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Mold at Home and Air Duct Cleaning

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You think you have mold at home? Can air duct cleaning help to get rid of it?

Let’s talk about mold and professional air duct cleaning as a solution. A small fungus called mold grows best in wet, dark places. If the necessary conditions are met,
for instance, moisture and high humidity, together with some kind of nutrient, it can develop on any surface.

Mold growth is frequently seen in homes and can be quite problematic. While not necessarily harmful, mold can cause extensive damage to a property and have a detrimental influence on your health if not identified and addressed in time.

Signs of Mold Growth in Your Home

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Let’s see what factors hint at mold growth in your home.
  1. Mold Spores
    2. If you can see it, that’s one of the easiest ways to tell if you have mold in your home. Once you notice it, you have a significant mold issue since what you are observing is only the teaser. The large picture is yet to be seen. Mold cannot be completely removed by simply using soap and a sponge to scrape away the noticeable mold. To control the situation and address any leaks that may have contributed to the problem, you should contact a mold remediation firm or air duct cleaning services as soon as you notice mold.
  2. Carpets
    3. Rugs and carpeted surfaces are particularly susceptible to the development of mold in the home. Keep a watchful eye out for any marks, smells, or spots on the carpet. It’s crucial to have a two-sided view of the carpet and padding if you discover anything unusual.
  3. Your Eyes Are Burning and Getting Watery
    4. Mold may cause allergic reactions in some people. Itchy and watery eyes, nasal congestion, and congestion are some of the symptoms that might occur. It is advised that you monitor your symptoms for two weeks if you believe mold is the source of these symptoms in order to determine whether they are worse in particular rooms or areas of your home. You can also get yourself medically tested for any allergies.
  4. Odors
    5. If the musty odor lasts for a long time, look into it more. If you can’t see anything very prominent that can be related to the musky odor, then this is a clear indication of mold growth in your home. Once you notice the bad odor, carefully scan your home for any visible indications of mold growth and contact a mold remediation company or air duct cleaning services. Important tip: Never ignore the presence of bad odors in your indoor air because often they hint towards mold growth in your home. The sooner you detect mold, the better it is.
  5. Walls’ Paint Is Cracking
    6. Often, we find cracks in the paint on the bathroom walls or near a window. Have you ever wondered why such cracks appear? Well, moisture is one of the most frequent causes of paint bubbles. Mold growth is seen wherever there is dampness. Finding the origin of the moisture is necessary since simply painting over won’t solve the mold issue. There could be cracked pipes, an excessive amount of humidity, or a leaky windowsill causing the cracks to appear on the bathroom wall paint. So it’s important that you locate the problem source first.
  6. Concerns
    7. Mold may be developing in your home if it has previously flooded or if there are visible symptoms of water damage. Walls, ceilings, and floor discoloration are clear signs of water damage, which may cause mold to grow. Mold growth in your home can also be detected by any other moisture indicators, such as severe condensation or water leaks. It’s quite common to find mold in homes, so it’;s crucial to prevent the germs from getting out of control. As soon as you start to notice mold formation in your home, contact a mold remediation company or air duct cleaning services so that they can elaborate on the source of mold and the required steps for mold removal. To do so, the professionals will need to inspect your home thoroughly to find traces of mold growth.

How Does Mold Make Its Way into Your Home?

mold in the house
Molds in the outdoors discharge minute spores into the atmosphere. These spores can get into your house through:
  • Air conditioning and heating vents
  • Pets
  • Doors
  • Shoes
  • Clothing
  • Windows
Mold growth appears in the presence of the right conditions. The ideal conditions include dampness, humidity, and a dark environment. The common places where mold can be found include:
  • Around windows
  • Narrow spaces
  • Basements
  • Close to leaking pipes
  • Bathrooms (bathtubs, sinks, and showers)

Risk Elements

If any of the following applies, you may be more vulnerable to experiencing a mold allergy:

  • Genetically predisposed to allergies.
  • Reside or work in a building with excessive humidity or inadequate ventilation.
  • Reside or work in a place that has been previously flooded, contains leaking pipes, or is otherwise extremely damp.

