If we were to ask you to name the primary threats to your home and health, what would be on your list? Most people would mention fire, natural disasters, termites, or intruders without realizing that mold is one of the biggest threats.
Last year, mold destroyed more wood than fires and termites combined. That alone might make you realize that black mold removal cost is worth it, but there are also health issues to consider. While most people think of the outdoors when they hear about pollution, the air quality inside your home is often worse.
Every year, 7 million people die because of indoor air quality and mold. Millions more get sick due to mold exposure. Are you still wondering whether you need mold cleanup for your home? Read on to find out how to tell if you have a problem and why the cost to remove it is worth every penny.
Table of Contents
What Is Black Mold?
Black mold is a fungus that thrives in moist environments. It can form anytime you have water in your home.
Most people have heard of black mold and the dangers associated with it, but the CDC says that you should eliminate any type of mold that you find in your home. There are thousands of types of mold, and each of them poses health risks and can deteriorate the structure of your home.
Molds cause the decay of wood, food, and any other natural material. They get their energy from the materials that they decay and create spores to spread. These spores become airborne and can spread over a wide area in a short amount of time.
5 Signs That You Have Black Mold In Your Home
If it’s been a while since you’ve had a mold inspection, you might be unaware that you have a problem. Fortunately, there are some signs that it’s time to call a professional company for a home or business inspection.
1. You See Mold In Your Home
The most obvious sign of black mold is seeing it. The problem here is that many people will see mold in their homes and assume that it’s an isolated incident. By the time you see it, however, there’s a good chance that it has spread throughout your home.
If you see it growing on the outside of your walls, there’s a good chance that it’s already inside your walls and ventilation system. Mold releases spores that travel through the air, growing on whatever surface they land on. It spreads rapidly, and once it’s in your home there’s a good chance that it’s not isolated to one area.
Call a professional for mold testing the first time you see anything. The earlier someone comes to your home and performs a mold cleanup, the better.
2. Your Home Floods
Moisture causes mold. Whenever water gets into your home, you run the risk of it creating the conditions that mold needs to grow.
If you notice any flooding after a storm, contact a cleanup and restoration company and have them check your home. If you’re out of town when a storm comes through, check for signs of flooding when you get home. If you have a basement, look at the walls to make sure there are no water lines.
You should also have a roofing company check your roof once a year to make sure there are no holes or broken shingles. If there are, water has probably gotten into your home and you’ll need a mold inspection.
3. Signs of Water Damage
Even if your home doesn’t flood now, it could have in the past. You should look for signs of previous water damage in your home whenever you buy a new property or commercial building.
Discolored spots on the roof and walls are two of the most obvious signs. These spots occur when water sits in an area and begins to rot or decompose the wall or roof. Warped, sagging roofs and bowed walls are other signs that there has been water damage in the past.
Again, moisture causes mold, which means that water damage can lead to poor indoor air quality. You should always contact a professional when you notice these signs. Even if they don’t find anything, the cost of an inspection is well worth the peace of mind you’ll have.
4. Allergy Issues
If you have a sudden onset of allergies, there’s a good chance that you have black mold in your home. Some of the common issues that people report include sneezing, coughing, congestion, and sore eyes.
If you have allergies at home but notice that if you leave your home for work or to go out your issues improve, call a professional immediately. People often assume that their allergies are from having their windows open or pet dander when mold is the culprit.
5. A Strange Odor
Do you smell something stale around your home? There’s a good chance that you’re breathing in mold without realizing it. If you have a strange odor in your home, you may have mold in your ventilation system. If you don’t get it fixed as soon as you notice it, it could spread everywhere in your home.
Read More: What is Green Mold & How to Remove it
Why Black Mold Removal Is Worth Every Penny
A lot of people think that unless mold gets out of hand it’s no big deal. Unfortunately, this mindset often causes people to wait until they develop serious health effects to do something about their mold problem.
Others question why black mold removal costs are high. After all, some soap and water should take care of the issue, right?
In reality, you need a professional to get rid of black mold and make sure that it stays gone. One of the common questions we hear is ‘how much does mold removal cost’, but the truth is that there isn’t an easy way to answer that question without doing a proper inspection. It’s important to understand though that black mold removal cost is always worth it. Here’s why you should let the professionals handle this problem.
