is unfortunately a myth. Simply killing the mold may not alleviate negative health effects from mold. That is why in certain cases it is necessary to actually remove the mold, or whatever the mold was growing on.
It’s not hard to get rid of mold.
This is both a myth and a fact. You probably have no problem “disposing” of that shredded cheese in your fridge, and bleach can kill certain kinds of mold (on non-porous surfaces). But sometimes it requires more than just a little bleach. Sometimes it is necessary to actually remove the affected area rather than clean it up. Removal can cause spores and allergens to spread or further aggravate health issues.
If you have big mold problems, it’s important to have a professional take care of mold remediation. To properly get rid of mold, professional equipment is required as well as a thorough knowledge of mold. By trying to eliminate mold yourself, you may make it worse.
RestoreMasters has more than 20 years of experience in mold remediation, so you can rest assured that when they step in, your family will be safe while your home is restored to a mold-free environment.