Actions to Take When You See Mold in the House

  1. Contact The Mold Remediation Company
    2. It is best to consult the specialists rather than attempt to solve the issue on your own. They will be able to identify the issue quickly, have the tools necessary to perform mold cleaning, and work with you to come up with solutions to prevent it from happening again. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advises contacting a professional to eliminate mold growth if it exceeds 100 square feet. If the mold is larger than 10 square feet, people who are allergic to mold shouldn’t attempt to remove it alone.
  2. Use Safety Accessories (if you are removing mold on your own)
    3. Get yourself an N-95 mask and wear it along with rubber gloves while performing mold cleaning. Make sure you use N-95 during the mold cleaning procedure, as mold spores in the air may not be efficiently filtered by other face masks. The EPA suggests using a gentle cleanser in place of bleach. Both bleach and mold are lung toxins. If you perform mold cleaning with a bleach solution, you’ll be inviting bleach and mold both to get into your lungs and harm you. Even wearing an N-95 mask won’t help you then.
  3. Remove Any Wet Fabrics
    4. Remove the damp clothes. Mold cannot be removed from porous materials. You may steam- clean carpets in order to perform mold cleaning. However, you may not realize that by doing so you are adding more moisture to damp fabric, which may aggravate the mold growth.
  4. Remove Documents or Other Essential Items from The Vicinity
    5. Shift essential items or documents to some safe place if the moldy area is inside or on a wall. Do so only if they are not spoiled by mold. Air duct cleaning services or mold remediation companies may ask you to take out furniture and other things from the moldy area or room.
  5. Inform The Family
    6. If you intend to stay in your house, tell anyone who is older, has children, or is a friend to avoid coming to the moldy area until it is removed. People with asthma and allergies, as well as those with weakened immune systems, are more prone to the effects of mold. Symptoms of mold are the same as those of a cold, i.e., watery eyes, a runny nose, and coughing.
  6. Avoid Going Near the Affected Area
    7. Allergies can become worse, and mold can worsen respiratory issues. If mold has spread to a large area, it is better to temporarily move to another place, i.e., a hotel or a friend’s place. Avoid disturbing the infected area at all costs, since once disturbed, mold discharges spores.

How to Stop Mold Growth in Your Home?

Both mold eradication and moisture control are necessary to reduce your mold exposure. You can take many steps to stop mold from growing in your house, including:

  1. Fix any leaks within your house and remove any moisture they may have left behind.
  2. Keep a minimum of indoor plants in your home.
  3. Check that the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems in your home are functioning properly.
  4. Cover any dirt crawl areas with plastic and check that they are properly ventilated.
  5. Sanitize and clean every surface. Do not forget to dry the sanitized areas.
  6. To get rid of mold and other airborne particles like dust, pollen, and germs, use an air filtration system or air purifier.
  7. If the source of moisture is detected, make sure to ventilate it properly. Use exhaust fans to ventilate such moisture-producing items. It’s better if you do the ventilation activity outside your home.
  8. Keep the relative humidity in your home below 50%. You can do this using a dehumidifier.
  9. Keep your gutters and downspouts cleaned, and make sure the land surrounding your home slides away from the ground, to prevent water from entering your basement or crawlspace.
  10. Prevent the water from collecting everywhere.

General Mold Classifications

Most mold species fall into one of three categories:
  • Pathogenic

When something is pathogenic, it can infect immunosuppressed individuals.

  • Allergenic

It is not likely to make you sick, though it may worsen light allergies.

  • Toxigenic

It creates toxic side effects on any living things that come into contact with it.

Pathogenic Mold
A pathogenic mold has the potential to infect people, even those who are healthy. Mold species belonging to some genera include both pathogenic and allergenic species. The Aspergillus genus is one such illustration. This genus contains many allergenic species, including fumigatus, an extremely pathogenic species.

Toxigenic Mold
Toxic mold species are toxigenic molds because they have the potential to produce mycotoxins, which are chemical metabolic byproducts that can be poisonous to both people and animals. Mold spores that are produced for reproduction are not the same as mycotoxins. These substances, however, have the potential to vaporize and spread along with mold spores. Research indicates that mycotoxins are carried by very small dust or wallpaper fragments that are easily breathed through the air.

