by Mold-B-Gone | Oct 19, 2021 | Mold Facts
Do you have mold in your home? If so, it is important to understand the coverage of your homeowner’s insurance policy. Mold can be costly to remove and eradicate, but not all homeowners’ policies cover the cost in every case. Will homeowner’s insurance cover your mold problem? Here’s what you need to know.
Why Is Mold Dangerous?
Mold is dangerous because it can be hazardous to your health. It can cause an allergic reaction (like sneezing, watery eyes, and coughing), asthma attacks, or other respiratory problems like shortness of breath or wheezing, skin irritation (like eczema), and eye irritations. Mold exposure also may make you more susceptible to infections in your lungs and other parts of the body.
Mold often appears in basements, bathrooms, bedrooms or any dark humid places. This is because mold feeds on moisture and when there’s a lot of humidity in these spaces then it can grow quickly and spread throughout your home.
Does Home Insurance Cover Mold?
Most homeowner policies cover mold if the source of the mold is something already covered by your policy. So the answer to, “Is mold covered by insurance?” is a not-very-helpful, “Maybe?”
For example, if your home floods and you do not have flood insurance as part of your homeowner’s policy, the resulting mold and its remediation are not covered by home insurance. The same is true if the mold develops due to neglect on your part, as most homeowner’s policies have clauses stipulating that you must perform the appropriate maintenance to prevent problems for them to be covered.
What to Do After Mold Has Appeared?
Whether or not mold is covered by insurance, if you start to find signs of a mold infestation, then contact your insurance agent immediately to clarify the terms of your coverage. Then, find an Atlanta mold inspection service to work with. A mold inspection will help determine the extent of your problem and allow you to better understand what treatments are needed in order to safely and completely remove the mold from your home.
Mold insurance coverage can be complicated, but it is important that homeowners have a clear understanding of what their policy covers in each case so they know how best to proceed if they have an issue with mold. If you need any more information about mold removal, speak with Mold-B-Gone.
Where could mold be lurking? Check out 7 Areas Mold Is Growing in Your Home!
Thinking about going DIY. Read: Reasons to Hire a Professional Mold Remediation Service.
by Mold-B-Gone | Oct 9, 2021 | Mold Information
Mold is a common problem for homeowners. It can grow anywhere, but it typically prefers dark and damp places with low levels of air circulation. Most mold types need three things to survive: food (organic material like wood), water, and darkness. If you suspect that mold may be growing in your home, don’t waste time; schedule your mold inspection in Atlanta.
Not sure if mold is what you are seeing? Here are seven different kinds of mold you might find in your house right now!
1. Stachybotrys
Also known as black mold, this is one of the most infamous types of mold. It can grow indoors or outdoors, and it’s usually found in humid conditions like bathrooms and basements. It is hazardous to your health and must be carefully removed and the area treated to prevent regrowth.
2. Alternaria
Found in soil and plants, this type of mold in homes is often found on food. It’s also known as the “greenish-black” mold that grows on showers walls and ceilings because it thrives in warm and humid conditions like bathrooms.
3. Penicillium
This isn’t actually a household species—it can be found outdoors mostly but does make its way indoors on occasion. It’s also known as blue mold and grows mostly on food. Among the different types of mold, this one is less concerning.
4. Rhizopus
Found in soil and plants, this type of black mold can grow indoors or outdoors! It needs warm temperatures to survive so it usually thrives in the summertime. This can be dangerous, so work with our mold experts in Atlanta for its removal.
5. Aspergillus
Another common black mold, it’s a problem if the spores are inhaled! If you have asthma or other respiratory problems, avoid breathing in these spores because they can trigger an attack. It starts out as green and will turn brown/black with age.
6. Cladosporium
This one is found everywhere outdoors but doesn’t often grow indoors. It requires low levels of humidity and air circulation to survive, but some homes have the right conditions for its growth.
7. Fusarium
This type of black mold is mostly found in soil and plants but it also thrives indoors! Avoid dark corners where you keep your bins or storage boxes because this black mold will grow there without a problem. It starts out green then turns brown/black with age.
If you are concerned about the presence of mold in your home, allow Mold-B-Gone to help. We will thoroughly clean your home of mold and test to ensure every spore is eliminated before we leave.
Have you recently experienced significant water damage? Learn about how to prevent mold after a flood. If you are worried about mold in general, read: What Helps Mold Spread Through Your Home?
by Mold-B-Gone | Sep 20, 2021 | Mold Remediation
Mold is a common problem for homeowners, but one that needs to be treated quickly and thoroughly to protect your health and house. Once you have it in one spot of your home, mold does spread. We suggest that as soon as you notice signs of a problem, your contract with mold experts in Atlanta.
But how does mold spread in a house? As it ends up, there are multiple things that facilitate mold spore spread.
Natural Air Flow
There is always airflow in your home, even when your HVAC system is off and the doors and windows are closed. Just walking quickly can generate enough of a breeze for mold spores to catch a ride. Black mold does spread very easily with even the slightest breeze. While this doesn’t allow for significant travel, it is enough to let the affected spot essentially grow in size.
