Frequently Asked Questions about Mold Remediation

The term “mold” or “mould” refers to any one of a wide variety of fungi that can be found in almost every environment on the planet and remediation refers to finding remedies for mold infestation and dealing with the problem. Molds can grow and develop on any substance as long as there is some kind of organic material for them to consume and as long as they have moisture and oxygen.

In addition to being unsightly blemishes molds can also produce spores which can make people sick.

1. How does mold make people sick?
2. What is the best solution if I have mold in my house?
3. What are the symptoms of mold-related illnesses?
4. Other than making people sick what else can molds do?

1. How does mold make people sick?

In truth mold does not make people sick, their waste products do: there are about 100 types of mold (out of 100,000 discovered so far) which are suspected to produce compounds that are dangerous to humans. These waste products contain mycotoxins which can make people sick or, in some cases, result in death.

2. What is the best solution if I have mold in my house?

We always recommend that our clients be proactive, not reactive in the cases of mold. Check the humidity in your home and the air circulation so mold cannot grow.

If that can’t be done then it is necessary for a company like Home Safe Home to come in and use special cleaners to destroy the mold (we don’t use bleach though). Then we remove the damaged areas and dispose of those materials and lastly we rebuild using the right techniques and tools.

In all cases however mold will return unless the original conditions are addressed!

3. What are the symptoms of mold-related illnesses?

Symptoms vary but these are the most commonly recognized symptoms:
- Nasal irritation (possibly including bloody nasal discharge)
- Throat irritation
- Severe headaches (possibly including concentration problems, irritability and fatigue)
- Blurry vision
- Skin rash
- Flu-like symptoms

4. Other than making people sick what else can molds do?

To put it bluntly molds can eat your house. In time, with enough space and water and some kind of organic food source molds will continue to expand until there is nothing left for them to eat.