CPR Nashville Blog

Mold FAQs from Homeowners

No one likes mold! Most people know that it can be bad for your health and bad for your home, but not everyone knows how mold grows, why it can be detrimental to your health, or how to get rid of it.

If you’re dealing with mold issues — or think you might have a mold problem — give Choice Property Restoration a call. We’re here to help!

If you live in the Nashville area and think you have a mold problem, we hope you’ll count on the professionals at Choice Property Restoration to handle mold remediation for you, as this is one of our specialties. We would like to provide you with some of the questions we hear most frequently from our customers and our answers to those questions:

Why is mold dangerous?

Not all mold is bad for your health; in fact, mold can be found in some places without much concern. Furthermore, not all people are sensitive to mold. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some types of mold can not only contribute to hay-fever like allergies, eye or skin irritation, and wheezing, but there’s actually a toxic black mold called Stachybotrys that may be especially harmful.

I see mold on my walls, floors, or in my basement. Where does it come from?

Mold is usually the result of excess humidity or water damage. Water and moisture can get into your house in any number of ways, but we most frequently see water damage come from burst pipes, sewage malfunction, dam breaches, an overflowing washing machine, or flooding from excessive rainfall—something Nashville residents know about all too well.

How do I know if my house has mold or where it’s located?

There are certain places in a damp home where mold will naturally grow. Floors and carpets, basements and crawlspaces are prime targets. Basically, the lower an area is, the more likely it is to grow mold; this is why we often hear Nashville homeowners complain of mold on their carpet, tile or grout, and laminate and wood flooring. Walls, however, can also be feeding grounds for bacteria and mold, especially if the leak has originated from the roof.

Though mold is sometimes visible to the naked eye—or apparent to the nose, thanks to its strong musty smell—it just as often is completely hidden from a homeowner’s view, though he or she may see signs of it. If our team determines that the origin of a leak is especially mysterious, we will actually use thermal imaging to locate the source, as our thermal imaging cameras can find mold even behind your walls. We may also use digital hygrometers to test the humidity in your air.

Only a professional will be able to truly determine if you have a mold problem and suggest the best way for you to solve it. Call Choice Property Restoration, located in Nashville, Tennessee, at 615-866-7989 to solve your mold problem.

Cleaning Your Air Ducts

Lower your health and safety risks by cleaning your air ducts. Here’s what you as a homeowner should know.

Studies have shown that indoor air can be anywhere from two to five times more polluted than outside air. Most disposable filters remove about 10% of these pollutants allowing 90% to enter the air system, even during the construction of a new home. The pollutants contain dust, pollen, mold spores, animal dander and much more. These materials collect in the furnace, air conditioner and duct surfaces, just as they do on the furniture and floor surfaces.

From Where does the Dirt in your Vents Come?

All inside air was once outside air, so all of the dust, chemicals, pollen, insects and mold spores in the outside air can be pulled into the air system. People shed millions of tiny dead skin cells every hour. Cooking smoke, household insect sprays, personal care products are also a source of pollutants. Many construction materials, carpets, wood products and plastics give off pollutants as well. During construction or remodeling activities, many types of dust are produced and find their way into the ductwork. If the duct components were stored outside prior to construction, they may have collected dust, rainwater and even mold before they were installed in a system.

Clean Systems Use Less Energy

Five to seven times a day, the air in your home circulates through the air ducts of your heating and cooling system, carrying with it the dust and debris of everyday living. There are three major parts to your air system:

1. The supply and return grills;
2. The interior surfaces of the supply and return vents;
3. The furnace/air conditioner air handler.

All three components need to be cleaned. If only one or two of the components are cleaned, the contaminants from the third component will rapidly contaminate the ones that were cleaned. Depending on the amount of contamination and its location, energy consumption could be increased. If the fan blades, evaporator coil or other control components of the system are heavily contaminated, the system may have to run much longer to cool or heat the occupied space, thereby wasting a lot of energy in the process.

Contaminants Lead to More Problems

Your furniture and floors are cleaned regularly but the duct surfaces are hidden from view and can only be reached by specialized duct cleaning equipment. These pollutants can migrate out into the room again, or become a food source for mold and bacteria, which can thrive in this dark comfortable environment from high humidity or moisture from the air conditioner or humidifiers. Biological growth can release mold spores or toxins into the air system.

Once an air system is thoroughly cleaned, it should remain clean for three to seven years if properly maintained. A standard disposable filter only stops about 10% of the airborne contaminants, allowing 90% of the dust in the room to flow back into the air system. To maintain protection against biological growth, you should have a qualified duct cleaning professional apply an EPA-registered biocide every 6 to 12 months.