Your HVAC System
This one allows for some serious travel, and it is one of the biggest ways mold spores spread. Moving air picks up the spores and your system pulls them into the ductwork. They can then take root there in the ducts, and then new spores travel on the air as it is pushed out of your ducts, allowing mold to enter every space in your home.
Feet, Hands, and Paws
How does mold move? In some cases, it is with you—or your pets. When you step on or touch mold, even without knowing, then touch another surface, you allow the mold spores to travel and make their home in another part of your house.
Preventing Mold Spread
The first step in preventing mold spread is to identify the source and all other presence of mold in your home, then eliminate it. Mold inspection in Atlanta will assist with this.
The next step is to work to prevent mold from growing in your home in the future. While mold can spread from home to home, meaning no prevention method is perfect, you should work to keep your humidity levels within safe ranges and eliminate any sources of excess moisture, such as wet carpeting after a flood or a lack of ventilation in a bathroom.
Mold is a scary thought, but it can be eliminated from your home with the help of a professional mold mitigation team. If you have found traces of mold in your house or if you know someone who has been diagnosed with an illness related to exposure to mold, please contact us today for more information about how we can get rid of that pesky stuff! We work on all types of properties and will come out and assess your situation.
For more information on mold and its dangers, read: What Is Black Mold?
by Mold-B-Gone | Sep 9, 2021 | Flood
A flood can be devastating to your home, but mold after flooding just makes the situation ten times worse. Luckily, mold prevention after water damage can help protect your health and property. While this is best left to water mitigation and mold specialists in Atlanta, you might need to go DIY in certain situations, at least to get the process jumpstarted.
Whether you are looking to prevent mold yourself or just better understand how the professionals work, here are key steps for how to prevent mold after water damage.
Clear Out Waterlogged Items
Start by taking inventory of all the items in your home and determining which ones are waterlogged. Keep in mind that it isn’t always what you expect. While soft items make it clear that they are holding onto water, harder items like wood can also be waterlogged without you realizing it.
As part of preventing mold after floods get these items out of your home, so they can dry without releasing more and more moisture into the air.
Bring in the Industrial Fans
Not all wet items can simply be drug out into the garage or onto the lawn to dry. For example, if your carpets are soaked and you want to save them, you have to dry them where they are. Industrial fans can help dry out your carpets while preventing mold from flood damage.
Use a Dehumidifier
Even once the items in your home are dry, the air might still be incredibly humid. This alone can allow for mold after a flood. A dehumidifier will pull this moisture out of the air, getting it to a safe level that does not facilitate mold growth.
Attack Visible Mold Growth
If you are already seeing mold growth, you need to treat it. We suggest starting with vinegar or baking soda mixed with water. If this is not enough to get the job done, don’t try other combinations. Instead, let the professionals help.
The best way to avoid a lot of damage from mold and other issues is not to wait around. There’s no time like the present! Call us today or fill out our contact form for more information on how we can help you protect your home and health and get back into your house as soon as possible with our water damage and flood restoration service Atlanta. Schedule your consultation today!
For more information, read: Three Steps to Reduce Flood Damage.
by Mold-B-Gone | Aug 17, 2021 | Mold Remediation
If your home has excess moisture, you likely have a mold problem lurking somewhere in your home. This leaves you with a decision to make: eliminate your mold DIY or hire a professional for mold remediation in Atlanta?
Our vote is to turn it over to the experts. And that isn’t just because busting mold is our business. The truth is that tackling mold on your own puts you and your family at risk. Let’s take a deep dive into the reasons to hire mold removal specialists.
Getting Rid of Mold Is Tough
You might think eliminating mold is an easy task. Just grab a spray bottle with a cleaning solution, a putty knife for scrapping, and get to work. However, mold is incredibly stubborn, and different types need different approaches. While you might manage to eliminate the appearance of mold, chances are high you won’t actually kill and remove all spores, allowing it to return.
Cleaning Can Make Mold Worse
When you take the wrong approach to mold removal, you can actually cause the spores to go airborne during the process. This then lets the mold travel throughout your home thanks to your HVAC system. While it is possible you might eliminate the current mold infestation, you could just cause a new one. Professional mold removal companies have the equipment to keep spores contained during the elimination process.
Knowledge Is Power in the Mold Battle
Perhaps the biggest reason to consider hiring a mold remediation specialist is that they have the knowledge and expertise needed to complete the job properly. They know how to identify the types of mold present in your home, the right techniques for eliminating it, and how to test after their work to ensure all the mold is truly gone from your house. Going DIY means missing out on all of that.
It’s Cheaper in the Long Run
What is the main motivation behind considering DIY mold remediation? While for a few, it is just a matter of pride, for most, the goal is to save money. The problem is that, in the long run, a bad DIY job will cost you more than hiring mold remediation experts in Atlanta at the start. Not only will you need professional help, but the scope of the job will be bigger, and therefore more expensive. Plus, you run the risk of needing to replace elements in your home that are too damaged or infested to save.
Ready to address your mold problem? Contact Mold-B-Gone today.
