3 Signs of Black Mold

Discovering black mold in your home can be scary and frustrating. It's a toxic fungus that grows in damp areas, such as basements, and can severely affect the indoor air quality (IAQ) of your home. Black mold can be the result of flooding due to extreme weather conditions, poor ventilation, plumbing leaks or burst pipes.

A constant moist environment will only feed mold growth and lead to an infestation that will require professional remediation from the pros like us at Utah Flood Cleanup. This could cost you a lot of money or even your home. Not to mention cause respiratory illness or exacerbate pre-existing conditions. However, paying attention to the warning signs could get black mold out of your home before it gets too bad. Below are the three main warning signs of mold you should look out for.

Black Mold Can Be Seen

Mold usually appears as stains on the walls, furniture or other items. It comes in a variety of colors, but black mold obviously appears to be black. The stains or spots you see are actually a collection of mold spores. Spores are released into the air, and can be expelled through the ventilation system and inhaled deep into the lungs. So, if you see black mold stains on your wall this means there are a lot of mold spores around.
Dark mold that's found along baseboards and the lower part of the wall and accompanied by dampness of high humidity levels is most likely black mold, especially after flooding. If you discover this, you'll need to contact us immediately.

It Has a Musty or 'Moldy' Odor

Black mold is often smelled before it's seen. A musty or 'moldy' odor is an indication of microbial growth before any visible growth is detected on walls and other structures. This smell is often wafted through the ventilation system and can even be an indication that there's mold in the vents. If you smell a persistent pungent musty odor, then you must likely have some black mold growth in your home.

Black Mold Causes Health Problems

Respiratory issues is also an early indicator of black mold. Mold spores can be inhaled through the mouth and nose. This can cause coughing, congestion, sneezing, difficulty breathing, watery eyes, constant colds, asthma and other respiratory illnesses. It can also exacerbate pre-existing conditions, such as asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, bronchitis and more.

Black mold is the most toxic form of mold and it can cause extreme issues and even be fatal to people with respiratory problems. Because it's so detrimental to the IAQ of a home and causes so many health problems, home's with black mold must be evacuated immediately. When we come into your home to re-mediate the mold, we'll make sure its all clear and livable before inviting you back in.

If you've been the victim of flooding or have seen signs of black mold growth, then you should call us at Utah Flood Cleanup immediately. Our certified specialists will come in, perform a mold inspection, clean things up, dry thing out and re-mediate that mold. We'll make your home like new and have you back in it in no time - safe and sound!

About the Author:
Josh Ray is a disaster cleanup professional and the owner of Utah Flood Cleanup. He is a certified mold professional, asbestos inspector, water damage IICRC carpet cleaning professional, and holds a RRP certification. You can rest easy knowing an experienced professional is helping repair you fire damage, water damage, or mold remediation issue.

Utah Flood Cleanup
685 E. 2850 N.
North Ogden, UT 84414
(801) 416-2666