If you have allergic reactions or a chronic asthma-like respiratory illness, you’re usually very aware of the consequences mold can have on health. But even if you have got a strong immune system and no allergies, mold can cause, to name a few, a number of health problems — coughing, wheezing and throat, skin and eye irritation.
Mold is all around us while you cannot completely monitor your exposure to it outdoors or in public facilities, you can take preventive and removing steps to inspect mold in common places around your house.
Places where Mold grows
Here are a few places to check in your home for mold growth:
- In the bathroom walls and on the floor
Mold growth is likely in a bathroom, from top to bottom. Aside from the above-mentioned places, pay attention to any water leaks coming from the walls or floors — these leaks can cause mold to grow rapidly. Harbor mold is also known for bathroom rugs, and they are usually not washed as often as they should be.
- In or under the kitchen sink
Everything happens in the sink in your kitchen. Dirty plates pile up, food passes through the garbage disposal, and wet sponges sit in the sink or in caddies and catch bacteria, and faucets.
Each of these things leads to the mold potential growth, so also search in these areas if you want mold protection. Oh, and don’t forget to check under the sink-leaky pipes are a huge mold issue.
- Air conditioning and heating vents
You typically want to be at the optimum temperature in your bedroom so you can get a good night’s rest. Although it is good to use the AC and heating unit (and can help reduce humidity), mold can grow in the vents.
- In the attic
Mostly, people avoid checking their attic and that is another major place where mold grows. Your attic mold might also lead to further mold growth into other areas of your house. A leaking roof might cause mold in the attic. So never leave your attic unchecked.
- Under the house
The area within the crawl space or in the basement has the highest potential for mold since it can often be dark, damp, and high in humidity during the summer months. The best way to minimize this is to fully insolate your basement, or if you have a crawl space then have it sealed by a professional crawl space encapsulation company, which will also install a dehumidifier to lower the potential for condensation.
*Special thanks to Elite Moisture Solutions for providing us with the illustration of black mold growing on a bathroom ceiling, and information on the most vulnerable locations within a home where mold can occur.