Mold is in all homes, and it causes problems when it gets out of control, so mold removal is something you should know about. When you find evidence of mold in your home, you may be worried about the next steps to take. Mold on the walls may show as green, blue, yellow, or black discoloration. Mold often occurs in damp areas of the home, or in enclosed areas like closets.
Mold can cause serious problems such as asthma, allergies, and skin irritation. Those with existing respiratory conditions need to be especially careful when their houses have mold.
Mold does not only cause health problems, it can damage your home by eating away at walls, ceilings, and wood. Mold Zero shares tips on what to do if you discover mold on your walls.
1. Do a Thorough Search
When you discover a moldy spot on your wall, it’s likely that you have more mold in your home. Do a thorough search of your home to find other areas of mold. Pay special attention to bathrooms, kitchens, and anywhere water might be leaking. Leaks from plumbing and from the roof can both result in mold contamination. Areas that have been flooded in the past, such as from a broken washing machine or dishwasher, are especially vulnerable to mold.
2. Have the Mold Tested
It’s important to have the mold tested by a professional to determine what kind you have in your home. Some forms of mold are more dangerous than others and can cause severe health problems if they go unchecked. Home testing kits are available, but these can be unreliable.
3. Get In Touch with Your Insurance Company
Speak with your homeowners’ insurance company and find out whether your policy covers mold remediation. You may be able to have these damages paid for by your insurance company. If your insurance company does not cover mold remediation, you will have to pay for it yourself.
4. Get a Professional or Do It Yourself?
You may wonder whether it would be just as easy to remove mold yourself as it would be to call a professional. For small and isolated spots of mold, you may want to try removing it using a bleach solution. Be aware that mold is often hidden in the walls or under cabinets, so that you might not even remove it all if you try to do it yourself. If you leave mold alone, it will only grow and create a bigger problem. Mold Zero can help you create a plan to remove mold from your home in a non-toxic fashion.
5. Remove the Mold
Proceed to removing the mold, whether you do it yourself or have a professional take over the job for you. A professional company will be able to get to all the hidden spaces where mold grows unchecked. If you remove the mold yourself, you may leave some behind. You may also be subject to respiratory problems or irritation from using bleach.
6. Have Your Home Tested Again
Have your home tested once more. It’s impossible to remove all mold from the home: the key is to get the level of mold in the home to be the same as the levels outside. Testing your home again is a crucial part of the mold remediation process. Without testing, you may not know whether the problem has come back.
7. Prevent Mold in the Future
After you have mold removed, you may be concerned about the contamination coming back again. The most important thing is to repair or remove all causes of leaking water in the home. Windows, fixtures, pipes, hot water heaters, and roofs are all places where water can enter the home. Make sure that these places are sealed up tight and free of leaks.
Get rid of things that could harbor mold, especially in your attic or basement. Old books and papers are a major culprit.
8. Mold Remediating Paint
After your mold problem is completely fixed, you will want to repaint your surfaces with a moisture inhibiting paint. This will prevent mold from occurring on that surface in the future.
Install a fan in your bathroom, if you don’t already have one. Be sure to run the fan before, during, and after every shower or bath to make sure the room dries out completely. Having a bathroom with no fan is a common cause of mold contamination.
Mold Can Be Conquered
Don’t give up hope on your home when you discover mold. A trained professional can help you get rid of the contamination and return your home to its pristine state. Use these tips to help deal with a mold problem in your home.
A couple of days ago, I noticed that the walls in my living room area have developed mold. Like what you said, it can cause breathing and skin problems, which is why I had to call for a mold removal professional to get my home tested. Hopefully, I can find one here in our town.
I liked it when you mentioned that a professional company will be able to remove mold in areas that are hidden. I’m in the process of remodeling my basement, and this morning, I found a bunch of mold growing on the inside of one of my walls. There is probably more than that somewhere around my home, so I think it would be best for me to find a remediation company to hire.