The presence of mold inside your house has immediate effects on your health and your property in terms of building structure. Mold poses a silent yet dangerous threat to house foundations, walls, flooring, carpeting, and even household furniture. Bio-One, the mold remediation specialist in Orange County, provides insight into where mold typically grows and what you can do to tackle the issue in your home or business.
It’s common to breathe and be in the presence of mold spores, as it’s part of the natural environment and has been present for thousands of years. Mold is responsible for maintaining and regulating ecosystems but should be prevented from growing indoors. Most of the spores disseminated indoors are toxigenic and may result in health complications, especially for people struggling with respiratory conditions such as asthma, lung diseases, and allergies.
How and where does mold grow indoors?
Mold is likely to grow in humid, damp environments. It only requires two elements for growth and dissemination: water and organic matter. As mold grows, it releases spores that travel through the air and into the most humid areas inside the property. The main concern when it comes to mold is that it feeds from the surface where it’s growing, which immediately puts at risk almost any object and area that may have been exposed to water or humidity.
The most common areas where mold grows indoors
- Mold in the basement: It’s typically a moist area due to its lower level, especially if there are signs of water leaks, flooding, or condensation from HVAC systems. Some houses have laundry equipment in the basement, making mold a dangerous place to grow if not ventilated and kept as dry as possible.
- Mold in the kitchen: Mold can grow inside kitchen cabinets and under the sink, especially if there is water damage and leaks in plumbing systems. Mold is particularly dangerous in the kitchen because it consumes wood, chipboard, and other organic materials, creating a more challenging situation to solve in terms of expenses and restoration matters.
- Mold in the bathroom: Water vapor and damp carpets usually result in mold complications. Promptly fixing water-related damage, such as leaky pipes and excess moisture from poor ventilation, is important.
- Mold in the attic and crawl spaces: Fixing water leaks from roofs and walls is important when preventing mold from growing in these areas. The attic and crawl spaces are tough places to look for mold and remediate it, so you’ll want to prevent it any way you can. If prevention fails, we recommend you turn to a professional to properly decontaminate these areas and provide you with insights on how to prevent mold from growing in the future.
How to identify mold growing indoors
How can you tell if mold is in your basement, kitchen, bathroom, attic, or crawl spaces? Well, sometimes, mold damage is visible. Other times, however, we may come across what some specialists call “hidden mold.”
Once they colonize a humid area, mold spores start to grow in the form of black dots, multi-colored rings, or yellowish stains. Mold has a very distinctive smell, it’s almost like smelling a wet pair of socks or clothing. Others perceive mold as an earthly smell, a very strong one.
Now, hidden mold is a term used by remediation specialists and restoration companies to classify the mold hidden behind walls and other structures. Most people do not realize they’re dealing with a mold infestation until it has caused considerable, visible damage. To identify possible hidden mold damage, you have to look at the following signs of mold damage:
- Behind wallpaper, paneling, and drywall
- The opposite side of the ceiling tiles
- Under carpets and rugs
- Wall surfaces behind furniture
- Air ducts
- Areas close to water pipes
This information is taken from Regional Foundation Repair’s article How Invisible Stuff Like Mold Can Destroy A House. Be sure to check it out to understand how dangerous mold can be for properties!
Mold can have dangerous health effects
While it’s true that not everyone is affected by mold exposure in the way, mold produces allergens that affect people with respiratory health conditions. Depending on the type of mold that is growing indoors, it can cause skin sashes, red eyes, sore throat, and difficulty breathing.
Continuous exposure to mold may result in more severe health complications. To remove it from your house or property, you need to fix the source of water damage. For tips on how to fix water-related damage in your house or property, read 12 Tips for Water Damage Repair by The Family Handyman.
Bio-One of Orange can help
Bio-One of Orange is a Micro-certified mold remediation company. Our technicians adhere to strict regulations and use EPA-approved chemicals to properly clean, decontaminate, and remediate mold from houses and properties. We are prepared to contain mold from highly contaminated areas, even if it entails tearing down building structures and going through the most remote places.
Help First, Business Second!
Bio-One of Orange offers a quick solution to life’s most difficult and unexpected situations. Locally owned, we provide top-quality, industry-leading cleaning, sanitation, and decontamination services in:
Recovery Services
- Blood spill and biohazard cleanup services
- Crime and trauma scene cleanup services
- Bodily fluids cleanup services
- Feces and urine cleanup services
- Undiscovered death cleanup services
- Homicide/Suicide cleanup services
- Virus Disinfection
- Medical waste disposal services
- Mold Remediation
- Odor removal services
- Sewage backup cleanup services
Hoarding Cleanup & Clutter Removal Services
- Hoarding cleanup services
- Animal hoarding cleanup services
- Rodent droppings removal services
- Gross filth cleanup services
- Declutter and junk removal
- Deep clean
- Hazardous waste removal
SERVING ORANGE COUNTY & SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES
Locally owned, Bio-One of Orange is proud to serve Orange County and surrounding Southern California areas: Aliso Viejo, Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Cypress, Dana Point, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Irvine, La Habra, La Palma, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Los Alamitos, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, Orange, Placentia, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Stanton, Tustin, Villa Park, Westminster, and Yorba Linda!
Our certified, professional mold remediation technicians are ready to help. Bio-One of Orange, a proud member of the Orange Chamber of Commerce, is available 24/7, 365 days a year. Contact us at 714-397-8375.
