Having mold in your home can be very dangerous for everyone in the house. In some cases the mold may be small and easy to clean up, but in other cases is can be very dangerous and even toxic. This is why it is important to know what to look for when it comes to mold and how to protect your family.

What Causes Mold?

Mold comes from moist and warm areas. This means that if you have an area that is perpetually wet, you can expect there to be some sort of mold. For example, people who have continual flooding in one area of the house, or a flood that went undetected, will most likely have at least a small amount of mold.

Mold won't grow everywhere in the house. Usually mold likes to hide itself in dark and warm places. Thus, you wouldn't see mold growing on the walls out in the open. Instead, it will be under the sink, in the carpet pads, in the basement, or in the shower.

What Are Some Of The Signs Of Mold?

Knowing what to look for will be the best way to protect your family from mold. If you can catch it early enough, a clean up team can take care of it easily. This is why it is important that you know what you are looking for.

First, you should look for small green pores growing on things like wood or the carpet. Mold is less likely to fester on something like tile, since it is non-porous; but wood and carpet can be a great place for mold to grow. Secondly, you should try to smell the area. Mold has a very distinct smell. It stinks and smells very strong the bigger that it gets. The smell will begin as a simple mildew smell. If you can catch it at this stage, you are in good shape. After that it will have a rancid smell. Toxic mold is even worse, making it so that it will be hard to breathe if the mold is present in large amounts.

Lastly, look for signs of allergies in the people living in the house. Many times you will experience breathing problems, runny noses, and rashes. Even if no one in your house has allergies, the mold will present itself much like a reaction to seasonal allergies.

If you suspect you have mold you should call professionals, like the ones at Central Flood Management Inc. This is something that could be dangerous if you attempt to clean it up yourself.