5 Common Places for Mold in a North Carolina Home or Business

With the heat and humidity of summer right around the corner across the Triangle and Southwest Wake County, mold can become a serious indoor problem and must be watched for in any increased wet conditions. Mold only needs warm temperatures to grow and thrive. It can be a problem during the winter months as well. Yet it is the warmer and more humid months of summer across our region of North Carolina that includes Fayetteville, Lillington, Sanford, Pittsboro, Cary and Apex, where it can grow at an even faster rate. Mold always grows best at temperatures between 60 F and 80 F, which is where most air conditioners are set during the summer.

In our last AdvantaClean of Cary/Apex Blog, we wrote about how mold can affect our indoor health and how certain allergic symptoms can lead our AdvantaClean Environmental of Cary/ Apex team to look for an array of indoor mold situations. It is important to note that it can grow almost anywhere in our homes and businesses. There are common places where mold is most likely to be found as well. Now that spring is here, most owners usually do a good spring cleaning where they live and work. If mold, mildew, fungus or damp and dry spotting are found, it is important to call us to assess the home or building. Our certified and local AdvantaClean professionals can clean the mold and remove it properly with the least amount of disruption to home, life, and business.

AdvantaClean suggests five common places for find mold that could grow in a home or business:

• Behind bathroom walls: Walls in the bathtub or shower can be especially susceptible to mold around and under the shower head neck and faucets. Over the years, water can drip behind the ceramic tiles. Possible signs of mold behind the wall include holes in the tile grout, cracked tiles, or if tiles start to become lose and possibly fall off of the wall.  
• Window sills: During spring cleaning, mold might be found around and under the window sills. Condensation occurs during the winter because it is colder outside and warmer and more humid indoors. During the winter, condensation builds up on windows and drips down into the walls and window sills.
• Carpets and carpet padding: Carpets take a lot of abuse including spilled liquids, dirt and minor floods. Dirt can be food for mold and water of course is where it starts. Water can get onto and under carpets from any number of reasons that can include drips, weather and problems like a leaking hot water tank.
• Wallpaper: There are signs that could indicate mold behind wallpaper. These signs include torn wallpaper, damp spots, discoloration or peeling edges.
• Other common places: Check for mold under sinks, on shower curtains, around air conditioners, ductwork, and door gaskets on front loading washing machines. Areas like  attics, basements, crawl spaces, chimneys, cavity walls, refrigerator drip pans and ceiling tiles should be assessed too.
  

Mold can grow wherever there is water, dampness and condensation. If there is mold or the suspicion of mold, call AdvantaClean Environmental of Cary/Apex. Our local team of professionals can inspect and test for mold in a home or business. If mold is found we will safely remove it, following proper procedures to make certain the damage is contained and removed properly every time. AdvantaClean Environmental of Cary/ Apex is IIRC certified and we serve a wide area of the Triangle and surrounding region. If concerned about mold, or if it is sighted; call us immediately at 919-434-7249 for an inspection today.

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AdvantaClean Environmental of Cary and Apex is your environmental specialist in Southwest Wake, Chatham, Lee, Cumberland and Johnston Counties. Our team of certified professionals is ready to address all your service needs.

We are the premier air quality and restoration specialists in the Triangle!

Call 919 434 7249

AdvantaClean Environmental of Cary/Apex

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4 Important Signs That Mold is Present in a Triangle Home or Business

There are approximately 30 common types of mold found in North Carolina homes and businesses that can cause health problems, and there are thousands of mold spores in the air especially as we head quickly to spring. Sometimes the mold can be seen, but many times mold is hidden in walls, under bathroom tiles, and under the carpet.

It is important to note that mold can cause health problems and should be addressed when found. Thankfully, AdvantaClean Environmental of Cary/ Apex has ways to detect and identify a suspected mold problem in the home or business.

The best and most effective way to take eliminate mold is to call AdvantaClean Environmental of Cary/ Apex. Even if there is just a suspicion of mold, our professional team can inspect and test for mold and take care of any mold problem before it gets worse. If and when mold is found, we will take a culture of the mold and test it to determine the amount within a home or business.

AdvantaClean Environmental of Cary/ Apex suggests four important signs that mold might be present in a home or building:

• Sickness and poor health symptoms: Many times, if mold is present, there will be health symptoms that include nasal and sinus congestion, cough, sore throats, chest tightness, breathing difficulties, asthma or worsening of asthma, nosebleeds, headaches, skin and eye irritations and upper respiratory tract infections.  Many of the mold symptoms resemble normal allergies or a cold. If people living in the home feel better outside or at work and the symptoms return when at home, that could be an indication of mold in the home.
• Musty odors: Mold usually has a smell to it, but that is not always the case; mold produces or gives off gasses known as microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOC). The smell that is most closely associated with mold is a musty odor. Some have compared it to the smell books get when they are wet. The wet pages are turning moldy. If there is an unusual persistent musty odor, there could be a chance mold is present.
• The physical appearance of mold: In the shower stall, mold looks different than normal soap scum. If you should see small black specs starting to form on the tiles or the shower curtain, that could be black mold starting to form. Under sinks is another place you might see mold.
• Other signs of mold: Are there continual damp spots on walls, ceilings or carpets? These areas could easily be places where mold could be growing. Other signs can include bubbling, peeling or cracking of the paint or wallpaper, or white patches under carpets, behind furniture and in cabinets.

Mold can be in plain sight or hide behind walls, under floor tiles and carpeting. Serving the entire Triangle area, Sanford, Lillington, Fayetteville and beyond, AdvantaClean of Cary/ Apex can test for mold with one simple call. If mold is found, we will safely remove the mold following proper procedures. Our experts will make certain the mold is contained and disposed of properly and on time. If mold is suspected, call us at 919-434-7249 for an inspection and test.

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AdvantaClean Environmental of Cary and Apex is your mold and environmental specialist in Southwest Wake, Chatham and Johnston Counties.

Our team of certified professionals is ready to address all your service needs.

Your air quality and restoration specialists

Call 919 434 7249

AdvantaClean

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