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A Guide To Understanding, Identifying, And Preventing Mold In Your Home

Mold. Another one of those four letter words. When it comes to mold growth in the home, it is crucial to take the steps to properly prevent or remove in a timely manner. Take a further look at how mold growth can affect you and your family, and what must be done to keep it far away from your home.

A Guide To Understanding, Identifying, And Preventing Mold In Your Home

Understanding Mold

Before being able to identify and even remove mold, it is important to understand a little more about mold. Moisture is necessary for mold growth to occur. This moisture could be coming from a number of different sources, including:

  • a leak in a pipe, whether in an obvious place or behind the walls of your home
  • holes or cracks in your roof or foundation that allow moisture inside
  • improperly sealed windows or doors that allow moisture to seep in
  • overuse of humidifiers

Because mold needs moisture to grow, it is essential to eliminate water leaks or problems in your home before it has the chance to take root. Once mold starts growing and spreading, it will only become increasingly difficult to remove completely.

Understanding Mold
Mold Starts Growing

Mold grows through spores,which are too small for your eye to perceive. These spores float around, landing on wet surfaces.


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Even if these spores are in your home, they will not be able to survive without moisture. Mold within the home causes a number of problems. In addition to the believed health problems certain types can enhance, mold in the home can:

  • reduce the value of your home upon resell
  • hold an unpleasant odor in your home
  • ruin the aesthetic appeal
  • damage structures and contents it comes in contact with

While mold may be an essential part of the natural environment, it has no place in the home. Understanding how mold grows is crucial in preventing it in your home.

Mold Starts Growing

Signs Of Mold

There are a number of signs that can alert you to the presence of mold in your home. Learn how to recognize these to help you quickly identify mold growth before it has the chance to spread. There are many extreme cases of mold damage, but you can avoid these through properly identifying the problem early on and correcting it.

Signs Of Mold
Signs Of Mold

Look for these signs in your home:

  • The odor - mold has a very distinct smell. If you start to smell something musty that wasn’t there before, there’s a good chance you’ve got mold. Don’t ignore this odor, instead investigating further.
  • Visible mold growth - small areas of mold growth may at first just look like dirt or even soot. Too often people ignore these first signs of mold instead of taking care of the problem immediately. Taking care of mold at this stage will be much easier than dealing with it once the damage has had time to spread.
Mold Has A Very Distinct Smell

Beginning Signs Of Mold
  • Water leaks - as mentioned before, water leaks in your home will lead mold. If you know you have a water leak, recognize where it is coming and stop it. Check back and make sure moisture is removed, and no mold is growing.
  • Past flooding - if you’ve had a flood in your home, especially in carpeted areas, it is crucial to ensure mold has not grown. If the padding beneath the carpet is wet, mold can even grow here. Ensure your home is protected against this damaging mold.
  • Condensation - whether on your metal pipes or glass windows, condensation is an easy way to invite mold into your home.

Recognize these signs and precursors of mold. Remove the problem, and any mold, before it becomes overwhelming.

Removing Mold

There are a number of factors that could influence who should clean up the mold in your home. Determine if the problem is small enough for you to handle yourself, or if you need professional mold remediation:

  • The beginning signs of mold, which can often appear to be dirt or soot, can be removed by the homeowner. If properly taken care of this shouldn’t cause problems.
Beginning Signs Of Mold
  • More than a small amount of mold should be attended to by a professional contractor. Ensure that the professional you hire is experienced in mold removal, and can effectively remove your mold problem.
  • If certain areas of your home such as the HVAC system or inside the walls are affected by mold, you may need a professional’s help in cleaning and then preventing the problem later down the road.


Protect your home against mold damage. With this guide, you can better understand the causes, how to remove, and prevent mold. At First Atlantic, we’re here to help with your mold removal project, cleaning your home to it’s former state. Call us for your evaluation: 855-790-7707

Beginning Signs Of Mold
Beginning Signs Of Mold