Signs of Mold in the Home
Below are some common signs to watch out for that indicate you could have mold growing in your home.
Smelling a Mold Odor
If there is mold growing in your home which is hidden from view, sometimes the smell might be the only sign that you have a mold problem. If you smell a musty, mildewy or moldy odor in your house then you should take action to find the source. Often mold can be growing in dirty HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) systems. If the smell is only present or becomes worse when the heating or air conditioning is on then this is probably a clue that there is mold growing in your HVAC system.
Seeing Signs of Mold Growth
Although it might seem obvious, many people either ignore or don't notice visible mold growth in their home. However even small amounts of visible mold growth should make you take action immediately because it means that conditions in your house are suitable for mold to grow. If you do not take care of patches of mold growth, even if they are small, then the mold will become a greater problem. Seeing small amounts of mold could also mean that you have even more mold growing elsewhere in an area hidden from view.
There could be visible mold growth in your home that you haven't yet realised is mold. Mold can appear as white growths which look like threads or as clusters of small black spots, often found on the walls of your bathroom or basement. Mold can appear black, gray brown, gray green or white in color, and even orange, pink or purple if it has been growing behind wallpaper made of vinyl.
Allergic Symptoms from Mold
If you or someone living in your house develops allergies or has an increase in allergic symptoms then there's a good chance there could be mold growing somewhere in your home. A key indicator of this is if your allergies increase when you're in your home, especially if they began when you moved in, and decrease when you are away from home.
The same is true for your workplace if you develop allergies or a large number of your workmates develop allergic symptoms. Likewise if your allergic reactions began when you started a new job then there could be mold growing in your workplace building. When a large number of people living or working in a building develop illnesses it is known as sick building syndrome. Mold is a leading cause of sick building syndrome.
People who are not previously allergic can develop increased allergic reactions and even asthma from prolonged exposure to mold.
Toxic Symptoms from Mold
If you suffer neurological symptoms such as headaches, trouble concentrating, shortened attention span, memory loss and dizziness it could be a sign that there is toxic mold growing somewhere in your home which is poisoning you. Mycotoxins from toxic molds such as Stachybotrys chartarum can have a mental effect on people much more severe than the allergic symptoms caused by other non-toxic molds. Like above, if the problems increase when you are in the house or building then it's very likely that mold is growing there.