You should now have a general idea of whether or not you may have black mold, and if you have made the determination that you do, then you must immediately take the necessary black mold removal steps to eliminate the problem. The good news is that there are several things that you can do in order to get rid of the mold, and while it may seem like a daunting task at first, it doesn’t have to be as long as you can follow directions and not stray off course.
Black mold most often occurs as a result of the buildup of unwanted moisture in some part of the home, and the first thing that you need to do is identify the location of the problem, along with its root cause. This means that you need to find out exactly where the mold has grown in your home, and where the moisture is coming from that is feeding it. Once you have determined where the mold is growing exactly, you can then take the necessary steps to remove the moisture problem, and clean up, or remove whatever mold is leftover in that particular area of your house.
The most common areas of the home that classically experience the growth of mold include the bathroom, the basement, the attic, vents, and anywhere that there may be a continuous exposure to moisture. Are there any areas of your home that are uncharacteristically humid on a regular basis? Has your home recently experienced a flood? Is there any water, or pipe leaks that you don’t know about? These are the questions that you should be asking yourself that can give you a good idea of where the mold may be growing in your home.
You need to also be aware of the location in your house where you may have smelled a musty or mildew smell, experienced any sort of ill health effects, or actually saw the presence of a greenish or black growth. These are the clear indicators of black mold that can tip you off as to where it is thriving within your home, and it is important that once you find an area that has experienced some level of mold growth that you fully explore all of the associated areas to ensure that it is only limited to that one area. Not only that, once you have established that you have some degree of mold growth in your home you should not hesitate to perform a comprehensive search of your entire house in order to identify any further areas that may have been affected, and to give you the appropriate piece of mind.
An ounce of prevention
Clearing up the problem once does not mean it goes away permanently. Black mold can be controlled and prevented with a little vigilance and routine inspections. Damp areas must be dried as quickly as practicable and HVAC systems should be checked for any signs of moisture buildup. Noticeable signs such as warping and musty odors must never be ignored. Some precautions may seem tedious or time consuming, but they can prevent black mold from getting out of hand.
The worst thing you can do is nothing at all
Moisture is the breeding ground but the greatest reason why a black mold problem might get worse is neglect. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) candidly warns that any wet area in a building must be dried within 48 hours of being detected. The longer the delay, the better the chances of black mold generation. Leaky pipes have been known to be a cause of dampness, but too often this is a problem that goes unattended and leads to even greater complications. Ventilation keeps the humidity down and circulating air will help keep a place dry. That’s true if the ventilation system is adequately maintained. However, air ducts left unattended can collect small amounts of water and will effectively blow moisture all over the place and the droplets may include black mold spores.