This article is brought to you by Mold Busters.
You’ve likely seen or at least heard of mold—it grew on the loaf of bread you kept past its best before date or on the strawberries you bought and didn’t examine closely enough at the grocer’s. Despite such sporadic occasions, mold probably doesn’t enter your everyday thoughts and concerns.
However, mold warrants the same attention that’s paid to other household hazards and disasters, such as fires or floods. Mold should be both prevented and taken care of immediately for several different reasons, one being that it can seriously affect your health and the health of your children. In fact, children, the elderly, and anyone with an already-weak immune system, are more susceptible to the adverse health effects of mold.
While all mold is allergenic, some people are more sensitive and will experience a more pronounced or severe reaction to mold exposure. Long-term or frequent mold exposure can contribute to several health issues, including (but not limited to) itchy eyes, congestion, trouble breathing, mental confusion, skin infections, a suppressed immune system, and worsened asthma symptoms. Exposure to toxic mold can be life threatening.
The only absolute way to determine whether or not your home is contaminated, is to book a mold assessment or an air quality test. Moreover, if you, your spouse, or your children are experiencing any of the aforementioned symptoms indicative of mold in the home, this requires a quick response. There is no need to wait until mold is visible.
Many people believe it’s possible to handle a mold problem on their own. You’ll scrub until the break of dawn to save the time and money it takes to hire a professional mold remediation company. What many people don’t know though is that what you see on the surface is not usually the extent of the problem; mold hides underneath carpets and behind walls. Just because the mold is no longer visible doesn’t mean that you and your loved ones are no longer exposed to it. Fortunately, professionals are educated and equipped to remove every trace of mold safely and without any hassle.
Though mold removal is not a DIY project, there are ways you can prevent mold from growing and, subsequently, protect your family from its health hazards. The following are among the ways you can avoid a mold problem: properly ventilating the home, eliminating all water damage and excess moisture, and monitoring indoor air quality.
Every family should sleep soundly, knowing it’s safe to breathe the air inside their home. Watch for and respond to all signs of mold, as mold has the power to ultimately ruin the healthy and happy home you’ve worked tirelessly to maintain.
Mold Busters
Since 2005, Mold Busters has provided reliable air quality testing, mold inspections, and mold removal and remediation. Though their central location is Ottawa, ON, they provide services throughout Canada, in Singapore, and in Malaysia. Comprised of experienced and certified technicians, the Mold Busters team offers same-day appointments and a wide range of affordable services to suit each client’s needs. For fast, effective, and safe service in residential or commercial buildings, Mold Busters can help. Please follow Mold Busters on Google+ for information and updates.
That is such great information! When I was single I lived in two different houses that had serious mold problems. You’re so right, you could surface clean all you wanted but it didn’t ever get rid of the bigger problem. I subsequently had to move.
Prevention of mold is the key – proper ventilation is a big part of that.
Hmm… mixed feelings on this one. So many new homes have this problem, I wish contractors would build better houses, ones that breathe!
Mould is something we don’t want to think about or admit we have, but it can make families very ill. Lots of great info in this post.
Hi there, thanks for all of your comments. I’m so glad we could spark discussion here. It’s true that mold is not a DIY project. In fact, you could actually end up spreading the mold to other areas of the home and increase your risk of exposure, if you try and tackle it on your own. And yes, it IS common and any home is susceptible to a mold problem. Please do share this article with your family and friends, so we can continue to spread awareness and keep homes healthy. Thanks everyone!
Great information. Now I’m paranoid about getting our house checked!
I moved into this current home almost two years ago, and ever since both my kids and I get extremely sick (out of the usual), more so in the winter but the summer too. I try to keep up with the cleaning, had the landlord come in and only to tell me I should just clean better. I clean WEEKLY. I even found some in between the walls over the sink after an area was falling apart. Anyways finally after 18 months they sent a contractor, all he did was put some “special” glue over the tiles and than glue on some huge pieces of new wall…. hard to explain. Anyways I even called the city of Ottawa and contacted Housing Help. I still ave this weird sick feeling in my gut, I am a single mom, look young and soft spoken so I feel like perhaps I am not being taken seriously. This info is great because I will call the above mentioned company and hopefully I can afford to get them in here for inspection. I could just be overly paranoid maybe, but I can’t seem to ignore this lingering thought and feeling of something being wrong in here.
Hi Ana. Thanks for your comment. We’re sorry to hear you are having such trouble. It’s often not a matter of how much you’re cleaning or whether or not you’re doing it properly. Mold strikes clean houses and not-so-clean houses, as all it needs is a food source (material), the right temperature, and some moisture. For anyone who suspects his/her home is contaminated, we offer a free inspection app http://ow.ly/oUMFr.
Ana, we certainly appreciate you sharing your story and we definitely would like to help. We understand you and your family live in Ottawa? We’d like to offer you a free visual assessment, if you’re interested in having us visit and take a look for mold. If so, please email us at info@bustmold.com or call our Ottawa number directly at (613) 262-3242.
Thanks again for your comments everyone and thanks Ottawa Mommy Club. It’s so great to get the word out on mold.
Had a house fire in 2009 and the house had to be gutted. The mold we found was terrifying and makes the fire a hidden blessing. I have since rebuilt added lots of ventilation. This is a great article thanks for posting.
Thanks for your comment Jo-Anne. I’m sorry to hear you had to endure a fire AND a mold problem at once, but I’m also glad to hear everything worked out in the end. Your story does show that mold can spread a great deal without the homeowner’s knowledge, as in many cases it can’t be seen. We’re happy to know you were able to uncover the problem and work toward preventing it from happening again. It’s true that proper ventilation is crucial. Smart thinking! If anyone else wishes to share his/her experience with mold, please do!
Mould is something we don’t want to think about we had a spot in the corner ceiling last winter and it seemed to take forever to get the problem finally solved
Mold is very serious and lead to many health problems,thanks for sharing these tips.
We have a lot of moisture in my home and with moisture sometimes comes mold. We have managed to get rid of the mold each time it’s has shown up but I’ve never done air quality testing but I should