For many people, the threat of having mold in your own homes may seem farfetched. However, if you think about it, it’s possible that “hidden” mold is already affecting your way of life, and may even be detrimental to your health in the long term.
What is mold?
Mold is a type of fungus that appears to be thread-like, or looks like a set of roots with various nodes on top. It is usually at home in dark areas where there is high humidity with relatively cool temperatures. Although they are technically harmless to many people, some are allergic – even violently allergic – to the spores that molds release into the air as part of their reproductive cycle. These spores are the reason why you have that “moldy” smell. Aside from allergies, the spores can also contain certain chemicals that can negatively affect a person’s health. Some are even considered toxic in nature when humans are exposed to it for long periods.
As you can see, this is the reason why mold shouldn’t be allowed to proliferate in any home. Due to the health issues that they can potentially have.
Which people need to check for mold?
Anyone who is living in a home should have his or her houses or apartments checked for mold. Tenants, for example, can have their apartments tested for mold, see if their landlords are maintaining the apartments correctly, while landlords themselves can hire mold inspectors to help in maintaining their properties as free as possible of mold. The same goes for home sellers and buyers, as it is in their best interests to make sure that they can buy or sell homes properly. And if you already own your own home, or if you have properties, it only makes sense that you should have your home or properties periodically checked for mold.
Why hire a mold inspector?
Let’s be honest, what you’re thinking right now is you don’t need an inspector, since you can smell mold anyway. The problem with that logic, however, is that by the time you do smell the mold, the colony may already be so large that you could end up spending a fortune in cleaning your house up – and worse, your property or home may be condemned as a place unfit for humans to live in.
Mold inspectors can help you with this in the following ways:
Accreditation and experience – Mold inspectors are usually accredited (if you’re in Chicago, mold testing and inspection professionals are important for clearance) so that their reports will be legally allowed as data by the government concerning your house. Luckily, legitimate mold inspectors have to have some work experience in their belts before they can pass the test and be accredited for their line of work.
Inspection and testing – Mold inspectors aren’t just about gathering samples. They are also the ones who will come up with the reports and recommendations on what to do with the house or property, after properly inspecting it and having mold samples tested to see if they are the toxic kind.
Their report will tell you how bad the infestation is, and what you will have to do to get rid of it. Some mold inspectors offer cleanup services, and some others do not.
What they’re looking for
Mold inspectors check out your house in many ways.
Roof
The roof, attic, gutters, and internal ceiling construction all have to be checked, to find out if poor maintenance or extreme weather may have created some leaks. IF the materials become continuously wet, then the environment becomes perfect for the growth of mold.
Landscaping
The landscape design around a house may actually be encouraging mold growth. Some designs tend to make themselves higher than the house itself, and it can sometimes happen that water from the elevated landscaped areas can end up pooling near an external wall, or going into the crawlspace. It’s possible that this can trigger mold growth.
Foundation
The house’s foundation normally has a crawlspace that can become humid, dark, and cold area where mold can settle. This becomes all the more an issue if the supporting spars or even the main load-bearing structural supports start having mold on them, as this can lead to the interior of the house.
Plumbing and fixtures
Traditionally, plumbing is usually in the crawlspace or the basement of a house. If you have an apartment, it could be that the only piece of naked plumbing you can see it the one underneath the kitchen sink. Whatever the case, leaks from plumbing can create perfect microenvironments for mold to grow in. The same goes for fixtures if they aren’t properly caulked or sealed. In fact, if you look underneath the kitchen sink, or at the sides of shower stalls or bathtubs, it’s a good bet that you may find the beginnings of mold colonies, if not actual widespread mold itself.
Garden
Your garden can also be a source of mold issues, since plants near walls can cause the area to become cooler, shielded from light (because of the leaves), and their photosynthetic processes can render plants as humidifiers for their local area, too. Garden equipment can also trigger mold growth, like sprinklers where part of their sprinkling radius is constantly getting a part of the house wet.
If you’re looking for Chicago mold testing for your home, don’t hesitate to contact professional mold inspection and testing services, so you’ll know what to do and what to avoid when it comes to mold.