What to Do if Mold is Present in Your Home
You've finally kicked off that long awaited home improvement project. And just as you start peeling back that old musky wallpaper, you notice something suspicious. We've all been there. But does it spell trouble? DIY Mold Test & the Mold Inspection Network is here to offer valuable information.
Today, we’ll be discussing what to do the minute you discover mold in your home. From performing a home test to identify the type of mold to cleaning in order to stop the spread of mold, there is much to be done to keep you and your family safe. This step-by-step guide will answer all of your questions concerning what to do if mold is present in your home.
Talk to Your Doctor
If you or someone in your family has encountered allergy-like symptoms due to the presence of mold in your home, it’s vital that you talk to a medical professional as quickly as possible. Taking care of the health of you and your family is a number one concern when you find that mold is present. Mold can cause symptoms similar to severe allergies and, in the worst cases, life-threatening illnesses.
This means that the first step of dealing with mold present in your home is to talk to your doctor. At your appointment, let your doctor know that mold has been found in your home as this will give him/her a better chance of treating your symptoms accurately. Here is a list of the most common symptoms associated with exposure to mold:
- Headaches
- Fatigue or weakness
- Stiff joints
- Abdominal pain
- Increased urinary frequency
- Chronic cough
- Itchy eyes
- Itchy skin
- Poor memory
- Blurred vision
- Sneezing
- Runny nose
- Dry skin
- Watery eyes
Perform a Home Test of the Mold
The next step in dealing with a mold infestation in your home is to perform a home test of the mold. A home test of mold is vital in order to take preventative measures against mold infestations. This is because identifying the type of mold you are dealing with can tell you just how bad the problem is. Our surface mold tests are highly recommended by others in your same situation because of our easy-to-follow steps and on-call consultation by lab technicians to help identify the type of mold that is in your home. Depending on the type of mold and level of infestation, our expert may recommend that you hire a professional to clean your home rather than doing it yourself.
After completing the steps highlighted in the remainder of this article, you’ll also want to consider performing another test. This test will ensure that your cleanup efforts have eliminated the harmful mold successfully. If this test shows that there are still harmful levels of mold in the home, a second removal and cleanup process should be enacted.
Identify the Cause of the Mold
Once you have identified the type of mold present in your home and determined how bad the problem is, you should proceed with identifying the cause of the mold. Finding out the source of the mold problem is vital to fixing the problem that caused the mold infestation and preventing a subsequent reinfestation.
The most common causes of a substantial mold presence include leaking roofs or pipes, humidity levels on home humidifiers being too high, and large deposits of moisture gathered throughout the home. If you identify a leaky pipe or roof as the source of your mold problem, make sure to repair the source of the leak. High humidity levels on home humidifiers are a simple enough issue to fix; simply turn the level down. Large deposits of moisture can be a bit more difficult as you will have to find the source of these pockets of moisture and patch them.
Once you have identified and fixed the cause of your mold problem, you will ensure that mold can’t reinfest your home in the same method. One of the most effective ways to prevent a mold reinfestation is to act proactively. Making sure that you know how mold was able to access and infest your home in the first place cuts the problem off at the source.
Contact Your Insurance Company
You should always contact your insurance company in the event of a mold infestation in your home. If mold removal and cleanup services are covered under your homeowner’s insurance policy, you could save a lot of money getting rid of the issue. In many cases, whether or not mold removal and cleanup services are covered by your insurance is dependent on the type of mold. This is yet another reason that testing the mold found in your home is a vital step in the process. Save money where you can and give yourself less to worry about!
Decide How the Mold Will Be Removed From Your Home
Next, it’s time to decide how the mold will be removed from your home. If the level of mold found in your home is less severe, you can probably get by with removing the mold yourself. In cases of more severe infestations, you’ll do best to hire a professional mold removal. The complete mold removal process is a bit more complicated than most people realize. Opting to remove the mold yourself in the case of extreme infestation will do more harm than good. It is very likely that you’ll miss spots and find yourself dealing with a reinfestation sooner rather than later.
Perform an Air Test For Mold
Once you have followed the proper mold removal procedure, either by doing it yourself or hiring professional mold removal services, it’s time to do a second test. An air test will ensure that you have removed the most harmful levels of mold and that your home is now at an acceptable level. Remember that all homes have mold to some degree but that higher levels of mold increase the likelihood that your home possesses traces of toxic mold. The overall goal should be to get the level of the mold present in your home balanced with the outside of the home. This is an overall healthy level of mold.
Take Proactive Steps to Prevent a Mold Reinfestation
Lastly, take the necessary steps to prevent a mold reinfestation. It is well known that there are factors that increase the likelihood of a mold infestation and these factors should be addressed in order to keep your home safe from a reinfestation. Many modern homes use a variety of materials known to increase the likelihood of mold growth including paper and wood products. It is also commonly known that areas with elevated levels of moisture and humidity provide the perfect conditions for mold to grow. Take proactive steps to make sure these areas don’t develop mold.
Start by inspecting the plumbing in your home to make sure there aren’t present leaks where water could collect. If there are, take the necessary steps to repair these leaks regardless of whether or not their is any visible mold growth. Remember that anywhere with moisture will eventually see mold if the issue isn’t addressed in a timely manner. It is equally important to remember that such inspections should be practiced regularly. Many homeowners check for leaks throughout their home and then forget about it completely. The most effective measure you can take against a mold reinfestation is to keep regular checks to ensure there aren’t problems.
You should also maintain a regular cleaning schedule in your home. This will go a long way in ensuring that mold isn’t allowed to sit and flourish. Keeping your home cleaned thoroughly on a regular basis will remove mold from your home early on in the growth process, not giving it time to find a suitable location to grow.
These are just a few of the many proactive measures you can take to eliminate the risk of mold growth in your home. By following these steps, you can not only eliminate mold deposits but prevent them from being able to grow to an overwhelming and dangerous level. We here at Mold Inspection Network, developers of the bestselling DIY Mold Test, hope that this information has been helpful to you and wish you the best of luck in addressing your home’s mold problem!
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