Is Black Mold Dangerous?

Is black mold dangerous? Can my family become injured or sick if they have been exposed to this fungus after a water incident in our home?

These are just a few of the thoughts that might run through your head after the discovery of black mold growing in your house. 

Finding mold in your home or on your property is an alarming event. Learning the facts about mold, its growth, the different types of mold that might infect your home, and how it can affect the health of those exposed can help you deal with this scary situation.

Black mold, or Stachybotrys chartarum, is a term used for one of the types of mold that can grow in a home after a water intrusion. 

It is typically black or dark grey in color and smells wet and musty. It is usually found growing in areas of a home with a lot of moisture, darkness, and humidity. 

Those who live or work in a home that has been affected by black mold also might notice a burning or scratching sensation in their throat or lungs. 

Black mold, like other mold types, can be dangerous and can greatly affect the health of those exposed if left untreated, so it’s important to remove it as soon as you’re aware of it.

With over two decades of combined experience in mold mitigation and restoration, the certified technicians at HRS are trained to understand why black mold is dangerous and how to limit its effects on those who live and work on your property.

Contact us as soon as mold is discovered, and our team will get started right away on working to ensure that any damage to your property or health will be limited to as little as possible.

What Is Black Mold?

Black mold is a type of mold that can grow after a water intrusion occurs in a home. 

Reports of illnesses after exposure have given this fungus a reputation that causes fear in those who hear that their home may have a growth of it after a water breach.

The truth, though, is that although black mold is notorious in name, it is actually less common in water-damaged buildings than other types of molds. 

However, it is not rare and should be addressed immediately after discovery.  

Black mold grows on materials with a high cellulose content, such as fiberboard, gypsum board, and paper. These are common materials in buildings and homes.

Growth occurs when there is moisture from water damage, water leaks, condensation, water infiltration, or flooding. Constant moisture, humidity, and warmth are required for its growth.

What Causes Black Mold To Grow? 

Black mold grows as a result of the same conditions that allow all types of mold to flourish.

Some of the conditions that allow mold to thrive in a home include darkness, warmth, and moisture.

The fungus grows on building materials such as wood, paper, and insulation, as well as on carpets, fabric furniture, and even clothes.

Moisture is the key condition that mold requires for growth. Without it, the mold cannot thrive and won’t be found in your home. This is why it is common to find mold in a property after a water emergency or leak.

Where Can Black Mold Be Found? 

Black mold can be found in many areas of your home or property after they suffer a water breach such as a flood or leak.

It is especially common to find black mold growing behind doors, in carpet, and in hidden spaces such as behind drywall.

As mold requires moisture, dark, and warmth to thrive, it can be hidden from plain view after a home suffers water damage.

This is why professionals, like the certified technicians at HRS, use technologies such as moisture meters and thermal cameras to find hidden moisture remaining in a home after it begins to dry after a water emergency. 

What Are The Symptoms Of Toxic Mold?

It is common to wonder how common is black mold and what are the effects of it after you discover it growing in your home. 

Black mold exposure can be toxic to those that are sensitive to it or who have been exposed for long periods. Toxicity can happen when spores are inhaled and the body’s immune response begins.

Wondering what black mold can do to your body? Symptoms of mold toxicity include headaches, coughing, wheezing, runny nose, aches and pains, and psychological effects such as increased anxiety.

Can Black Mold Kill You?

Discovering a growth of mold in your home after a water incident is not only stressful because of the damage that may have resulted, but can leave a homeowner wondering if black mold is deadly. 

The answer is that for some people, it can be.

Though for most individuals, exposure to mold is not a fatal event, there are those that not only suffer long term illness but expire as a result of mold-induced disease.

This typically occurs in the most extreme cases, and for people who are sensitive to the inhaled spores, and who may have underlying conditions. 

To avoid health-related issues as much as possible, it is recommended that mold be mitigated as soon as possible after its discovery.

How To Get Rid Of Black Mold

Mold can begin to grow in as little as 24-hours after a growth food source becomes wet. This is why it is advisable to begin mitigation as soon as possible after a water breach occurs.

The first step in getting rid of black mold is identifying the source of the moisture and stopping it. 

Once the space is no longer suffering ongoing water intrusion, technicians, like the certified HRS team, begin the process of ensuring that all moisture is discovered and dried fully. 

All affected items and structures are dried, cleaned, and disinfected. Anything that can be saved, is repaired and returned to its pre-damaged condition during the restoration process.

Using technological tools such as thermal cameras, moisture meters, and high-powered air dryers, professionals are able to reduce the health effects and damage that a home suffers as a result of a water breach.

HRS’s Mold Remediation & Restoration Services

At HRS, our team of certified mold remediation technicians in Denver work to not only stop water from damaging your home and allowing mold to grow, but also to bring your space back to its pre-damaged condition.

Having a water incident in your home, and then learning that mold has infected it is highly stressful for property owners.

Our team, with a combined two decades of experience helping homeowners just like you in this type of situation, understands. It is our mission to limit health effects and damage to your property and bring it back to life after a water emergency.

Our mold mitigation and restoration process begins with stopping the moisture that is coming into your space. Then, we test the mold that is growing, use professional-grade tools to clean and remove it, and disinfect the area. Finally, our team of licensed contractors is able to restore your property to its pre-damaged condition in as little time as possible.

Mold Inspection & Testing

Mold inspection and testing are the first steps in determining where the moisture that is allowing mold growth to occur is happening, what type of and what type of mold has infected your space.

A mold inspection helps you find mold that may be hidden to the eye. Mold thrives in dark, warm, and moist spaces such as behind drywall in insulation, underneath loose tiles, and in carpets, and an inspection can ensure that every mold infected area is dried and cleaned.

Testing is common in commercial cases of water intrusion but is important for all property types to assess the type and potential toxicity of a mold.

Mold Removal & Remediation

Once the source of moisture has been identified and stopped and the mold has been tested, the removal and remediation process can begin.

Technological tools are employed to dry affected areas. Then all mold is removed, and the areas where it once thrived are cleaned and disinfected.

This important step helps to limit the exposure to toxic mold spores that can be inhaled, lowering potential effects on the health of those living and working in a space.

Mold Restoration

Mold restoration is the process of bringing a mold damaged space back to its pre-damaged condition. 

At HRS, our Denver team of licensed contractors work to repair every aspect of your home or property. This includes not only the interior and exterior spaces affected by mold but even furniture and clothing.

Contact HRS Restoration Services Today!

Finding mold in your home or on your property makes it imperative that you act quickly to stop the water, dry your space, and disinfect to keep the girth from reoccurring.

Having professional, certified technicians to assist you is essential to ensuring that the health and safety of those who live and work in the mold infected space are protected.

When you discover moisture and find mold, contact HRS’s highly trained team of professional disaster restoration experts in Denver, and we will start the process of bringing your home back to the condition it was before it was infected by mold.