Is it really necessary to do a mold inspection? If you let mold accumulate, it could damage your house or building, reduce indoor air quality and expose you to health risks such as exaggeration of asthma, wheeling, and sinuses. The growth of mold across the country has created a set of misconceptions, speculations, and confusion about the aspects of it.
One of the most asked questions is whether an inspection is necessary. In our opinion, it is important to schedule for inspection. But the necessity of it would depend on the inspection process’s goal. In fact, if you see mold issues in your house, you won’t probably need to hire mold inspectors as you can do it yourself.
The Process of Mold Inspection and Testing
An inspection of mold processes an area or property to check for signs of mold infestation in certain areas. A mold is a type of fungus that grows in specific conditions, the condition includes an area that isn’t exposed to sunlight, dampness, or things that they could grow onto like cellulose or a type of material that allows mold growth. A mold inspection expert says that it’s important to perform an annual inspection if you’ve been exposed to flooding, leaks, or frequent rains.
If you have a basement or if your house is old, it’s necessary to make an inspection as basements and older homes are more prone to developing mold growth. Molds have different varieties, a lot of them are mostly harmless to our health but could have an effect on the house’s fabric, wood, and other building materials.
As for others, they have a negative effect on our well-being and overall health. Black molds are one of the dangerous kinds of mold, therefore it’s important to perform a black mold test for you and your family’s safety. It is also the reason why performing a home mold test is a priority to most households.
Why Perform A Mold Inspection Regularly?
If you want to make sure you have good health in the safety of your home, then having a regular inspection on the mold is important. Despite being hidden, more specifically the black mold can release mold spores into the air which can be inhaled by the people living in the house. If any of you are susceptible to allergies, you’ll most likely develop a chronic of coughs, breathing problems, colds, and other symptoms caused by mold exposure.
Other symptoms may also include depression or a headache. Aside from having a bad effect on the health, black mold can also degrade the material blackening the wood or fabric, and by compromising the strength and integrity of it. Not only would it be not sturdy enough, but it can also cause holes and tears in it.
6 Signs that Need a Mold Inspection
Most people are aware of the mold’s effect on health and how toxic on the house’s structure. They may know the effects of it, but most are not sure how to detect it in their house without hiring a professional. If you’re on a budget and doesn’t have spare money to hire for a professional, we recommend that you inspect the mold problems on your own by using mold test kits.
There are three types of mold testing, this includes Bulk Testing, Air Testing, and Surface Testing. If you’re thinking “can I inspect mold myself?”, yes you can and here are the six mold signs you need to watch out for in your house:
Mold Smell
This is the most visible and common sign that tells you to have a mold production in your house. If you’re wondering if there’s mold growing in your house, you should try giving it a sniff test. If you’ve smelled mold before, you’ll immediately recognize it after giving your home a good sniff. A mold smells stale outside, but inside the house, it smells damp and musty.
Visible Growth
Here is another obvious sign to know if you have mold in your house. If you see mold growing on your walls and on other places, then mold does exist in your household. But it’s not always you’ll see mold, and that’s scary.
Water Damage or Leaks
If you have leaks in your house, then that is another indication that there’s a mold present. Molds often grow on moist areas, so you should check your pipes regularly.
Water Intrusion
Water intrusions have a lot of forms. If a sewer line is backed up, if there’s a pipe breakage, or flooded outside your area it could to the production of the mold when not cleaned thoroughly and completely.
Past Flood
If you’ve been a victim of flooding before or just recently, then there’s a huge chance that your house has already developed mold on it. If your place often gets flooded, then it’s important for you to do some things to prevent mold growth.
Health Symptoms
The most toxic type of mold would be the black mold as it has mycotoxins, which could affect our respiratory functions, skin, and more. If you or any of your family members are experiencing any of the following, then you might need an inspection in your home:
- Skin inflammation
- Respiratory problems
- Hemorrhage
- Mental impairment
- Internal organs damage
- Colds
- Nausea
- Tiredness
- Immune system suppression
There’s no antidote or cure for black mold symptoms, the only solution that you have is to remove them from your house.
How to Prevent Mold from Growing?
There are a lot of ways that you can do to prevent mold in your home. The best way that you can do to prevent growth mold is by solving it before it becomes a problem. And the key to prevention is by performing moisture control.
Here are several ways that you can do to prevent mold accumulations:
- Identify and correct the problem
- Immediately dry wet areas
- Use proper ventilation
- Use mold-resistant products
- Use mold foggers
- Monitor humidity levels
- Clean and repair gutters
How Much Does Mold Inspection Cost?
The cost of mold inspections can vary from the size of your property, the extent, the number of mold samples, and other kinds of factors. Mold inspections that are performed by professionals could cost around $300 up to $3,000.
If you prefer saving money, then we recommend that you use a mold testing kit and do the mold assessments yourself. A mold test kit only cost around $10 up to $395, which doesn’t even come close to the cost of hiring a professional mold inspector. That is the best mold remediation you can do.
Conclusion
Mold is not something that you need to treat lightly, therefore it’s important that you need to perform a solution and some prevention methods to prevent it from forming again such as adding a dehumidifier to your HVAC system. If you value the strength of your house and your family’s health, then you should make an effort on how you can solve and prevent mold by making an inspection.
We should be aware of the important points in this article about this signs to look for to know if for mold inspection. This would really mean a lot. Thanks for sharing this one out.
I had no idea that molds can cause health problems, such as skin inflammation and respiratory problems. Thanks for reminding that residential mold inspection must be done regularly. Since I don’t know how to detect the first signs of it, I think it’s better to have professionals handle it for my family’s safety.