There are certain things that make a home quite inviting then there are things that make you wish you were as far away from the home as possible. Or, at the very least, they will make you want to greatly alter your approach to taking care of the home. One such “creature” that can make living in or selling a home somewhat difficult is the presence of mold, more commonly referred to as “black” or “toxic” mold. Is “Black’ mold the only form of mold to be concerned about?
There are thousands of species of mold. Simply because one species may be “black” in color, does not mean that it is “toxic.” The only way to truly determine the species of mold is under a microscope, through laboratory testing. Mold is a living microscopic organism that can start to grow on wet surfaces within 48-72 hours. Whether it’s black, white, green, or orange in color is not the issue. The key is, if you see it gowing indoors, then steps should be taken to remove any porous materials (such as sheetrock), or to clean the hard surfaces (vinyl, tile, etc.) using an approved disinfectant cleaner. However, special care should be taken to protect oneself and other areas from cross-contamination when performing any work in an affected area.
Any type of mold is not the healthiest thing to be exposed to indoors, but especially not any molds considered to be “toxic” to humans. There have been reports over the years of respiratory problems that can develop when one does not take the proper steps to remove toxic mold from a household. Of course, in order to remove the mold you have to know where it is hiding. While mold can be tough to spot at times, it usually hides in a few common spots. That is why having a little knowledge of what these hiding places generally are is well worth exploring. (more…)
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