Magnifying Glass on Mold

Top 15 Reasons Why You Need a Mold Inspection

Top 15 Reasons Why You Need A Mold Inspection!


Why is a Mold Inspection so Important?

Having a professional Mold Inspection can prevent severe illness and disease. It can also prevent mold from spreading when caught at an early stage.

Rock Emergency has conducted thousands of home and business mold inspections along with receiving calls to run tests for mold for many reasons. Here is our list of the Top 15 Reasons why our clients call us!



1. Noticing something weird or unusual growing

mold-growth

Among one of the most common reasons we are called is because there is now something growing in an area of a kitchen or bathroom that was not there before. It is quite common for mold to start growing in the far corners of the kitchen counters or in the grout of the bathroom floor.

You may notice something strange looking on the floor of the basement or garage. It could be mold! Usually, the sight of mold is the last symptom we notice of a more underlying issue like water damage or moisture build-up.



2. Having a foul odor in a certain area

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Odors happen when there has been a change to a specific environment. In this case, it is in or around your home or business. A presence of water or moisture in excess could be the cause of this change. The odor may be of a musty, damp type of smell.

Think of if you had laundry sitting in the washer for too long, it gets that nasty musty smell that takes 2 more washes to get it out. If you are smelling that, and it is not laundry, there may be mold growing somewhere that you cannot see..



3. Is your Family ALWAYS sick?

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Does it seem like someone in your family is constantly getting sick? Runny nose, itchy eyes, sneezing?There may be mold growing in your home and you do not realize it. While not everyone has the sames ensitivity to mold, others can be extremely sensitive to it.

This can resonate itself with what looks like a common cold or even regular type allergies. If you find that people always seem sick in your home, it might be best to have a mold inspection.



4. Sudden onset of Allergies

woman with sudden allergies due to mold

Is it the middle of winter and you are blowing your nose every five seconds? You know you aren't sick, and nobody else is sick either. Mold has a funny way of making people think they might be sick, but really it is an allergic reaction to mold.

Sometimes people develop a rash, severe headaches, red, blood-shot eyes, and issues with breathing not due to asthma. Like regular seasonal allergies, mold can affect people differently. If you've never had any type of allergies before, and now suddenly you do, you should get a mold inspection.



5. Growing your Family

get a mold inspection before bringing home a new born

Congratulations on the new addition to your family! The last thing you want to do is bring your little bundle of joy into a home that may be riddled with mold you cannot see or smell. Newborns are very susceptible to getting sick even when others are not.

They rely on us to be sure their environment around them is clean and free of germs and toxins. Air quality can have a large effect on infants as they grow. Having mold in the air could lead to possibilities of asthma or other respiratory problems down the road. Speaking of which, that brings us to reason #6



6. Having Asthma or other Respiratory Illness

mold spores

We find that many people who are diagnosed with asthma, or get chronic respiratory infections are calling us in to conduct a mold inspection. Since the mold can be in the air that we breathe, it can have a real damaging effect on those who may already be compromised. The last thing you want is to make any existing breathing problems worse by having mold in the home..



7. Recent Water damage from a storm or leak

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Mold grows because there is water or moisture in an area. Water damage can happen in a bunch of ways including flooding, torrential rainstorm, leaky faucet, bathtub overflowed and many other reasons. Aside from the possible structural damage caused, this space is now a breeding ground for microbial mold to reproduce and colonize.

It is extremely important that before restoring the area you are absolutely sure that there are no possibilities of mold growth. If you restore the space before having a mold check completed, you may run into the giant headache caused by mold growing on the new surfaces and having to do it all over again.



8. Remodeling or Renovating an existing space

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Decided to finally upgrade your kitchen or bathroom? You are so excited to have that double vanity you always wanted, and that stand-alone tub, you just cannot wait to start chucking that old outdated stuff to the curb. When deciding to renovate a room, you are pulling up tiles, tearing down walls and exposing areas that may have been contaminated by mold.

There may have been an old water leak repaired by the past owners, or you did not realize that the water from the clogged toilet got into the subflooring. Before you start installing that beautiful vanity, you're going to want to be sure the walls and floor are dry and free of mold!



9. Finding there is a moisture buildup and no insulation

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Have you ever seen frost on the inside of your windows in the middle of winter? How is this even possible you think. The cold from outside, and the heat from inside, with the addition of poor insulation, are a wonderful way to allow frost on the inside of your windows.

Even in the summer when it is super hot outside, and you have the AC blasting inside, and you see that your windows are wet on the inside to the point where moisture is dripping onto your window sill. That area could allow rapid mold growth. If you've noticed this happen on any of your windows, it's a great idea to have that checked out by a mold professional!



10. Poor ventilation

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Love taking hot, steamy showers? Really enjoy the heat from the dryer when you are doing laundry? Most of us do, especially in the colder months, but all that moisture in the air can become trapped in that room. Proper ventilation will help alleviate the moisture that builds up from showers and laundry. Without it, there could be more damage than just wet mirrors and slippery tile floors.



11. Pets are itchy all the time

Grey cat and brown dog itching from mold allergies

How are the fur-babies acting? Did they go from normal itchies, to itching ALL the time? Does it seem like they're always rubbing their ears, or rolling around on the floor as if they are trying to get something off their backs? Since they can't physically talk to us (how cool would that be?), this could be them telling us that something might be wrong.

Mold can not only bother us, but it can also affect our four-legged family members. If you start to see this happen more often, it may be time for a professional mold inspection.



12. Moving into your new home

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The date is finally here…you have closed on your dream home! You simply cannot wait to move in. Everything passed with the regular inspection, but you think you saw a weird black spot behind the toilet in the guest bathroom. You feel it cannot be anything bad because you just bought the house and it passed inspection.

The standard home inspection does not always include a mold inspection. Their main concern is going to be sure that everything is up to code, works and is structurally sound. It is always better to be on the safe side when it comes to the possibility of mold! Paint does a surprisingly excellent job of covering up and hiding mold and even water damage, but the mold is still there and will eventually spread.



13. Moving into or renovating an older home or building

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Older homes have so much history. A house built in the late 1800's or early 1900's could have multiple owners over its lifetime. Some inhabitants may have been born and raised in the same home that they raise their own family in. The likelihood that there has been water damage at some point is high.

It may or may not have been correctly taken care of. This could result in problems later down the road. If you have an old home and no records showing a mold inspection, it's highly recommended to do so.



14. Legal concerns related to a landlord

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When it comes to renting from someone, whether it's an apartment, condominium or a home, there could be legal issues that come up if there is mold in the home.

Depending on where you live, and the severity of the mold, they may be liable! It is ALWAYS important to get a mold inspection done if you feel there are any legal proceedings you may make against your landlord.

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The last of the 15 reasons on this list is one of the most important! Peace of mind! It feels good knowing that your home is safe of possibly toxic mold!

If you have already had a mold inspection completed, Rock Emergency Services Inc. also offers Mold Remediation by certified experts!

Schedule a Mold Inspection!


In closing...

...if any of these sound familiar to you, it may be time for a mold inspection. You can't put a price tag on the safety of your family or the peace of mind you have knowing so. Share and tag someone you know that may be in need of a mold inspection!

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