Category: Black Mold

The answer is no. Just because you find black mold in your Leesburg, VA home does not necessarily mean it is toxic. Black mold has a black pigment by nature and is often thought of as the toxic kind of mold, but that is not always true. Even though black mold may not be toxic, it can still be allergenic.

The most common black mold found in homes in Leesburg, VA is Cladosporium. This common black mold has no known side effects. It can be found both inside and outside of homes in Leesburg, VA. That being said, heavy exposure to black mold may trigger allergy or asthma symptoms.

Stachybotrys chartarum is toxic black mold and is usually dark black or sometimes even dark green. It is highly toxic and commonly found in attics. This particular mold releases mycotoxins, which are toxic chemicals present in mold spores that can be released into the air and then inhaled. For this kind of mold growth, the material would need to be wet for at least 72 hours with consistent moisture for mold to continue to grow.

Mold that is capable of releasing mycotoxins is definitely toxic. Typically, the reason for mold growth in an attic is from improper ventilation. For instance, a bathroom exhaust fan which vents towards the attic, instead of outside the house can produce moist, humid air that filters up to the attic and can trigger black toxic mold growth.

Attic vents that are blocked may also trigger black mold growth. If your attic vents at your Leesburg, VA home are blocked, be sure to turn off the power source before removing the blockage and make repairs. After the mold removal, the attic vent should work to remove the moisture from the attic.

Toxic black mold at your Leesburg, VA home can be hazardous and cause health issues for your family members. The damage to someone’s health depends on the length of exposure and the number of mold spores inhaled.

Toxic black mold should be removed by a professional team such as Envirotex Environmental Services.

Black mold, scientifically known as Stachybotrys chartarum and Stachybotrys chorohalonata, affects homes of all sizes in the Alexandria, VA area. The toxic spores from black mold can contribute to various health issues and significantly reduce the air quality inside your Alexandria, VA home.

What should you do when you find black mold growth inside your home? Call the professionals. Black mold removal is dangerous to try to do on your own. You can make the problem worse and put your family at great risk when trying the remove the mold yourself.

Even though there are serious health effects from black mold exposure, enough to avoid DIY black mold removal, there are other reasons to call in the experts such as Envirotex Environmental Services. Mold specialists such as the ones at Envirotex are trained in advanced methods of black mold removal to eliminate all mold in your Alexandria, VA home, as well as identify any hidden problems that you may not be aware of.

Dangers of Handling Black Mold Removal on Your Own Can Lead to—

• Exacerbate the situation—If not properly contained, when black mold releases spores, it can spread to other areas of the home, making the situation that much worse.
• Hidden Mold—Black mold can be hiding in places you are unaware of, such as air vents, which require proper treatment for complete black mold removal at your Alexandria, VA home.
• Improper Equipment—Black mold removal professionals will use an array of high-tech equipment to remove black mold from your home in Alexandria, VA, such as air filters, containment systems, and personal protection gear.

Anytime you are faced with black mold at your home in Alexandria, VA, never attempt black mold removal on your own; always call in the professionals.

Leave it to the experts at Envirotex Environmental Services who have years of experience in dealing with black mold removal and other environmental issues. Trying to remove black mold on your own can do more damage and put you and your family in great danger. Don’t take that chance.

Homes in Alexandria, VA will most likely see black mold in areas of the house that are mainly warm, humid, and damp. Homes with basements or crawlspaces that could have leaks or other moisture sources are more susceptible to toxic black mold growth. Other common areas where you might find mold are showers, around heating and cooling appliances, carpets, and ventilation ducts.

Toxic black mold is dark black, whereas other types of molds can be green or gray in color.

Black mold in Alexandria, VA homes can be hazardous to one’s health. Depending on the period of time and the number of mold spores that are inhaled, someone who has been subjected to mold can have the following systems—

• Headaches
• Chronic fatigue
• Fever
• Irritation to the eyes
• Sneezing
• Rashes
• Chronic coughing
• Mucous membranes of the nose, throat, and mouth
• Itchy skin
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Bleeding of the nose and in the lungs

To guard against black mold growth at your home in Alexandria, VA always have proper ventilation in bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms where there is constant condensation from showers, doing laundry, and cooking. Inspect your home regularly for any signs of black mold growth.

