Mold is a fact of life. Yes, there are mold spores lurking in your home. The good news is that in order to cause problems, the spores must find a place to grow. That requires moisture and an organic substance like wood or insulation. Fortunately, even when mold spores do take root in your home, not all mold is toxic. Most people aren’t at great risk from mold–even toxic mold. Generally, only the elderly, infants, and the infirm face great risk from toxic mold. So, if you find mold in your home or think you might have mold in your home, don’t panic.
Experts agree prolonged exposure to mold–even non-toxic mold–may be the culprit of headaches, sinus problems, sore throats, and other symptoms. If you smell mold, but can’t see it with the naked eye and find yourself or a family member developing respiratory problems, mold very well may be the cause. Whether it’s toxic mold or non-toxic mold, it needs to be removed, and the source of the moisture that is allowing it to grow needs to be mitigated.
So What’s the Difference between Toxic Mold and Non-Toxic Mold?
Toxic mold is mold that contains mycotoxins, regardless of the color of the mold. Many times, in fact most times, mold is present, but mycotoxins are not. There are more than 100,000 kinds of mold spores, and they grow in a variety of colors and shapes and sizes. It’s not always necessary to determine which type of mold is present, though some companies that do mold removal in NY may want to test your home for the presence of different mold spores. Mold spores are always present and levels of it fluctuate, so in order for any mold testing to be accurate, it must be conducted over the long term.
It’s important that a service that provides mold remediation in Saratoga Springs, NY remove the mold, remove and replace damaged wood or other organic items, and find and mitigate the source of the moisture that is helping the mold grow and thrive. More specifically, companies that perform mold remediation in NY are now required by law to be Mold Certified by the state, so when choosing a company to clean up mold for you, be sure to inquire if they are NY State Mold Certified.