How To Check For Mold Damage In Your Home

There is mold all over; inside, outside, and on nearly every surface you can think of. Mold is a species of fungus that develops from microscopic spores that float in the atmosphere – the very air we breathe. Mold can grow and flourish practically everywhere that spores may land if they find moisture and the surrounding temperature is between 40 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. That basically describes any and every area in your home that has excess moisture or dampness. Mildew, the most noticeable sort of mold, starts as tiny, dark patches that frequently develop into larger colonies, making it easy to see. However, sometimes mold hides and is not that obvious, making it hard to determine if your St Louis Park home has mold damage that needs to be remediated. 

Mold Damage St Louis Park

The mold damage experts at Restoration 1 of Greater Minneapolis are going to share some ways that you can check for mold damage in your home, especially the type that is not easily seen by the naked eye.

• Let’s start with the easiest, most obvious way to check for mold in your home – a visual inspection. As we said above, often mold appears as a growth or dark patches or specks on surfaces. A common place to find visual signs of mold is in the grout lines in showers or around tubs, sinks, and toilets, or any other damp areas like window sills, crawl spaces, or near the water heater. Perform a visual inspection around your home regularly to check for mold damage and find any concerning areas before the problem becomes severe.
• Sometimes it is hard to differentiate between a dirty surface and mold, so if wiping down the surface does not remove the discoloration or spots, it is likely mold. You can check a darkened or ‘dirty’ appearing area to determine if it is in fact mold by dabbing a few drops of household bleach (diluted 1 part bleach to 16 parts water) on the discolored area. If it lightens after a couple of minutes, you have mildew growing as a sign of mold damage. If the area remains dark, it is dirty and just needs a good cleaning.  
• A surface-level mold or mildew does not harm the structure of your home. However, some types of mold can cause extensive damage to wood and other structural elements that make up your home. To check for more severe mold damage, you can use a screwdriver or another sharp object for signs of deterioration. Take the screwdriver to the area where you can see or suspect mold and/or mildew and, not too forcefully, probe the wall (or baseboard or whatever surface you are looking at). If the sheetrock or drywall is brittle, flakes, off, or crumbles, the mold may have established a foothold in the material and has started to cause rot. 

If these methods have left you even more worried about mold, or you want to know of a surety whether or not your home has mold damage, call the mold damage experts at Restoration 1 of Greater Minneapolis for a mold inspection. Our trained and experienced technicians have the proper tools and training to accurately find the mold and remediate any damage it may have caused to your home.