What Does Black Mold Look Like?
If you’ve been noticing signs of a mold infestation at your home—possibly including a musty odor or a sudden onset of allergies—you may be wondering what black mold looks like so that you can properly identify it if and when you come across it. True to its name, black mold tends to be black in color. However, that’s not always the case. The black coloring only happens once a black mold colony is fully developed—when it’s still in its early stages, it may appear as dark green. Unlike other types of mold, black mold doesn’t grow in geometrical patterns or produce a fuzzy appearance. Instead, black mold often makes the surface it’s growing on appear dirty, so you might at first mistake it for mud or dust.
If you believe that you have a black mold infestation at your home, it’s important to contact a qualified mold remediation company as soon as possible. Certain types of mold, including black mold, produce irritants known as mycotoxins, which can potentially be fatal to children, elderly individuals, and people who are highly sensitive to mold. Of these mycotoxin-producing types of mold, black mold has the greatest toxicity. A mold remediator will be able to determine the location and extent of a mold infestation (it might be growing in areas that you can’t see), remove the mold, and sanitize the space.
Additional Problems Caused by Black Mold
As mentioned above, black mold can cause severe health issues and even death. But that’s not all it does. Mold can produce a musty odor, which can make it exceedingly unpleasant to spend time in your home. What’s more, mold can cause extensive structural damage to your home. This is because mold eats away at organic materials, including fabric and wood. If a mold infestation isn’t promptly addressed, it can eventually cause the walls, ceilings, and floors in a home to collapse.
Basement Waterproofing Services for Homeowners in Northeast Wisconsin
Once you’ve reached out to a mold remediator and had a mold infestation removed from your home, you’ll also want to hire a professional waterproofer. Black mold and other types of mold tend to grow in wet, unventilated areas of the house, such as basements. So, in order to prevent future mold infestations from developing, you’ll need to address anything that’s causing excessive moisture in your home.
Luckily, if you own a home in Northeast Wisconsin, you can rely on ABT Foundation Solutions, Inc., for basement waterproofing services. We’re a respected foundation repair company that’s been serving local homeowners since 2002, and we’re proud to employ a wide variety of basement waterproofing techniques. For example, depending on what’s causing moisture in your basement, we can install:
- Baseboard aqua routes
- Crack solutions
- Dehumidifiers
- Sump pump systems
- Water channels
We firmly believe that only customized solutions can produce truly permanent results, and we’ll provide you with a tailored plan of action once we’ve had an opportunity to inspect your basement.
Contact ABT Foundation Solutions, Inc., today to learn more about our basement waterproofing services and arrange a free in-home consultation.