Buying or Living in a Home with Black Mold

                                                                                         

Stachybotrys, or toxic black mold, mold spores are carried on the air and on clothing and pets into your home. While molds in general are quite common in the home, toxic black mold is not as common as other forms. Toxic black mold can cause some pretty serious health problems, particularly for anyone with allergies or pre-existing respiratory issues.

When mold spores find a hospitable area with sufficient moisture to grow they take hold and spread. They love surfaces of cellulose: paper and wood products being the most affected usually. In homes with infestations you will often see the black toxic mold growing on the drywall or wall paper.

The mycotoxins from this type of mold can result in a variety of symptoms and conditions. Infection often presents with symptoms of chronic fatigue, headaches, fever, irritation of the mucous membranes, sneezing, rash, chronic coughing, nausea, vomiting, and bleeding in the respiratory tract. People with compromised immune systems have an increased risk for infection; symptoms may be as mild as hay fever or very serious indeed!

If your home smells of mold or you can see the infestation, you have a problem and have been exposed to the spores. You may not exhibit symptoms of your exposure, however; though toxic black mold can cause some people very serious health problems, not everyone will show signs of exposure immediately or at all.

The primary issue with a mold infestation in your home isn't actually the mold at all; mold needs a constant source of moisture to grow, so a mold infestation means that you have a moisture leak somewhere in your home or at least a really bad humidity problem. Fix the leak or humidity problems first and then work on cleaning the mold off surfaces with a bleach and water solution. If you have a very large infestation or you have health issues that do not allow you to expose yourself to the mold, then hire a professional cleaner to take care of it for you.

To keep the problem from reoccurring in the future, keep the humidity in your home below 50% to inhibit mold growth. Use a bleach solution of about 10:1 water to bleach to keep the mold from re-growing on your walls. A small amount of work may be needed to keep the mold from recurring, but your health will thank you.

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