The importance of proper mold removal is something you must be aware of if you have come across any type of mold in your home or office. Black mold has been known to cause unique and rare health conditions ranging from minor coughs and nausea to asthma, pulmonary hemorrhage and even memory loss. Black mold is extremely toxic to young children and could be lethal in infants. Prolonged exposure to toxic mold will present serious health risks to people of any age. In fact, many people that suffer from symptoms associated with mold were unknowingly exposed to mold hidden in their homes for years.
This is not something you want to play with! Toxic Black Mold should be taken seriously and in most cases it is recommended that this stuff be removed from your home or office by a professional mold remediation company. Of course many people try to take action themselves because it is more affordable and they think they know what they’re doing. Before anyone plays with the life of others they should know some of the facts.
How do you know if its toxic black mold?
When dealing with this type of mold also known as Strachybotrys Atra you must know what it looks like. Toxic Black Mold will appear on walls, ceiling or other areas in circular shapes that excrete from the drywall or other surfaces. When the mold spores are active they will appear to be greenish-black and slightly fuzzy or slimy textured. This kind of moldy fungus is usually odorless or the areas may have a musty smell due to the humidity. Dried mold spores will lose their shapes and appear chalkier on the walls. Strachybotrys Atra hides behind walls, in rafters and in air conditioning ducts. We have many pictures on this site for you to reference and compare to your own situation.
Where does Black Mold Come from?
Black mold or Strachybotrys Atra is commonly found inside, in areas with poor ventilation, poor lighting and/or with very slow hidden water leaks. It’s also possible to have foundation leaks in the basement which could have led to the presence of water. Attic mold can be caused by roof leaks or ventilation malfunctions. Even a constantly sweating pipe would cause humidity within a wall. In some cases a bathroom that is poorly ventilated with no fan to move out the humidity will show signs of black mold on the ceiling. This is less serious than some types of mold but it should still be remediated and removed immediately. Some major issues with mold come from leaks in a roof or a broken pipe with in a wall. If a home is left vacant and not properly winterized the pipes in the home could freeze and break which will lead to major water problems. This is common in foreclosed homes and when the weather warms up the humidity in the home will create mold spores on the surface of the drywall.
In commercial buildings Strachybotrys Atra can be found in areas people don’t generally see. Large office and industrial buildings have electrical rooms, boiler rooms and storage areas that people don’t commonly go in. Another place this stuff can hide is air ducts which is why it’s very to have these areas checked and cleaned on a regular basis.
Black Mold Removal must be done properly for it to be effective. If you have a minor instance of Black Mold such as the example of a bathroom ceiling than it’s possibly to clean up yourself with a mixture of bleach and water. This bleach and water solution will kill the mold spores and keep it from coming back. Once the infected area has been remediated it is important to find out that cause of excessive humidity and repair it which could be as simple as installing a bathroom fan.
Black Mold Removal
In more serious instances with larger infected areas you will need to hire a professional remediation company to handle your mold removal. A mold remediation inspector can be hired to conduct an inspection of the area and determine how to get rid of it and prevent it from reoccurring. A mold remediation inspector will also have testing equipment that can gauge the humidity in the area, overall air quality and check the mold levels. This project can become very costly and you may want to see if it’s something that could be covered under your insurance policy. A Mold Removal professional will have to remove the drywall to determine the cause of the mold to properly remediate it. The insulation that has been infected also must be discarded. A special suit must be worn to protect the mold specialists from breathing in or coming in contact with the toxic mold. Much care has to be taken when removing this mold to prevent it from growing back. This company will use special chemicals and equipment that most homeowners do not have access too. Once the black mold removal process has been finished you will be left making repairs to any of the damaged areas..
Could you find a DIY guide to black mold removal? Probably but keep in mind that when you hire a professional company they will make some type of warranty for their work. This means that if the mold problem has not been re-mediated they will have to come back and redo the process at their own expense. These people are also, or should be properly educated in mold remediation, hold required state licenses and carry insurance coverage.
Toxic Black Mold Removal should not be taken lightly because you spend so much time in your home or office that you wouldn’t want to put yourself and your family in jeopardy because you did not take the proper steps to remove it. Be smart when you come across this stuff and consider hiring a professional inspector that will be able to do the job right the first time, you won’t regret it!
We understand that mold removal costs are very expensive and if your insurance doesn’t cover this the money for remediation will come out of pocket. Many homeowners will play around with a DIY mold testing kit that doesn’t guarantee to find all of your problems. You need to kill the mold the first time and not just try and clean it up with bleach because chances are if its bad, it will come back. The least you can do is get a free estimate from a qualified mold specialist. Take your time when you interview mold removal services and different mold removal companies because there are different certifications and qualifications these business hold that will ensure they do the job properly. Do yourself and family the favor and handle your black mold problem right the first time.