Mold is something that many of us have to deal with. Usually this is caused by wet clothes in the laundry room or dirty dishes or even rotten food. People who have basements will be most susceptible to mold growing because of how dark and damp it is. Many of us don’t even notice the amount that is growing until it has overrun a great portion of it.
It is important to understand how to identify basement mold so that you know how harmful it is to your health and that of your families. This will also help you to know what steps need to be taken in order to remove it. Before you try to study the mold up close you need to wear a mask over your mouth. Inhaling the spores could cause allergies to flare, breathing to become labored, and headaches.
Color
Use a flashlight so that you can get a good look at what is there. The first thing you should notice is the color. This can be light gray, green, blue, black, and brown. The darker colored mold is usually identified as stachbotyrs and cladosporium genusus. The lighter molds are identifies as aspergillus and fusarium. These are most commonly found outdoors on plants.
Texture
The texture of the mold is the next thing you should look at. If it looks slimy and grows in streaks than it is the strachybotyrs. This is called black mold and is one of the most toxic forms. Most of the other types of molds are fuzzy and have a matte texture. Food mold is commonly fuzzy and can occur in a lot of kitchens.
Growth
If it is growing in disjointed circular patches than it is the aspergillus. Most other kinds of molds will grown near water stains on the walls of the basement.