Homeowners should educate themselves on house mold so that they can be aware of any signs or symptoms of house mold growth at their Great Falls, VA homes. House mold can pose health hazards when it begins growing indoors. It can enter your home in Great Falls, VA through open doorways, windows, ventilation, heating, and air conditioning systems. Even mold spores outside can attach themselves to pets, shoes, bags, clothing, and much, much more!
The key ingredient that house mold needs to thrive is moisture. Sources for moisture may include—
- Flooding
- Leaky roofs
- Water pipe leaks
- Damp basements or crawl spaces
- Humidifiers that are not cleaned regularly or disinfected
- House plants
- Steam from cooking or showering
- Leaving wet clothes hung to dry indoors
- Excessive humidity
- Condensation
- Inadequate air exchange
House mold needs these things to survive—
- Food sources such as wood and wood products, paper and paper products including cardboard and wallpaper, fabric and upholstery, leather, grout, painted walls, cement, drywall, insulation materials, ceiling tiles, and carpet.
- Moisture from the list above.
- Temperature of 70⁰F or more but can grow in less.
With ample food, moisture, and the ideal temperature, house mold will begin to grow within 24 to 48 hours.
In some cases, you may have house mold and not even realize it, because house mold can grow behind drywall and shower stalls, in leaky roofs and in crawl spaces that have poor circulation. If bad enough, sometimes you can smell the musty or mildew odor that comes with the dampness that causes house mold in Great Falls, VA. Once you start smelling the odor in your home in Great Falls, VA, you will need to determine where the smell is coming from.
The most common places you might find house mold in your Great Falls, VA home are under your kitchen or bathroom sink where you might have a leaky pipe; behind appliances such as dishwasher, refrigerator, freezer, or washing machine; around your window sills where condensation accumulates, in your basement and in closets. House mold also likes those dark out of the way places to breed.