Finding Mold In Your Indianapolis Home

4/26/2016 (Permalink)

Mold mitigation in Indianapolis, IN

We’ve all seen and experienced mold in our lives. We’ve seen it grow on bread and old food that’s been in the fridge far past its prime. We’ve seen mold and mildew stains in the tile grout in our bathrooms. It’s these types of mold that are easy to spot and somewhat easy to clean and remove. But there are areas of the home that may be hiding mold that you may not spot right away. So how do you spot it before it gets out of hand and potentially causes health problems? 

Smelling Mold

Mold has a distinct smell that is not natural inside of a home. It smells like a damp forest or a musty smell of dirt. You may have smelled it in an old basement that isn’t properly waterproofed. If you smell that musty odor in your Indianapolis home, then you most likely have mold growing somewhere nearby. Outside of the basement, you may smell the odor of mold near bathrooms, kitchens, and exterior walls. If the smell it throughout the house, you may have mold growing in your air ducts. Other areas where mold may grow that you may not be able to see easily is in crawl spaces, in attics and inside the walls.

Spotting Mold

You’ve probably seen mold, also known as mildew, around your bathtub. It’s usually black spots or splotches that usually grows in the tile grout since the grout is porous and allows the mold spores to thrive until you clean them. You can also find mildew on outside wood decks that don’t get much sun. If you smell mold in the basement, take a flashlight and check all the walls, near the sump pump, behind the water heater, and other areas that may be damp for signs of mold. In a crawlspace, you may find signs of mold on the exposed wood floor joists of the floor above. In walls, mold will grow on the wood, insulation and drywall. 

Feeling Sick from Mold

Sometimes you won’t see the mold or smell it. Instead, you may be feeling a mold infestation in the form of a health problem. A hidden mold problem in a home can cause congestion, watering eyes, listless, breathing problems and other allergy-type symptoms.  Prolonged exposure to mold, especially more toxic molds, can cause severe health problems. If you are experiencing symptoms that can’t be diagnosed, you may inquire about having a mold inspection of your home. 

Preventing Mold

Mold loves damp areas outside and inside your home. To reduce the chance of mold growing in your home, you should keep the humidity in your home below 60%. Also, check and fix all exposed water pipes and drain pipes for leaks or condensation.  Check your roof for signs of a roof leak like a water stain on a ceiling, damp insulation, and water stains in the attic. If your basement is too damp, you may want to invest in a dehumidifier to reduce the chances of mold growing down there. And lastly, make sure your gutters are working properly and directing water away from your home. This can reduce the chance of water seeping into the crawlspace or basement. 

Cleaning Up Mold

If you find mold in your home or suspect there might be mold hidden in your home, call SERVPRO Indianapolis West as soon as possible before the mold spreads. Our mold remediation professionals have the training, equipment, and expertise to handle even the worst mold problem. We can inspect and test for all types of mold.  If mold is spotted, we will use advanced mold remediation techniques to remediate the mold in your Indianapolis home.  

Our mold remediation experts have treated homes and businesses for mold around the Indianapolis area for years including Plainfield, Avon, and Brownsburg. You can trust us for all your mold remediation as well as water and fire damage repair and restoration services.