1. The Mold You Can See is the Tip of the Iceberg
We touched on this above, but it bears repeating: the mold that you see is only a small amount of what’s actually in your home.
Black mold spreads easily through the air and often hides in your walls and ventilation for months before you can see it. Once it’s established in your home, it can sit and grow in areas you can’t see for months or years. The cost of mold damage, if left unchecked, can eclipse black mold removal cost. By the time you notice anything is wrong, it’s beyond a simple fix.
2. Soap and Water Won’t Fix It
You might think that you can throw some soap and water together, scrub your wall or other affected area, and solve the problem yourself.
There are some problems with this theory though. First, again, the mold is in other places that often require a professional to safely get rid of. They may have to flush out your AC and heater units, go into your walls to clean mold out, and clean out your attic and basement.
The other problem is that soap and water aren’t enough to get rid of mold, even where you can see it. Microscopic spores cause mold to spread, and that’s what the soapy water won’t get rid of. After you clear off a spot, it might look clean for a few months until the mold comes back worse. By then, it’s spread even more.
A professional mold cleanup team can get rid of the mold in your home quickly and stop it from coming back.
3. You and Your Family’s Health is on the Line
Black mold can cause minor health problems for a substantial part of the population, and for a smaller (but still higher than you expect) number of people, it can cause serious health complications.
One estimate says that up to 25% of the population has a genetic predisposition to illnesses caused by mold. That means that in a family of four, there’s a good chance that someone has this predisposition.
Another study shows that 40% of asthma attacks are caused by mold, dust mites, or rats, with mold being the leading contender.
In some cases, mold causes the release of mycotoxins, which can cause severe issues. In most cases, mycotoxins cause hypersensitivity, allergies, asthma, and wheezing. In some cases, it can lead to potentially life-altering issues such as depression, anxiety, memory problems, and problems with the reproductive system.
The severity of issues relies on a few conditions, such as the type of mycotoxin and the length/amount of exposure.
Even the act of trying to get rid of mold yourself can cause problems. If you don’t take the proper precautions, you could breathe mold spores into your lungs. Even if you wear a mask and take precautions, the act of cleaning mold, if done incorrectly, can cause it to spread. Disrupting mold can release millions of spores into the air that can then travel into the lungs of your family and pets.
You should always leave mold issues to professionals that know how to safely clean your home and take care of mold damage.
4. Hiring a Professional Will Save You Money Later
Mold is a destructive force that can destroy the wood in your home. This can lead to structural issues that make your home unsafe to live in.
If you wait too long to get rid of mold, it could also cause you to have to pay thousands in repair costs. Paying a little now for professional repair could save you a lot of money later. Long-term exposure can also lead to thousands of dollars in medical bills. Remember that the severity of issues caused by mold is in part dependent on the length of exposure and the amount of mold that’s in your home. The sooner you get professional help, the less likely it is that you’ll have expensive medical bills.
You’ll also have a hard time selling a home with a mold issue if you decide to put your home on the market. Home inspectors will find the issue and devalue your home, causing buyers to demand that the mold problem gets taken care of before they put in an offer. Calling someone now will save you money in the future when you market your home.
5. Professional Mold Removal Can Point Out Other Issues
If your home has mold in it due to flooding, a professional company will find where the leak is coming from and stop it from happening again. They’re also likely to find other damage caused by the leak and can either fix it themselves or they can recommend someone else that can do it for you.
They may also need to clear out your ventilation system and will often spot issues if there are any. Your best bet is to choose a business that offers a wide range of services so that if any other issues are found, they can identify them and recommend a corrective course of action. They may also be able to do the work themselves after giving you a quote.
The key thing to remember is that when you’re dealing with mold, you could have other issues that you need to deal with. Having a professional come out to your home will help you identify these issues before they become more serious.
6. You Can Prevent Mold From Coming Back
Once you find black mold in your home, there’s a good chance that it will come back in the future. Not only is it difficult to get rid of, but without professional help it can be hard to identify how it got in your home to begin with.
Hiring an independent handyman to take care of the issue might save you money now, but later on you’ll have to deal with the same issues. They’ll also end up cleaning the problem but probably won’t have the expertise needed to deal with what caused the issue.
A professional company doesn’t only focus on mold cleanup but on preventative measures as well. They’ll look for the root cause and take care of it so that the problem doesn’t come back. They’ll also fix all the damage caused by the mold instead of just making it appear as if everything is fine. Is the black mold removal cost of hiring a professional company worth it? If you don’t want to hire someone to “fix” the problem every year, it absolutely is.