Whenever you find black mold growth at your home in Alexandria, VA, you should call in a professional such as the team at Envirotex Environment Services to remove the mold from your home. Professionals have special equipment which can detect mold that could be lurking behind your walls or under your flooring. They can also inform you about where your moisture source that is causing the mold is so that it can be dealt with, if not, the black mold will likely grow back in time at your Alexandria, VA home.

Preventing and controlling black mold growth at your Alexandria, VA home is the best defense against health risks to your family and the damage it can cause to your home. When faced with an infestation of black mold, always call in the professionals. If you have any questions, call the team at Envirotex. They will be glad to help.

We often hear about how extremely dangerous black mold can be to humans, but exposure to mold can be just as bad for your pet dog. Just like infants and the elderly, dogs tend to be more susceptible to illnesses related to mold than their owners in Leesburg, VA. If your dog has been exposed to mold, you may notice some of the following symptoms and signs—

Symptoms and Signs of Mold Exposure to Dogs

• Sneezing
• Coughing
• Loss of fur in little areas
• Licking excessively, particularly on their paws
• Noisy or labored breathing
• Discharge from the nose and eyes
• Listlessness and lethargy
• No appetite
• Changes in behavior

What to Do if You Notice These Signs

Your dog needs to be treated by your veterinarian in Leesburg, VA. Your veterinarian may give your dog antibiotics if the dog is showing signs of a bacterial infection in the lungs or if the skin is infected. Sometimes even steroids or other drugs may be prescribed depending on the length of time the dog was exposed to black mold or how sick your dog is.

Your veterinarian will also recommend that you do not take your dog back to your home in Leesburg, VA until the mold has been removed. The treatment will not help if your dog will continue to be exposed to the mold.

Because of the seriousness of black mold exposure to both dogs and humans, a mold inspection should be done by a company such as Envirotex to determine where the black mold is located inside your home in Leesburg, VA. Sometimes it can be hidden behind walls and under your carpeting.

An environment company such as Envirotex has specialized equipment that can locate hidden black mold. Once it is located, a mold removal must be done to rid your home of all mold.

With that said, something is causing the black mold within the Leesburg, VA home, and that too will need to be fixed. It may be a leaky pipe or lack of ventilation. Whatever the case, Envirotex can help recommend the necessary steps to deal with your black mold issue at your home in Leesburg, VA

As much as we need water to survive, sometimes it can become uncontrollable destroying homes in Gainesville, VA such as from a downpour, a flood, or a busted pipe. Drywall, wood, and carpet can act as a sponge which causes water damage to go higher and deeper into the structure at your home in Gainesville, VA. After some time, even long after the water damage, you may experience black mold growth, which you will then need to have black mold removal to rid the mold from your Gainesville, VA home.

Once you recognize that you have mold growing in your home in Gainesville, VA, you will want to hire a professional black mold removal company so they can stop it in its tracks and keep it from spreading throughout the rest of the home. Because black mold can be deadly, samples may be taken and sent away for analysis to a third-party lab.

A black mold removal company will plan out the steps needed to remove the mold from your home safely. You and your family will probably be asked to leave the Gainesville, VA home until the black mold removal has been completed. The black mold removal technicians will protect themselves with safety equipment such as Tyvek suits, protective gloves, foot covers, and respirator air masks.

Areas at your Gainesville, VA home where the mold is growing, will be contained, and a HEPA filtration will be applied. Negative air will be created so that the affected area will vent to the outdoors. A HEPA vacuum will be used to clean affected areas to remove the growth on the surface.

Drywall and carpet will be removed safely by the black mold removal technicians and disposed of properly. A professional cleaner will be used to clean and protect the area and prevent any future growth from coming back. In some instances, the area may have to be encapsulated.

Black mold grows where there is moisture. The black mold removal plan will include finding the source of your water problem and make suggestions as to what you should do to repair the problem; otherwise, the black mold removal will only be a temporary solution. Taking care of the moisture issue at your home in Gainesville, VA will guarantee the mold should not come back.

Toxic black mold can cause numerous health issues such as breathing problems, damage to internal organs, mental impairment and sometimes can even be fatal.

