Mold can create various health hazards such as allergies, asthma, infections in the respiratory tract, fungal and skin infections if the living and working environment is not free from it. If any of these infections persist for a long time, then there may be a problem with the insides of the building. A trained expert should be called in to test for mold in this case. Mold requires the nutrients found in a dead organic matter such as paper, fabrics, and wood to grow rapidly.
Humidity and moisture in poor atmospheric conditions can help it to spread quickly. Some of the common areas in a building that can have a growth of mold are crawl spaces, basements, humidifiers, vaporizers, inadequate ventilation systems for the house and clothes dryers and dilapidated spaces. A commercial building can be said to have a ‘Sick Building Syndrome’ if the people working daily in it complain of problems about the quality of air and face difficulties in breathing.
A home or business owner should take the help of a professional expert when doing a test for mold. These professional people have the requisite training for the detection and the removal of mold. They should be the holders of ‘Certified Mold Inspector’, ‘Certified Mold Remediator’ or ‘Certified Environmental Hygienist’ licenses. The testing process consists of looking for toxic materials, infestations of bacterial or household mold, checking surfaces having paint, checking the quality of drinking water, and looking for allergens like dust mites, cockroaches, radon gas or animal dander. The black-colored ‘Stachybotrys’ mold is the most dangerous type and needs to be treated instantly.
The professional expert should remove all infected areas including wallpapers, carpets, tiles, and sheetrock immediately after detecting any infection while carrying out the test for mold. This test will quickly identify if there is any contamination in any area of the building.
The professional should ensure that there is no future accumulation of moisture by drying out the moist areas. He or she should provide the building or house owner with knowledge on the prevention of the build-up of mildew and ways to provide the best air circulation inside the building.
The services that the home or building owner receives for the payment to the professionals include eradicating the existing molds, removing the dead spores, cleaning the infected areas to prevent future relapses of infection and containing the spreading of the mold into uncontaminated areas.
You should immediately arrange for a test for mold to ensure that your workplace and your living quarters are free from the mold which can cause significant harm to your health.