Read More: What is White Mold & How to Remove it
Hire A Mold Removal Company You Can Trust
When you’re dealing with the safety of your family and home, you need a company that you can trust and depend on. The problem is that there are dozens of companies that will promise you results but that either can’t or won’t deliver.
How do you choose which company to trust? The cost of black mold removal isn’t cheap. You deserve the best when you’re giving your hard-earned money to a business.
Here’s what sets CTR (Cleanup and Total Restoration) apart from other mold removal companies in Idaho and Eastern Oregon.
We Offer Everything You’ll Need to Detect, Clean, and Prevent Mold
Unlike other issues with your home, black mold isn’t a problem that’s easy to solve. Mold develops in places that you can’t see, spreads easily, and can cause severe problems with the structural integrity of your home.
When you hire CTR, we’ll do a complete diagnosis of the problem to determine where the mold is and find any problems that it may have caused. We’ll come up with an action plan to get rid of the mold and make sure that it stays gone.
First, we’ll get rid of the problem. We’ll use the latest technology to remove all the mold from your home or office. We’ll also determine where the problem originated from and make sure that it doesn’t happen again. We won’t just look for the source of your current mold though; we’ll also look for potential future issues as well. Since we offer a wide-range of services, we’re also able to fix any damage that the mold caused and look for other issues as well. We will do whatever it takes to make sure that mold doesn’t return and give you advice on other things you can do to keep your family safe.
A Commitment To People
One of our core values is to serve people. We know that you’re placing a lot of trust in us when you invite us into your home, which is why we pledge that we will always treat your home with respect.
We’ll work with you to determine the best way to go about getting rid of the mold in your home. We know that it’s stressful to have a crew in your home and will do whatever we can to make it easy for you. We’ll communicate our plan and work with you to develop a strategy that makes the process as stress-free as possible.
We’ll also let you know what needs to be done and when we expect to finish the work. If something comes up that changes our plans, such as finding mold in unexpected places or discovering an issue that we need to fix, we’ll let you know as soon as possible. We’ll tell you what we have to do to fix the problem and give you a cost estimate so that you can make an informed decision.
We take pride in our work and in knowing that our customers appreciate our dedication to service.
Experience and Knowledge
When you’re dealing with mold, it’s important to understand that every situation is different. Every case has something new to consider, and unless you work with a company that has experience with mold removal, you could end up paying a lot of money without getting proper results.
We’ve helped thousands of families throughout Idaho and Oregon remove mold from their home. We’ve seen every situation and have real, first-hand experience dealing with it. We also make sure that we regularly train our staff on new methods for black mold removal so that every job ends with a satisfied customer.
We’re the largest mold removal company in Idaho, meaning that we have the resources needed to handle any job no matter how large it is. With two offices in Idaho and one in Eastern Oregon, we’re able to respond to calls quickly.
We’re also members of several professional organizations due to our knowledge and dedication to customer satisfaction. We’re members of the Better Business Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, Buy Idaho, and more.
A Local Business With The Resources of a National Company
When you use us for your mold removal, you’re supporting the local Idaho and Eastern Oregon economy. Our employees live and work locally. We know the people that live in the region and understand your unique needs.
Our business believes in the value of community and works with local organizations to help make the region a great place to live and work. If you use a national brand, the money that you give them often gets disbursed to other parts of the country. When you do business with CTR, you’re helping to keep money and jobs local.
Just because we’re a local business doesn’t mean that we don’t have the same resources of national brands. We’re still the largest mold removal business in Idaho, meaning we’re able to use the best methods and tools to keep your family and your home safe.
Read More: Signs You Need a Mold Remediation Specialist
Get The Professional Help You Need
Do you suspect that you have mold in your home? Has your home been subject to flooding or water damage recently and now you’re worried about what to do next? The first step is to call in the professionals at Cleanup and Total Restoration.
We’ll come to your home, perform mold testing to see how big of an issue there is, and then get to work cleaning it up. We know that black mold removal cost can worry homeowners, so we’ll put together a fair estimate so that you know what to expect before we start doing any work.
The first time you notice mold, you need to act immediately to stop it from spreading and affecting your home and health. Contact us today to get the help and peace of mind you need.