Something is Musty: Is it the Mold?

You know it when you see it and smell it. The musty side of mold.

Anyone who has ever been in a musty dank basement knows the unpleasant smell of mold. It has an acrid smell that is close and sharp, it is usually accompanied by the damp smell or presence of water that is either dripping, leaking, leaching or seeping into an area of the home.

Although most people can detect mold by its musty smell, there are some people who can’t really smell it at all. For example, there are some medications that people can take for their medical conditions, that will seriously diminish their ability to detect the smell of mold. That being said, mold does have a characteristic odor, and not a good one at that.
Remember that mold is a type of a fungus, and it is good at replicating itself. You should also know that it loves to grow into colonies where it supports life in damp and moist areas of the home or building structure. The mold spores are light enough that they can attach to clothing, shoes or even travel in the air, whereby they can start in one area and quietly spread to contaminate other areas rather quickly. Molds digest nutrients as they grow, and the odor they produce will depend on what they use as a food source, the chemicals in the wall, paper or fabric that they have attached to and the overall conditions where they have set up shop. Some molds can even give off chemicals such as formaldehyde, and are dangerous to inhale for that reason.

If molds are found by their smell, homeowners should continue to investigate and determine the reasons that the molds have found a home in that area of the house. If any areas of standing water, wetness or other water issues are noted, these problems should be addressed before planning to remediate any mold found in the home is completed. It is always a better idea to have a mold remediation professional to manage remediation of mold in the home. These experts on mold remediation can remove mold safely without disturbing it, or risking spreading mold to other areas in the process of removal, thereby leaving other areas of the home safe from further contamination by mold spores.

When you think you smell mold, you are usually right. Give us a call and let the experts take this problem off your hands right now. We are able to remediate water damage, flooding and sewage backup issues to help put you back to normal, and fast! We are available for you 24/7, call us today! We will give you the peace of mind that you deserve, and can get you up and running again by getting rid of the mold once and for all.