Approximately 50% of American households have mold issues. Exposure to mold in your Nashville home can cause a whole host of health issues, including wheezing, red and itchy eyes, a cough, and in severe cases, fever and shortness of breath.
It can be hard to prevent mold growth if you don't know how mold grows and spreads in your home. Continue reading below to learn more about indoor mold , how to get rid of dead mold spores, and remediate mold if you have a problem.
What Is Mold?
Mold is a type of fungus that thrives in dark, damp environments. It's common to find mold in the attic and basement. Crawlspace mold is common in homes that have no vapor barrier protection.
Mold can get into the home through an open window, doors, vents, attic space, or through the heating and cooling systems. Mold spores can also attach to pets, clothing, or shoes and be carried indoors.
Mold can live on a wide variety of surfaces. For example, mold can grow in paint, wallpaper, insulation, carpet, and upholstery. Mold especially likes moisture and can be found around leaks in windows, ceiling tiles, broken pipes, water damage areas, or in a basement prone to flooding.
How Long Can Mold Spores Live?
Mold spores can live forever and so can mold damage if not addressed. If they dry out, the spores become dormant but will be revitalized when they come in contact with moisture. Even high levels of humidity or condensation can trigger mold spores and cause renewed growth.
Because they are microscopic, mold spores are hard to remove and harder to kill. A mold infestation usually requires a Nashville mold remediators years of experience to help identify areas of high humidity at a home or business and minimize mold exposure.
How Does Indoor Mold Grow and Spread?
Mold growth occurs when spores find the right conditions. A spore is like a seed but much smaller, microscopic even.
The necessary conditions include moisture and some organic material for feeding. Mold can feed on all sorts of matter.
Spores can colonize an area in one to fourteen days. When spores take root and multiply, the mold becomes visible to the naked eye.
Mold spreads through the air in your Nashville home. Warm air rises so mold spores will move upward through the house, usually out of a damp basement.
This is called the "chimney effect." As warm air moves up, it leaves space for cold air to enter the basement or outside.
Once established, mold spreads by replicating itself into multicellular strands called hyphae.
Remediate Mold Damage to Get Rid of Mold Spores
Finding mold in your home is one of the worst things you can experience as a homeowner. It can cause health problems and can be very difficult to get rid of, especially on your own. Hydrogen peroxide will stop mold spores on contact by breaking down the mold's proteins and DNA.
You can treat a moldy area with hydrogen peroxide. However, hydrogen peroxide stops the mold from spreading; it does not kill the mold spores. This is where mold remediation professionals can help.
Mold Remediation technicians and certified air quality professionals can evaluate your situation and determine the best course of action to quickly and safely remove mold from your property.