Signs You Need To Schedule A Mold Test
Posted on: 11 May 2020
Mold is not always as obvious as you'd think. It likes to grow in dark places, which means it sometimes originates in hidden areas such as between your walls or under your floors. As such, you often need to rely on mold testing to determine whether or not you actually have mold in your home. But how do you know whether you need a mold test? Here are some indications that you need to make that call.
1. You've had cold symptoms that have lasted longer than two weeks.
Many people suffer from what they first assume is a cold but that later turns out to be allergies. If you've had symptoms like a runny nose, sneezing, and stuffiness for longer than two weeks, it could be because you're allergic to mold in your house. Often, the symptoms will be worse in the morning because you've been in the house all night. They subside somewhat during the day, but then they come back once you spend more time in your home. If you have the heat or air conditioning on, your symptoms may be worse after the heat or air cycles, as this pushes mold spores around the home.
2. You had a leak, and you were not able to dry everything.
If you had a plumbing leak or water coming in from the outside and you were not able to reach some hidden areas to dry them, then it is a good idea to have mold testing done. This way, you'll find out about any mold behind the walls or under floors early on when it's easy to eradicate and, hopefully, before anyone in your home starts feeling ill.
3. You keep cleaning up surface mold, and it keeps coming back.
Say you keep wiping mold away from your shower or from the baseboards, but it keeps growing back a week or two later. There's a good chance there is a larger population of mold somewhere else that you can't see, and the mold you're wiping up is just an extension of that bigger mold colony. Schedule a mold inspection for just after you've cleaned up any visible mold.
Mold is really good at hiding, but professionals know where to find it! If you have any of the problems above, be sure to arrange for residential mold testing sooner, rather than later. Then you can start down the pathway towards remediation.
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