You may already be familiar with the existence of mold. It naturally occurs if there is excess humidity in an area. It can grow on furniture, carpets, appliances, floors, drywall, and plaster walls. However, it seems like only a few take it seriously.
Mold can cause serious damage to your home structure as well as to your health. When mold grows on walls, floors, and foundations, it can cause the structure to weaken. If left uncontrolled for a long time, it will eventually rot the structure resulting in permanent and expensive damage.
Furthermore, mold can cause a variety of adverse side effects on human health. If a healthy human is exposed to mold for a significant period of time, they may experience skin irritation, itchy eyes, stuffy nose, and wheezing. For those who have pre-existing conditions, the effects can be worse and even life-threatening if the mold growing in your homes are similar to Stachybotrys.
Mold can do more than make you sick. It can also ruin your home. Mold grows more frequently on certain types of materials. Some of those include:
That being said, there are plenty of places in your home where mold can exist and thrive. Think of your basement. Basements are notorious for mold. All the concrete and wood in a damp, dark place can be the perfect place for mold to grow. Attics are also high on the list for mold.
But other areas of the home can grow mold too.
You can also start to have mold growth in places you don’t see. Inside air conditioning units, for example. Also, mold can grow behind walls, especially after rainfall. If you have experienced water damage, then there is a high probability of mold growing in your home.
Mold growth is more common than most people think. The CDC publishes statistics on mold in homes and how it can damage your health. However, the health of your home is also damaged by mold.
Unlike fires or flooding, the damage mold causes might not always be obvious. Yes, it is ugly and messy, but mold doesn’t seem to do too much damage right away. And some molds are not harmful to your health. So what’s the big deal?
Over time, mold will soften and rot materials such as wood and drywall, which will cause them to collapse. Imagine having your drywall suddenly cave in. Or your attic can come crashing down as the weakened wood fails to support weight.
Yes, the damage mold does to your home might seem negligible at first, but over time, the damage can cost you thousands of dollars.