Allergenic Molds
Each of us inhales air-borne mold spores in the presence of mold growth around us. Some people react allergically or develop symptoms of asthma. Airborne mold spores entering the nose result in a runny and itchy nose, sneezing, and congestion that are similar to those brought on by other common airborne allergies. People with asthma may also get serious asthma attacks when mold spores make their way into their lungs.

Mold at home? Can air duct cleaning help?

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When performed correctly, air duct cleaning has been shown to be efficient at eliminating mold from your ventilation system, significantly improving the quality of your home and workplace. But the crucial part is when it is done the appropriate way. Yes, you can attempt to clean your own air ducts using a ventilation cleaning package. Initially, you may think that you can reach every area of your ductwork, even the trickier ones, to make sure that every objectionable particle is eliminated and cleaned properly, but it’s more likely that you lack the time, resources, or expertise to perform the air duct cleaning process at the same level as professional air duct cleaning services do.

HVAC Air Ducts and Mold

Years of neglected air duct cleaning will result in mold buildup. And when it occurs, your AC
unit’s ventilation will be obstructed. Your cooling system will have to run for extended periods
as a result, which will eventually put too much pressure and stress on the system. Your air
conditioner will eventually need to be repaired frequently. The following indications tell you
when there is mold growth in your air ducts and you need to get done with duct cleaning.

  • Mold Symptoms Near the Vents

mold growth around the vents is an indication that mold may be in your ducts. The air moving through your ducts may dislodge mold spores and spread them around your vents if there is mold present. Mold at home may be present if you notice any black, green, brown, or yellow growth near your vents. Mold seldom starts to grow on vents for any other reason, so it was probably forced there by your duct system.

  • Unknown Illnesses

Do you have family members that have unusual illnesses? Certain molds can cause headaches, rashes, nausea, exhaustion, and symptoms resembling allergies and asthma attacks. If the source of mold growth is your air ducts, then the symptoms will probably get worse during the period when your cooling and heating systems operate more often. There might be mold at home in your ductwork if you start experiencing any strange diseases that coincide with the operation of your air conditioner or heating system.

  • Insufficient Cooling

Since mold spores obstruct the airflow of your HVAC system, your cooling system fails to
provide the required cooling. If you observe that the AC isn’t chilling the room sufficiently, there may be dust or mold spores in the air ducts to blame. You might experience this, though, if there are other HVAC problems, such as a refrigerant leak, a dirty air filter, a broken compressor, etc. Calling HVAC duct cleaning services and asking them to check the HVAC system is advisable in these circumstances. After the recommendation from HVAC duct cleaning services, get done with air duct cleaning and air vent cleaning so that there are no traces of mold growth left inside your air ducts.

Mold Removal & Air Duct Cleaning

Mold Removal Service

Air duct cleaning and sanitizing can be effective in protecting your house from airborne toxic particles. Eliminating mold, mildew, and dust prevents the growth of bacteria. With the risk of catching COVID-19 today, even inside your own home, this is crucial.

  • Purified Air

Your ventilation system’s air quality will significantly improve if dirt and dust are eliminated.
Your home will breathe cleaner, fresher air after air duct cleaning. For those who experience respiratory problems or allergy-like symptoms, this is essential. Fresh air will minimize your asthma and allergy reactions. You’ll be relaxed that the air you’re breathing is cleaner thanks to the removal of mold at home using a filtration system.

  • Improved Ventilation System

The increased cleanliness of your system is an advantage of duct cleaning and sanitization.
Mold and mildew can be eradicated through air vent cleaning from dust and debris and
applying the right sanitizer.

  • Dust Free Air Ducts

The professional air duct cleaning services will thoroughly clean the air ducts. The HVAC
experts won’t just clean the air ducts; they’ll also clean other components of your HVAC system.
Your HVAC system will then be free from any sort of dust or micro-particles.

Final Thoughts

Mold in the house is never good news! The presence of mold in your house can be detrimental to the health of residues. In particular, people with respiratory issues or other allergies are prone to severe reactions from mold growth. Mold appears in dark, wet, and humid places. Mold growth is often visible on walls. But if it’s not visible, then you have to look for signs of mold growth. Stay alert and whenever you sense mold formation in your home, get it removed at the earliest.
It’s recommended that you hire a mold remediation company or air duct cleaning services for the complete removal of mold in your house.
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