In the great outdoors mold is a useful organism which aids in the decomposition of organic matter. However, inside your Maryland home or business, mold is an unwelcome fungus, which can cause damage to your building’s contents and structure and pose a serious health risk.
Mold spores are all around us and while a single spore is invisible to the naked eye, under the right conditions it can grow and spread, triggering symptoms in sensitive individuals or those with compromised immune systems. With over hundreds of thousands of different species on the planet today mold is here to stay, but the key to living in harmony with this fast growing organism is routine monitoring of your indoor space to efficiently identify and remove it from any affected areas. While some forms of mold may be easily removed with soap, water, and elbow grease, other strains such as black mold are highly toxic, and remediation is best left to the mold removal professionals at RestoreUnow. Here is everything you need to know about black mold to keep yourself and those around you safe.
How Does Mold Grow?
Although mold spores are all around us they need a few key ingredients in order to thrive. In addition to the spores, mold growth requires an adequate supply of moisture, temperatures ranging between 32 and 100 degrees, and organic material such as paper or wood as a source of food. Since spores, food, and ideal temperatures exist in most homes, humidity control is the best method to prevent mold growth indoors.
What Is Black Mold?
Stachybotrys is the strain of mold commonly referred to as black mold, due to it’s dark coloring. In addition to the dark green or blackish hue, black mold has a slimy texture when wet and resembles soot when dry. It thrives in areas where humidity levels are high for long periods of time, and can be lethal with prolonged exposure.
Facts About Black Mold
1. It has a distinctive odor. Black mold has a strong musty, damp, earthy smell much like rotting wood. If you detect this odor in one or more areas of your home but don’t see any visible signs of mold, it may be present behind walls, ceilings, or underneath flooring.
2. It isn’t actually toxic. The surface mold itself isn’t toxic, but the spores it produces are. Black mold produces more of these mycotoxins than other types of indoor mold, which are responsible for allergic reactions and illness.
3. Symptoms can be severe. Symptoms can include confusion, coughing, headaches, fatigue, fever, seizures, sneezing, tremors, bleeding of the lungs, and more. In sufficient amounts over a prolonged period of time black mold can cause organ failure, brain damage, and even death.
4. Black mold doesn’t only affect humans. Those with compromised immune systems including young children and the elderly are most at risk, but pets and wildlife may also be affected by black mold.
Schedule Mold Testing and Inspection Services With RestoreUnow
If you discover or suspect you have black mold in your home or office, call the experts at RestoreUnow for definitive, professional, mold testing and inspection services. Once we have identified the mold we will then determine the source of the moisture to prevent a recurrence from taking place. If mold testing is required we will collect samples and send them on to a third-party for analysis and proceed with remediation services.