Indoor Mold Risks and Health Impacts to Consider

There are several elements that serve an environmental purpose outdoors but present risks indoors, and a great example here is mold. While mold in certain outdoor areas is important for breaking down organic material, mold found inside – often invisible to the eye, but noticed in other ways – can present significant health hazards, both to humans and pets.

At Aerolite Consulting, we’re here to ensure mold is not an issue for any home you’re considering for you and your family through our comprehensive mold testing services, which are in addition to radon, asbestos, lead and even methamphetamine testing services. All of these fall under our broad environmental home inspection package, where we not only perform a standard home inspection for upcoming buyers and sellers, but also note the presence of any major contaminants in the air – mold included. This two-part blog series will dig into the basics on mold, plus the health effects it can have on humans and how you should respond if our testing reveals mold in a new home (or if you discover mold in your current home).

Mold Basics, Formation and Signs

Mold, which actually refers to a few different chemical types when it’s found indoors, is unfortunately relatively common in many interior areas. The most common precursor that often indicates or promotes its presence: Moisture, especially moisture leaks that cause certain areas to stay wet or damp for long periods at a time.

Mold may enter a home or building in several ways, usually through openings like doors, windows, HVAC vents and others. When they’re present in high-moisture areas, they will grow significantly. Some of the earliest signs of mold growth include both visible and smell-related indicators.

Health Impact of Mold

The human health impact of mold exposure will vary between individuals. Some are highly susceptible to it, while others will not see very many negative effects (or even any at all in some situations).

For those at-risk, however, the impact can be significant. Some will have allergic reactions and related symptoms, including potentially severe reactions for some people. In other cases, the long-term impact of exposure to mold will lead to future effects, especially in children and those with compromised immune systems. It can lead to risks of hemorrhage, lethargy, memory loss and other conditions.

Responding to Mold Signs

If you’re concerned you’ve seen indicators of mold in a home you’re considering, call our team for mold and other contaminant testing right away. If mold is discovered, either in your home or a prospective home, most significant mold issues must be handled by professionals, which we’ll be happy to recommend. While awaiting this assistance, do not run your HVAC system if you’re worried it’s been contaminated – and if you’re concerned it has made its way into plumbing water, try to avoid using these areas too. If you are susceptible to mold exposure symptoms, we also recommend leaving the area temporarily.

For more on recognizing the signs of mold and why it’s so important to be rid of for interior locations, or to learn about any of our environmental home inspections, speak to the staff at Aerolite Consulting today.