4 Signs You Need A Mold Inspection

14 March 2019
 Categories: , Blog

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Mold — the only place you really want to find it is in your blue cheese! But sadly, it tends to pop up in other unwanted places, like your attic and your basement. And mold is sneaky. When it takes up residence in these spaces, it does not always notify you boldly, so you need to be on the lookout for more subtle signs it might be present. Here are four such signs that should prompt you to call a mold inspection company.

1. You've been sick for a while.

If you have a cold or upper respiratory infection that you just can't seem to shake, it might not actually be a cold. You could be experiencing an allergic reaction to mold within the walls or another hidden space. Typically, in this case, the symptoms will get worse when you are at home and then fade somewhat when you're at work or otherwise out of the house.

2. You're always itchy.

There are multiple possible explanations for itchy skin. You could just have dry skin, or you may have a bed bug infestation. Another possibility, however, is that mold is growing in your home. The itching is just another presentation of mold allergies and may happen when your clothing has come into contact with the mold spores, which is often the case if you do laundry in the basement and mold is growing in the basement.

3. There's a strange odor you just can't place.

Do you feel like your home has an odd scent that you just can't pinpoint? If no amount of dusting and cleaning seems to shake the scent, it could be coming from within your walls. There have also been cases of homeowners noticing odd, musty scents when their heat and air conditioning turns on, only to find they have mold growing in their ducts.

4. You see white threads on walls and other surfaces.

People generally assume that mold is always black, gray, or green -- and fuzzy. But some species of mold that like to grow in homes are white and wispy! If you see some string-like wisps on your surfaces and they reappear even after you clean them off, they could be mold. 

Mold inspection companies, such as Indoor Environmental Testing, Inc., have equipment that allows them to detect the presence of mold and mold spores, even without opening up your walls. Once you know the extent of the issue, you can better work to rehab it.