Mold in the home is never a welcome visitor. Unfortunately, Florida weather is the ideal environment for mold growth, and can develop in any home in the area. Many people have mold sensitivity, and even less toxic mold types can trigger serious health problems. A professional mold remediation treatment is the only way to be confident you have gotten it all, as visible mold growth is usually just the tip of the iceberg.
The Health Risks of Mold
Mold reproduces with spores, which are invisible to the human eye. The spores are released into the indoor air, circulating throughout the home, seeking out the right environment for a new colony – warm, dark, and moist. These spores in the air can be a significant health risk, particularly for people with mold sensitivity, babies, the elderly, and those who suffer from a suppressed immune system. The reactions can include fever, runny nose, sneezing, rashes, and more severe respiratory symptoms. If you or a family member has hay fever-like symptoms, you may have mold colonies hidden within the walls, ceiling, attic, garage, in carpeting, fabric, the AC ducts, laundry area, or other area.
Do You Have Toxic Mold in Your Home?
A mold remediation specialist can identify the type of mold in your home. There are nine types of mold commonly found in homes in Florida:
Penicillium/Aspergillus
This very common mold can grow with just moderate levels of humidity. When present in the home, it can cause symptoms similar to hay fever, with red eyes, sneezing, coughing, or a more serious condition called “hypersensitivity pneumonitis,” an immune system reaction to allergens in which the lungs become inflamed, causing flu-like symptoms.
Cladosporium
This is one of the most common mold types in homes, and can trigger hay fever-like symptoms, and more serious physical reactions such as hives, dry skin, runny nose, and others. This mold can flourish in textiles, wood, on window skills, and when visible, is white, green, brown, or black in color.
Chaetomium
This type of mold grows after a water incursion in the home, whether a leaking pipe, rainwater, or flooding after a storm, and loves to establish colonies on sheetrock. The mold can lead to allergy-like symptoms such as red eyes, runny nose, sneezing, headaches, and more serious symptoms such as “brain fog,” nose bleeds, and fevers.
Stachybotrys
This mold is commonly called “toxic black mold,” and is particularly dangerous to human health. The mold requires an area where water intrusion has occurred, and flourishes on any wet material containing cellulose, such as drywall, and large colonies are often found within walls in homes in the Tampa area. The presence of toxic black mold in the home can cause a range of symptoms, including allergy-like reactions, dermatitis, confusion, anxiety, disorientation, shaking, aggression, seizures, confusion and other severe reactions that may be misdiagnosed and treated with medication, but when the mold is thoroughly removed, health can be restored.
Acremonium
This mold is considered a human pathogen. The mold flourishes indoors and is one of the more common molds discovered in both residential and commercial buildings. This mold is dangerous for those with a compromised immune system, or mold sensitivity. It can cause infections in the nails, eyes, or infections developing in skin penetrating injuries. The mold can cause a condition called mycetoma, a chronic subcutaneous infection. The mold can colonize in the human lungs or cause growths in the intestine called bezoars or lead to pneumonia and an array of other very serious illnesses, including sepsis. This mold, when found in the home, must be thoroughly removed for the health and safety of all residents.
Alternaria
This mold grows in carpets, wallpaper, on window frames, in home textiles, and in the air AC ducts. The mold can trigger respiratory symptoms or affect the skin and nails.
Fusarium
This fast-growing mold can cause structural damage to your home and grows in any damp spot it can find. For those with mold sensitivity, the symptoms of a mold colony may include congestion, sore throat, watery or itchy eyes, and asthma-like symptoms.
Aureobasidium
This common indoor mold loves to develop colonies in the damper areas of a home, such as the bathroom, on window frames, on caulking and grout, on textiles, or in AC units. If touched and then the face or body is contacted, it can lead to an infection. The spores can cause allergic symptoms.
Stachybotrys Chartarum
This mold is often the culprit behind what is termed “sick building syndrome.” Colonies can develop on drywall, within walls, or any area of the home with moisture present. The symptoms that can appear include nasal irritation, congestion, wheezing, headache, irritability, lightheadedness, difficult sleeping, problems concentrating, and mental fatigue.
Mold Removal Experts: Ally Restorations
The first sign of mold may be a musty odor, or you may see visible mold growth. At Ally Restorations, our mold remediation experts use a state-of-the-art, non-toxic mold removal system that produces superior results. Call us for an evaluation of your home to determine the type of mold, and expert mold removal services.