What Are High-Risk Areas for Mold Growth in Your Home?

Your home is a complex ecosystem, and some spaces end up more prone to mold growth than others. MoldTech can help you discover if your home is at risk through mold testing in Vaughan. Varied factors like humidity, airflow and ventilation can affect individual rooms or whole floors, leading to unexpected infestations and health and safety consequences. Black mold removal is the only way to permanently and safely get rid of a mold infestation and return your home to safety. Here are some things the MoldTech team has learned in our decade + of mold removal and remediation. 

The Most Common High-Risk Areas for Mold Growth

When homeowners call us with concerns about indoor mold growth in Vaughan, it’s usually because they’re experiencing strange signs or symptoms in one of five key rooms. 

• Attics: Restricted airflow, a leaking or damaged roof, and condensation can all increase attic moisture, the number one cause of attic mold growth. 
• Bathrooms: Water is the key ingredient in mold growth. Therefore, it’s natural that mold often appears under sinks, tubs, piping, walls, and other fixtures in the bathroom. 
• Kitchens: Like the bathroom, moisture is ever-present in the kitchen through piping, sinks and drains, steam from cooking, and dishwashing. 
• Basements: The leading cause of basement mold is often poor ventilation, which allows moisture to build up. Floods, water seepage and high humidity can all play a role. 
• Crawlspaces: Homeowners with crawlspaces experience mold growth for reasons similar to those of basements.

Why These Areas Are Prone to Mold Growth

While every room is affected by unique factors that increase (or decrease) their likelihood of being affected by mold growth, the MoldTech team always encounters several commonalities between them. 

• Moisture and humidity are critical for mold growth. Water can come from several sources — an unexpected leak or flood is just as likely to trigger a mold infestation as a lingering high humidity. 
• A lack of adequate ventilation or airflow is critical. Air movement dries up moisture and moves humid air on. Mold thrives in rooms with poor airflow.
• Water damage is a sign that your home may suffer from periodic floods or a persistent leak or drip. Please pay attention to water leaks and fix them ASAP to avoid mold growth. 
• Dark and damp environments with the basement or crawlspace experience mold growth because they combine all the points above: they tend to have leaks or floods, poor air movement, and humidity can build up. 

The Health Risks of Mold Exposure

Just because mold is unsightly doesn’t mean that you should ignore it. Mould growth, even if it’s an unused space like the attic, still places you and your family at risk of health consequences from exposure. Mold spreads via airborne spores that can cause things like respiratory problems, coughing, wheezing, and increased asthma attacks. 

Allergic reactions to mold growth are widespread and are often mistaken for the common cold or flu or conditions like eczema or psoriasis. Dry skin, watery eyes, rashes, sinus congestion, and headaches are all commonly reported symptoms of mould allergy. Prolonged exposure to mold can lead to more serious problems for people with compromised immune systems, too.

How to Prevent Mold Growth in High-Risk Areas

There are several things you can do today to prevent mold from growing in these high-risk spaces. We almost always suggest clients:

• Use inexpensive monitors to keep an eye on temperature and humidity. 
• Install dehumidifiers in basements. 
• Use exhaust fans or open windows when cooking or bathing. 
• Fix all leaks immediately. 
• Inspect at-risk areas regularly. 
• Have a black mold removal as soon as you spot visible mold growth. 

Prompt mold removal has a positive effect on your indoor air quality and indoor safety and ensures that the infestation will not grow larger or spread to new rooms. While it’s alarming to discover mold growth at home, the MoldTech team has been helping families with safe, effective, science-based mold removal for over a decade. While mold testing and removal is our specialty, we also help our clients understand why a mold infestation was triggered, and offer suggestions and solutions to prevent repeated treatments. If you have questions about a high-risk area of your home and wish to book mold testing in Vaughan, call or email the MoldTech team to book your appointment today! 

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