Mold remediation resources
What homeowners should know about mold
Mold is a common problem in homes across the Midwest. Understanding how it grows, what it can do to your health, and how to address it is the first step toward a safer home.
Overview
There is always some mold around. Molds have been on the Earth for millions of years. Mold can get in your home through open doors, windows, vents, and heating and air conditioning systems. Mold in the air outside can be brought indoors on clothing, shoes, bags, and even pets.
Mold will grow where there is moisture, such as around leaks in roofs, windows, or pipes, or where there has been a flood. Mold grows on paper, cardboard, ceiling tiles, and wood. Mold can also grow in dust, paints, wallpaper, insulation, drywall, carpet, fabric, and upholstery.
Common types
The most common indoor molds are Cladosporium, Penicillium, and Aspergillus. Mold is found both indoors and outdoors. Mold can enter your home through open doorways, windows, vents, and heating and air conditioning systems. Mold in the air outside can also attach itself to clothing, shoes, and pets and be carried indoors.
When mold spores drop on places with excessive moisture — such as where leakage may have occurred in roofs, pipes, walls, plant pots, or where there has been flooding — they will grow.
Possible health effects
Exposure to damp and moldy environments may cause a variety of health effects, or none at all.
For some people, mold can cause a stuffy nose, sore throat, coughing or wheezing, burning eyes, or skin rash. People with asthma or who are allergic to mold may have severe reactions. Immune-compromised people and people with chronic lung disease may get infections in their lungs from mold.
In 2004 the Institute of Medicine (IOM) found sufficient evidence to link indoor exposure to mold with upper respiratory tract symptoms, cough, and wheeze in otherwise healthy people; with asthma symptoms in people with asthma; and with hypersensitivity pneumonitis in individuals susceptible to that immune-mediated condition.
In 2009, the World Health Organization issued additional guidance — the WHO Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality: Dampness and Mould. Other recent studies have suggested a potential link of early mold exposure to development of asthma in some children, particularly among children who may be genetically susceptible to asthma development.
Preventing mold growth
There are steps you can take to prevent mold growth in your home.
Keep humidity levels in your home as low as you can — no higher than 50% — all day long. An air conditioner or dehumidifier will help you keep the level low.
Be sure the air in your home flows freely. Use exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom that vent to outside your home. Make sure your clothes dryer vents outside your home.
Fix any leaks in your home's roof, walls, or plumbing so mold does not have moisture to grow.
Clean up and dry out your home fully and quickly (within 24–48 hours) after a flood.
Add mold inhibitors to paints before painting. You can buy mold inhibitors at paint and home improvement stores.
Clean bathrooms with mold-killing products.
Remove or replace carpets and upholstery that have been soaked and cannot be dried right away. Don't use carpet in places like bathrooms or basements that may have a lot of moisture.
Cleaning mold
If you see or smell mold, you should remove it. You do not need to know the type of mold. If mold is growing in your home, you need to clean up the mold and fix the moisture problem.
Northline handles mold remediation with a careful, methodical approach — identifying the moisture source, containing the affected area, and restoring your space to a safe condition.
Concerned about mold in your home?
A professional inspection is the clearest way to understand what you're dealing with. We'll take a close look and give you a straightforward plan.
Request a mold inspection