Respiratory Symptoms

Homes in Alexandria, VA with toxic black mold are exposed mostly through breathing in toxic black mold spores and mycotoxins. These mycotoxins create irritation and a burning sensation in one’s air passages such as the mouth, throat, and nasal cavity. Symptoms you make have in your Alexandria, VA home from toxic black mold—

• Breathing difficulty
• Wheezing
• Coughing
• Sore Throat
• Pulmonary edema-lung swelling
• Pulmonary hemorrhage-lungs bleeding
• Itchy nose
• Nose bleeds
• Bleeding gums
• Stuffy nose
• Runny nose

Circulatory Symptoms

Alexandria, VA homes with toxic black mold mycotoxins can be ingested, absorbed through the skin or eyes and breathed in and can eventually go into one’s blood. This can lead to heart damage, internal or external hemorrhaging and problems with one’s blood clotting. Symptoms of family members at your Alexandria, VA home may include—

• Irregular heartbeat
• Heart damage
• Heart inflammation
• Problems with blood clotting
• Vomiting up blood
• Low blood pressure
• Bleeding in organs and the brain

Mental and Neurological Symptoms

Alexandria, VA family members who are exposed to toxic black mold can develop nervous disorders caused by the trichothecene mycotoxins that are produced by black mold known as neurotoxic. These symptoms include—

• Brain fog
• Shortened attention span
• Confusion
• Slowed reflexes
• Dizziness
• Memory Loss and memory problems
• Difficulty in concentrating and paying attention
• Hallucinations
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Personality changes such as aggression
• Seizures

Not all molds that you see in your home in Alexandria, VA that looks black is toxic. The best way to tell if you have toxic black mold is to call an environmental company such as Envirotex and have a mold inspection. Samples of the mold will be sent off to a laboratory for analysis. Once the results come back, a plan to rid your home in Alexandria, VA of all mold will be determined by the mold specialists.

Black mold that grows on floors, walls, carpets and other places in Alexandria, VA homes can usually be easily spotted. However, once black mold starts to grow in your air vents, things are much more problematic.

Some things to look for that could be signs of black mold growth within your air ducts that will require black mold removal from a licensed professional environmental company such as Envirotex include—

Health Symptoms

• Itchy eyes
• Sneezing indoors is worse than usual, especially if the air conditioner is running
• Chronic coughing
• Headaches and fatigue
• Rashes
• Difficulty in breathing
• Nausea
• Vomiting or diarrhea
• Irritation to the throat and nose
• Concentration impaired

If any of your household members start to develop these signs, take action promptly to protect your family’s health and call an environmental company in Alexandria, VA for black mold removal at your home.

Black Dust Around Air Vents

• Black dust accumulated around air vents in your Alexandria, VA home could be signs that black mold is growing in your air vents. You might experience a musty smell when you run your air conditioner.

Musty Orders

• A distinctive, unpleasant musty smell

Air Conditioner Duct Black Mold Removal

• Black mold removal can be an extremely time-consuming project. The air conditioning system at your home in Alexandria, VA will need to be taken apart, and special HEPA filter vacuums are used to vacuum and then cleaned with powerful cleaning agents.
• Licensed professionals should do this. Otherwise, you take a chance of the mold growing back and possibly spreading to other areas of your Alexandria, VA home. A mold inspector should first confirm the substance is indeed black mold before the black mold removal process begins.
• Look at the insulation around your air ducts. If you see black mold in the vents and it has spread to the insulation, this will have to be replaced.
• The ductwork should be cleaned and disinfected with special killing agents using the proper tools.

The cause of the black mold growth is your biggest concern because if you don’t find the source, it will continue to grow back. This issue needs to be fixed along with any black mold removal at your Alexandria, VA home.

Most people know of someone who has been stricken with health problems due to black mold. Quite a few apartment buildings in Gainesville, VA have basements that have been converted into apartments. Some of these Gainesville, VA apartments might also contain black mold; whereas, some apartments have already undergone black mold removal to rid of black mold growth.

Older basements in Gainesville, VA tend to be prone to dampness and in time might need black mold removal. Dampness is a breeding place for black mold. Anytime you start to smell a musty odor or a family member starts to have more health issues than normal, you might want to check for mold growth.

