Answering Common Questions About Mold | Virginia Restoration Services

In many homes, there are certain issues that any homeowner would want to avoid. Among those issues, mold seems to be at the top of many lists of things you do not want to find hiding somewhere in your home. We want to help explain why that is.

With mold being such a unique compound and having lots of aspects surrounding it, many people have a number of questions about mold that we want to answer. We hope these questions can help you really understand what mold is all about and why you don’t want it anywhere near your home.

What is Mold?

The first thing many people wonder when encountering mold is to ask what exactly mold is. The substance can come in a number of dark and unpleasant colors that make it look particularly malicious. Just like any ordinary mushroom you see in the wild, mold is classified as a fungus and is technically a living thing.

Despite being a rather simple living organism, mold is still quite the pain to deal with. Mold is able to thrive and survive in environments that have a high moisture content that allows the mold to grow larger. When the mold gets to a certain size, it will begin to release pores of itself that can travel through the air and grow new mold in other areas of the home.

Is Mold Dangerous?

With an idea of what mold is, you probably aren’t thinking that this seemingly harmless fungus could harm you. In more ways than one, you are sorely mistaken. In a traditional sense, mold is directly harmful to your health and can cause serious medical issues for people who deal with lung or breathing issues.

Mold travels through the air and is not something you want to be breathing in on a regular basis. In other ways, mold is actually dangerous to the health of your home. When people experience some form of water damage and don’t get the proper water removal services, black mold can grow and thrive with any hidden left over water. This mold can grow and eat away at your home’s walls and structural elements that will make them less effective and will likely need replacing.

Does Mold Smell?

One of the most common myths that people believe about mold is that they will be able to smell it from a mile a way as soon as it starts growing. While that would be nice for getting rid of it, not all mold is easy to smell and some mold doesn’t produce a smell at all.

Mold itself often does not have a very strong odor, but smell can be released as the mold begins to release pores and compounds into the air. When at this stage in life, the mold will likely begin to smell and should be able to be located based on the strength of the smell. Many people who have smelled mold describe it as smelling very earthy or even as unpleasant as a pair of wet socks. If these smells are easy to detect in areas of your property, it may be time to call out the experts.

What Causes Mold?

Flooding

Many people who have to deal with flood damage have a lot on their plate when flooding occurs. Water rushing through your home and ruining your belongings is something that would catch anyone off guard. As water enters into your home from an often unclean source, that water is a perfect breeding ground for mold to grow in.

People often think that mops and buckets are going to get rid of water caused by flooding because their floors and walls seem dry is. The unfortunate reality is that unless you are working with a richmond water damage restoration team, you are not going to be able to track down and find that hidden flood water that causes mold to grow.

Water Leaks

Similar to flooding, water leaks can be the perfect opportunity for mold to start growing deep within your house. While water leaks may not have the same fear factor and amount of initial damage as floods, they can be very annoying to deal with for a number of other reasons.

The primary reason that water leaks can be so annoying is that they can cause mold to grow in hidden areas of your home. Unless the leak is in an area you can easily see like your bathroom, you won’t know a water leak has caused mold to build up until it’s too late.

Moisture

In many cases, moisture is all that mold needs to form and grow. Moisture can be a result of not properly dealing with past water damage or having an area of your home be exposed to more weather than others.

How do you Clean Mold?

Mold is composed of some compounds you don’t want to be around, so it is always best to leave mold cleaning to the professionals. When the pros come to take care of mold, they will use a special set of formulations to make sure the mold is completely killed so it can be removed. Once removed, any repairs that need to be done will be taken care of the help the effected areas.

Conclusion

Mold may seem like a strange and foreign compound, but in reality, it is just a simple fungus. However, the simplicity of mold is what allows it to trick people into ignoring it. As you have seen, mold can come in many shapes and sizes to ruin your health and home.

At the first sight or smell of mold, you want to call the professionals as soon as you can to make sure they can do their job to get it out of your house.