What is Black Mold?

Every homeowner worries about black mold, but what is it? Also called Stachybotrys, black mold likes to grow in wet areas and is usually seen in areas where condensation has collected or pools or stagnant water inside. Spores enter the home through windows, small entrances or tracked on shoes and clothing. While most fungus around your home are harmless, this species causes illness if neglected.

How Black Mold affects Health

Black mold is a poisonous mold with spores. The most common symptoms include chronic coughing, eye, nose and throat irritation and rashes. Additionally, chronic fatigue and persistent headaches can all be symptomatic of black mold exposure or black mold poisoning. Especially severe cases of prolonged contact to black mold can be more dangerous. Often compounded by allergic reaction to the black mold spores, these symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, and bleeding in the lungs and nose.

About Mold

Mold quickly spread across walls, floors and ceilings. Whenever your home experiences water damage, you should have a Paul Davis technician check the walls for mold infestations. They can go ignored for weeks, and then appear essentially overnight. Once mold forms colonies in your living space, it immediately breeds and releases toxins that make life miserable for residents:

  • Mold releases a strong, musty scent that stops rooms from smelling clean.
  • Mold causes problems for allergy-sensitive individuals, as well as those with asthma, making symptoms flare up.
  • A black mold infestation can cause coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and trouble breathing.
  • Mold toxins can cause long-lasting inflammation and ongoing cold-like symptoms.
  • Individuals with compromised immune systems can get systemic infections of the lungs, skin, or digestive tract.
  • In rare instances, mold toxins can cause neurological problems or even death.
  • The more extended the exposure, the more severe the danger.
Exceptionally humid homes and offices can be vulnerable to mold infestations even if no water damage has occurred. If you see or smell something that could be mold, get a skillful opinion right away. If you want to eradicate mold, the environment where it thrives must first be removed. Water sources have to be dealt with, and any remaining moisture must be efficiently dried out. Only then can mold removal and remediation start. Whether a leaky roof, burst pipe, or other opening, it isn't enough to curtail the tide. Moisture can drench hidden sections of your home. Without proper cleanup procedures, mold will keep coming back to these areas. Contact Paul Davis today if your home has black mold. Our team analyzes for existence of black mold before remediation. You can depend on our specialists to remove black mold quickly. Keep your family safe, schedule a black mold inspection today.