Health issues that might be a result of black mold growth include—

• Fatigue and weakness
• Poor memory, difficulty in finding the right words.
• Morning stiffness, joint pain
• Shortness of breath, sinus congestion or a chronic cough
• A headache, sensitivity to light
• Difficulty in concentrating

Any allergy-like symptoms that you never had before could be the result of black mold. Black mold removal is necessary to rid your home in Gainesville, VA of any black mold. It is just as important to find the source of moisture in a damp basement. If you fail to locate the source of moisture and eliminate it, the black mold growth will return. Investing in a black mold removal should be a long-term value for your home in Gainesville, VA, not just a short-term fix. It is imperative during a black mold removal that the moisture source be found and fixed.

If you are faced with a damp basement in Gainesville, VA and family members are sickly, call the experts at Envirotex. They specialize in black mold removal and remediation, asbestos abatement, air duct cleaning, lead-based paint removal, meth labs and clandestine drug lab clean-up. Any environmental issues you are having with your home or business should be directed to a company such as Envirotex who has been in business since 2000 serving the Northern Virginia region, including Gainesville, VA.

Black mold can be hazardous to family members including pets when they come in contact with the mycotoxins that these species produce. Black mold needs moisture to survive. It also has a distinctive odor that favors a mildew and musty smell. Once you notice black mold growing inside or outside your home in Winchester, VA, you should call a company who deals with black mold removal.

Where Might You Find Black Mold in the Home?

Inside Winchester, VA homes, black mold thrives in warm and moist areas. This could include carpet, drywall, drop ceilings and wood paneling. Once these items get wet and remain wet for some time, these are prime areas for black mold growth. Often times you will smell a strong odor but will not be able to see it.

Any mold growth that is found inside a Winchester, VA home should be carefully removed as soon as possible by a professional black mold removal company. The moisture issue that is causing the mold growth should also be addressed so that there is less likely a chance for the mold to come back.

Anytime you see mold growth at your home in Winchester, VA such as on the wall board in your bathroom or the caulk line in the shower, you need to contain any mold spores before disturbing these areas. It is best to call a professional black mold removal company who has the experience and equipment to deal with these harmful toxins.

Black mold removal companies in Winchester, VA use negative pressure to contain mold spores from being released into the air when removing mold from a home. These professionals also wear personal protection coveralls with drawstring hoods, safety glasses, boots, and respirators.

If the mycotoxins which are produced by toxic black mold are ingested or inhaled, you might experience some of the following symptoms—

• Breathing difficulties
• Coughing and/or sneezing
• Kidney or bladder discomfort
• Memory loss
• Excessive fatigue
• Headaches
• Nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea
• Itchy eyes, nose, and mouth

Black mold growth can cause a number of health issues. For the safety of your family and furry pets, black mold removal should be left to professional environmental companies who specialize in black mold removal in the Winchester, VA area.

Are you looking the other way when you see a greenish-black substance growing in the damp areas of your home in Alexandria, VA? This type of mold is known as black mold, Stachybotrys chartarum or Stachybotys atra, and is very toxic and deadly. Black mold is a dangerous fungus and needs to be stopped dead in its tracks, as soon as possible.

Black mold can cause severe health problems including difficulty in breathing, headaches, coughing, nausea, memory loss, asthma, bronchitis, dizziness, urinary tract infections and quite possibly over time can cause infertility. It grows even in the cleanest of homes in Alexandria, VA; homes with high humidity are at greater risks. Leaky pipes are another culprit for mold growth.

Black Mold Removal

Proper black mold removal should only be done by a professional environmental services company who is trained and certified in their field. Only then can you and your family in Alexandria, VA, be assured that a team of black mold removal professionals will take all safety precautions for your family.

Special gear including a respirator mask, eye protection, disposable clothing, and gloves are used by professionals in black mold removal. They use special equipment including HEPA vacuums and air filters to restore healthy air quality back to your Alexandria, VA, residence.

Black Mold Prevention

Humidity monitoring and dehumidifiers will prevent the black mold from coming back in yourAlexandria, VA, home. Controlling the moisture in your home is critical to preventing mold growth or after removal, it will quickly grow back. While it is impossible to totally eliminate mold because it is most everywhere, it can be controlled and kept at safe levels.

Take Action

Any common household molds are dangerous to your family’s health. If you ever decide to sell your home, it could make it impossible to sell your home which could cause a serious financial burden as well.

Once you notice any type of mold growth or if you are experiencing musty smells in your Alexandria, VA, home, call the experts at Envirotex, and we will take care of the problem for you. Leave it to us.