How Pure Is the Air Quality in Your Home?
Did you know that improving the air quality in your home could improve your health? If you suffer from allergy symptoms that never seem to go away, frequent headaches, or even mild depression, it could be due to mold. An indoor air quality test from a mold remediation expert can tell you whether there is allergenic or toxic mold present in your home environment.
Is Indoor Mold Dangerous?
The EPA classifies mold as an indoor air pollutant because of its harmful effects on the respiratory system. Molds growing indoors produce allergens and irritants and complicate respiratory diseases like pneumonia. Mold can also have toxic effects on people who are vulnerable to mold sickness, causing fatigue, headaches, and psychiatric problems like brain fog and anxiety.
A few mold spores blowing around your house aren’t dangerous on their own, but if those spores find a place inside your home to start growing, they can harm your health. Prolonged exposure to mold can cause allergic reactions, asthma attacks, and other serious health problems. The type of reaction will depend on whether the mold is toxic or allergenic, and whether or not you’re susceptible to mold-related illnesses.
Not everyone will be affected by mold exposure—only about 1 in 4 people are sensitive to mold. However, if you’re part of the 25% of the population that has a genetic predisposition to mold allergies or mold sickness, indoor mold is a problem that you need to deal with right away.
How Does Mold Start Growing Indoors?
The number one cause of indoor mold is water damage. Cracks in your foundation can cause mold growth in your basement. Broken or leaky pipes lead to mold growth inside your walls or under the floor. Condensation that accumulates in poorly ventilated bathrooms or laundry rooms also allows mold to start growing indoors.
Mold can grow anywhere that it finds dark, warm, humid conditions. It can start growing on any porous surface, from your drywall to the grout in your tiles. Mold feeds on fibrous materials like wood, fabric, and insulation, and often starts growing in hidden places out of sight. You might not know that you have indoor mold until you start experiencing symptoms of mold exposure.
What Can I Do About Mold in My Home?
If you’re a homeowner, the best thing you can do is schedule an inspection with a professional mold remediation company. They’ll be able to verify whether or not you have a mold problem and advise you on the next steps to take. If the source of the mold is from foundation damage or a leak in your roof, you’ll need to make home repairs to prevent more mold from growing.
If you’re a renter, you’ll need to report the problem to your landlord for remediation. In California, tenants are required to present complaints about mold to their landlords in writing and give them a reasonable amount of time to address the issue. However, indoor mold is only a health code violation if it directly impacts your health, so you’ll need to provide medical proof from your physician if you decide to take legal action.
Indoor Air Quality Testing in San Francisco, California
Has your home suffered any recent water damage? Do you have any symptoms of mold exposure? The experts at My Pure Environment offer professional indoor air quality testing, complete with laboratory results. Our mold remediation methods are safe, quick, and effective—they won’t cause any damage to your property and require no cleanup. If you suspect that mold could be affecting your home’s air quality, contact us to get started with a free consultation.
Photo by Nicolas Solerieu on Unsplash used with permission under the Creative Commons license for commercial use 11/26/2021.
