How to spot and clean mold in the house?

The presence of mold in a home is worrying, especially since there are more than 100,000 types, including weeping rot. When they grow significantly, these fungi can cause significant health problems, such as headaches, shortness of breath and asthma symptoms. Here are some tips for recognizing and effectively cleaning mold while ensuring the air quality of your property.

Spotting mold on the walls

To grow, mold needs water and nutrient material, such as wood, gypsum and dust. They can also grow in ventilation ducts, walls and ceilings without being visible. Their appearance is often linked to a plumbing breakdown, a water infiltration problem or a ventilation defect which causes an increase in the humidity level in the house or condensation.

To monitor :

• Black or greenish stains on walls and ceilings, around windows or in wardrobes;
• Rings, buckling or peeling on walls and ceilings;
• A musty or wet earth smell.

Most of the time, it is not necessary to test surfaces or air quality to confirm the presence of mold. Instead, inspect the house – roof, attic, exterior cladding and sealing of joints – to find the cause and remedy the situation.

Decontaminate your home from mold

In addition to correcting the source of the problem, you should promptly clean the affected surfaces using a clean cloth and all-purpose soap – avoid chlorine and bleaching agents like bleach. Materials that are seriously deteriorated or porous should be discarded in airtight bags or containers.

Ventilate the room adequately and ask other occupants to stay away. If necessary, insulate the area where you are working from the rest of the property with vapor barrier polyethylene sheets. To prevent contact with household fungi, wear rubber gloves, protective glasses and a dust mask.

If the affected surfaces measure more than one square meter, are difficult to wash or if the marks return after cleaning, call a company specializing in mold remediation.

Avoid the appearance of mold

A few simple actions can stop the growth of mold in your home:

In the event of water damage, completely dry up any stagnant water and throw away any porous materials that have come into contact with it within 24 to 48 hours of the event.

1. Avoid excessively high humidity by monitoring condensation on windows in particular.
2. Ventilate the house by opening the windows or activating the air exchanger.
3. The use of anti-mold paint can also be beneficial, especially in more risky rooms such as the bathroom.

You are not sure if you have decontaminated your home correctly? Call an expert in the field to remedy the situation and not reduce the value of your property.

Source : https://www.centris.ca/