What is Black Mold?

No homeowner wants black mold, but what is it? Black mold (also known as Stachybotrys) grows in wet spots and is usually seen around condensation or anywhere near neglected water damage. Spores enter the house through windows, other entrances or brought in on personal items and coats. Although most molds found in your house are harmless, this variety leads to illness if ignored.

How Black Mold affects Health

Black mold is a poisonous fungus with airborne toxins. Symptoms include chronic coughing, irritation to the eyes, mucus membranes of the nose and throat and rashes. Other symptoms include chronic fatigue and persistent headaches. Nausea, vomiting and bleeding in the lungs and nose are seen in the most serious cases of long term exposure.

Information about Mold

Mold doesn’t take long to permeate walls, floors and ceilings. Whenever your home suffers water damage, you should have a Paul Davis technician check the walls for mold infestations. They can go unseen for weeks, and then spring up practically overnight.

Once mold creates colonies in your living space, it immediately grows and releases toxins that make life difficult for inhabitants:

  • Mold emanates a strong, musty scent that stops rooms from smelling fresh.
  • Mold wreaks havoc on allergy-sensitive individuals, as well as those with asthma, making symptoms flare up.
  • Mold can cause coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing.
  • Mold toxins can cause long-lasting inflammation and constant cold-like symptoms.
  • People with compromised immune systems can get systemic infections of the lungs, skin, or digestive tract.
  • In rare instances, mold toxins can cause neurological issues or even death.
  • The more lengthy the exposure, the greater the danger.

Unusually humid homes and offices can be subject to mold invasions even if no water damage has happened. If you see or smell something that could be mold, get an expert opinion immediately.

If you want to eradicate mold, the setting where it thrives must first be removed. Water sources have to be dealt with, and any remaining moisture must be efficiently dried out. Only then can mold elimination and remediation start.

Whether a dripping roof, burst pipe, or other opening, it isn’t enough to stem the tide. Moisture can drench out-of-sight areas of your home. Without proper cleanup processes, mold will keep coming back to these spots.

If you think your house may contain black mold, reach out to Paul Davis today. We safely inspect and confirm the presence of black mold before remediation. Depend on our professionals to eliminate black mold effectively. Keep your family safe, schedule a black mold inspection today.