Home Maintenance tips

Tips on Identifying Mold

Mold is a fungus that grows anywhere there’s a food source and moisture, and can cause serious damage to both your health and home. The most common places to find mold include basements, windowsills, refrigerator seals, under the kitchen sink, air registers, entryways, and the bathroom. In addition, it may be hiding behind walls, under the carpet, or up in the attic. Following are some ways to help identify it:

1. Carpet that has had any water damage is prone to produce mold. To check your carpet for mold, lift a small section up off the floor. Note that mold can come in any shade of color, including red, black, green, purple, gray, yellow, etc. In addition, the texture is usually cottony, velvety, granular or leathery.
2. If you can’t see it, follow your nose. Mold usually carries an odor, often described as musky, musty, or earthy. If you can smell it, you can assume that moisture and mold are close by.
3. If you suspect you have mold, but can’t pinpoint the problem, consider hiring a professional to test your home, including various testings of air quality. Pricing varies, but any detection of mold should be viewed as a red flag, and it’s better for both your health and your checkbook to catch it as early as possible.

Regular cleaning with a bleach-based product is the most effective way to kill mold spores. But, keep in mind mold can mushroom up in as little as 48 hours under certain conditions. So, it’s a good idea to take an occasional peak — or sniff — in the attic or cellar.