Mold is a fungus that loves to live in humid rooms of your home, like the bathroom or the basement. It comes in an array of unappetizing colors, like yellow, green, brown, or even white — but the most dangerous type of mold is black. If you’re painting your house and encounter mold, you’ll need to take steps to ensure you kill it at its source.
Health Issues Caused by Mold
Mold can cause a wide range of health issues, including headaches, abdominal pain and bloating, respiratory infections, skin irritations, and even serious organ damage. If you’re painting and encounter mold, stop right away. Put on a mask to protect yourself, and then call a mold removal professional.
Signs of Mold
Sometimes it’s obvious you have mold — you’ll see it right on your walls, trim, or ceiling. But sometimes, mold has been painted over without treating it at its source. When that’s happened, you’ll notice that the paint has bubbled, cracked, or is raised. You could see yellowish stains on the paint. That’s because the mold is still growing underneath the paint, and is working its way back to the surface.
How to Deal with Mold
Many people think they can use an antifungal paint over existing mold and be done with it. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. You must get rid of the source of the mold, or it will continue to come back.
Some less dangerous types of mold can be removed with vinegar, but your best and safest bet is to hire a professional to do the job. They’ll be able to locate the source of the mold, make or recommend any repairs needed to prevent future mold, and remove the mold safely. Once the mold is removed at its source, you should apply antifungal paint to the area to help protect it.
how to Reduce the chance of mold
To help keep mold from growing or returning to your home once you’ve gotten rid of it, take the following precautions:
• Use dehumidifiers, especially in rooms where humidity tends to stay high.
• Regularly inspect your home for areas that leak; look for water damage.
• Open your windows in spring and summer to get air flowing through your home.
• Run the heat in winter; having a warm house in cold weather will lessen the chance of moisture production.
For more information on mold, including how to keep mold out of your home, visit the CDC’s website.
Take the pressure off yourself! When you hire Burlett Painting, we’ll make sure your paint job is done right, even if mold is present. If we ever encounter mold on a job, we’ll refer you to a professional who can take care of the issue that’s causing it. Then we’ll clean all mold from the substrate, using proper mold cleaners, and paint the area using proper mold-resistant paint. Call us at 828.974.4385 for a no-obligation quote, or send us a request online.