Mold is one of the most damaging substances you can get in your home. It can eat away at your drywall and even the wooden supports of your home. Plus, some strands of mold are toxic and can pose a serious health risk to you and your family.
Mold isn’t always easy to spot. But whether it’s visible or not, having mold in your home is never a good thing. If you notice any of these signs, you should call a mold remediation specialist right away to remove the mold at the source and prevent any future damage.
1. Visible Mold Growth
If you see mold, you have a mold problem. This might seem obvious, but it’s commonly overlooked. When most people see mold, they try a quick DIY fix they found on the internet and think the problem has been handled. Spoilers: it hasn’t.
Most visible mold is not the source of the infestation. By cleaning visible mold, you might make your house look better, but it doesn’t do anything to eliminate the underlying causes of mold growth. It’s still hiding in your house, eating away at the structure, and potentially making you sick.
The minute you see mold in your home, no matter how small the infestation might seem, it’s a good idea to reach out to a mold remediation expert. They’ll be able to determine the extent of the problem and eliminate it at its source. The sooner you call an expert, the easier (and cheaper) mold remediation will be.
2. Water Leaks or Damage
There are a few things mold needs to grow, but the most important by far is moisture. If you’ve experienced any water leaks or water damage in the recent past, there’s a good chance you have mold hiding somewhere in your home. Even something as simple as a little condensation around your windows is enough to get mold started.
Some water leaks aren’t always easy to see. After all, how often do you look under your bathroom or kitchen sink? Minor water leaks from plumbing fixtures or water pipes in your walls could saturate the surrounding area and cause a mold infestation. Here are a few signs that you’ve got a water leak somewhere in your home:
- Discolored walls or ceilings
- Bubbling or cracking paint
- Peeling wallpaper
- Warped walls or cabinets
Where there’s water, mold is likely to follow. Clean up water leaks the minute you find them and make sure the entire area is dry. If you spot a water leak and aren’t sure how long it’s been going, contact a mold remediation service right away to inspect the damage and take preventative measures to stop mold growth.
3. Home Flooding
If you’ve experienced a flood in the past, there’s a very high chance that you have mold in your house. Flooding is like leaking pipes to the extreme. It saturates entire levels of your home, getting moisture into every crack and porous material it can find.
Following a flood, mold can (and probably will) grow in all kinds of hidden locations, like under your floorboards and inside your walls. Unfortunately, mold can appear in as little as 24 to 48 hours after a flood, so there’s not much time for cleanup. Even after the cleanup, there’s still a high probability that you’ll experience long-term mold issues.
A flood almost guarantees the presence of mold. Whether the flood happened two days or two years ago, it’s a good idea to contact a mold remediation professional to scour your home for any traces of mold. They’re the only ones with the equipment and know-how to eliminate mold after a flood.
4. Persistent Musty Smell
Mold is an expert at hide-and-seek. It can grow all over your home in places you’d never think to look, like behind your walls or in the attic. But while you might not be able to see mold, you’ll probably be able to smell it.
Many types of mold (though not all of them) produce a musty, earthy smell. A persistent smell lingering around your home that you can’t seem to pinpoint or get rid of is a good indicator that there’s mold hiding nearby.
Unfortunately, the only way to find the source of the hidden mold is to hire a professional mold remediation expert. They can use specialized equipment to test your home for mold growth. That way, you can find out if what you’re smelling is mold or just your kids’ dirty socks.
5. Allergies and Health Issues
Do your allergies get worse when you’re inside? If they do, there’s a good chance you have a mold problem.
Mold can decrease your indoor air quality and cause allergic reactions to those sensitive to the spores. These are some of the common symptoms of mold allergies:
- Congestion and runny nose
- Coughing
- Sneezing
- Itchy, watering eyes
- Irritated skin
- Sinus headaches
- Difficulty breathing
Some forms of mold—like the notorious black mold—are toxic and can cause serious health issues like bleeding, organ damage, cognitive impairment, cancer, and even death.
If you notice any of these symptoms when you’re inside your home, call a mold remediation expert right away. You probably have a hidden mold infestation. The longer you’re exposed to mold spores, the worse the symptoms will become. Get the problem cleared up right away.
Notice any Warning Signs? Call a Mold Remediation Specialist
If you notice any of these warning five signs, don’t ignore them! There’s a good chance that mold is hiding somewhere in your house. The longer you wait for mold remediation, the worse (and more expensive) the problem will get.
As soon as you notice any signs of mold, call the mold remediation experts at Central Florida Restoration Services. We have over 20 years of experience helping Florida homeowners with water, mold, fire, and smoke damage. We’ll remove any signs of mold no matter where it’s hiding and get your home back to its former, safe condition.
Contact CFRS today for the mold remediation support you need to keep your home and family safe from the dangerous effects of mold.
