Mold is everywhere we go, whether you are inside your home or outside, mold spores are always in the air. Mold is the most common fungi on earth and cannot be avoided. The mold spores in the air do an important job by helping to recycle dead organic matter and so new life is able to grow. In most cases, mold spores are not harmful at all to us, although in some cases when the conditions permit mold can be incredibly dangerous.
Mold will only grow in the right conditions, a good way to prevent mold or spot it before it gets worse is to understand the kind of environment mold likes to grow in. The most important requirements for a mold friendly environment are moisture, a comfortable temperature range (this is the same temperature that humans live in), and a surface to feed on. The easiest way to prevent mold from growing in your home is to cut off its access to moisture, mold requires that there is a lot of moisture in order to continue to grow. We recommend that you check any areas that are often moist or have water flowing through them when looking for mold. Some common areas for mold to grow in include kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and attics although mold can be found everywhere.
Luckily for us, mold isn’t always dangerous, despite the common belief most mold is actually non-toxic. The three most common types of mold are:
Allergenic Molds:
This type of mold is fairly safe and is generally not a big threat to humans. In some cases, Allergenic Molds may cause allergic reactions to those who already have asthma or allergies. It is uncommon for people to experience any serious reactions and in most cases, if they do have allergic reactions it will be things like rashes, itchy throats, and nose/eye irritation.
Pathogenic Molds:
These molds are a bit more dangerous to humans. Pathogenic Molds are known to cause health issues to many people, usually either after physical contact or through respiratory infection. Despite being dangerous to many humans, most healthy people will not be in danger. If any of your children, elderly people, or sick people that have respiratory issues live in the mold infested area we highly recommend you keep them away from any mold. Pathogenic molds can be especially dangerous to them and can cause serious health problems.
Toxigenic Molds:
As you might have guessed Toxigenic Molds are the most dangerous, these molds are known to cause problems to both healthy and unhealthy people. This mold is thankfully very rare but living with it can cause very many lifelong problems and we don’t recommend you try to do it if you find out you have Toxigenic Molds in your home please do not stay in it, go to either a friends/family members house or hotel while you have a certified professionally team take care of it. There is no way of knowing the exact type of mold present without lab testing but our experts can often spot if mold is very dangerous or not.
Mold is commonly found after water damage or floods, especially in cases where the water damage wasn’t taken care of professionally by a certified water damage restoration company. If water has managed to get into your walls you will often have mold problems. If you have recently had any trouble with water damage or suspect you might have mold we recommend you call a certified mold inspector and conduct a mold inspection. The team at GTA Restoration is highly trained and is a certified mold removal and remediation company located in the Greater Toronto Area.
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