Sunday, January 8, 2012

How To Save Money When Testing for Mold

You should always treat mold with the utmost of concern. Not only do they sound and look unpleasant but they also cause all kinds of health and skin problems that can make living very uncomfortable for you and your family. You can avoid all of these worries if you have your home tested for mold on a regular basis.

The biggest symptom of mold is breathing problems. Be wary if your family starts sneezing for no apparent reason - it might be an indication that mold is present. Also look out for coughing, sneezing, watering eyes, skin problems and breathing issues.

Checking for spores in the air in your home is the fundamental step of checking for mold. The process is quite involved, so you may have to call in a professional who has all of the right equipment and know how. Don’t be shocked if there is mold in your air - not all molds are dangerous.

Whilst most molds are not likely to upset your health, certain toxic variants can be fatal. Only mold that is found to contain mycotoxins will be dangerous to you and your family. The majority of toxic mold testing kits aim to identify mycotoxins, which have been known to cause neurological damage and even death.

In some cases a standard mold test is not enough, and you have to take the extreme option of a mold inspection. Such an inspection is based on a thorough search of your home, consisting of visual inspections carried out by experts. Using proper tools and equipment, the goal of home inspectors is to come up with photographs of the actual infected areas for proper identification, a diagnosis of the source of mold and recommendation on how to remove it, a suggested plan of action, and laboratory test results revealing the overall mold level and analyses.

Unfortunately, these contractors don’t come cheap. Do your research on all of your options before taking this final and costly step. There are a number of ways in which you can reduce costs and still treat your mold effectively.

Start by educating yourself about mold in general. Most of the time, you will find mold in places that are dark, damp, and warm, but certain varieties do thrive outdoors. And since these organisms love living in damp areas, check for leaky vents, faucets and showers, and fix them right away.

Some mold is rampant in small storage spaces as it is an almost perfect habitat. You can dust them off by cleaning the clutter and moving around pieces of furniture from time to time. Changing the lighting and ventilation in your home will also reduce mold.

A pleasant, open home is not likely to encourage the growth of mold. Always throw rotten food away as it acts like a magnet for mold. There are kits available online that you can use to check for mold after making these changes.

Know your enemy. You will be able to conquer mold if you know exactly how it operates. Despite the fact that mold can never be totally removed, you can greatly reduce the risk of toxic infestations.

When in search of assistance in your toxic mold testing endeavor, hitting the link will help.