What are Some Common Signs of Air Duct Mold?

You have probably heard that having mold in your home is potentially dangerous, but do you know why that is? Mold is toxic and greatly reduces your indoor air quality. In fact, sometimes your indoor air quality can be worse than your outdoor air quality if mold spores are present in your home.

Mold grows where the air is moist and has “food.” The environment in your air ducts, especially if you have lots of debris inside which is the perfect fuel for mold. Homeowners may notice certain elements or ailments begin to appear around their home that actually signal that mold is growing in the air ducts.

When you consider these factors on a singular basis, it is easy to brush them aside. However, if one or more of these things sounds familiar, you probably have mold in your air ducts, and you need to get it removed ASAP. Here is what to be on the alert for.

Can You See It?

Although it is the mold on the interior of the ducts that is causing all these problems, you will be able to determine the likelihood of mold by looking at the outside of your air ducts.

Is there staining? When mold attaches itself to the sides of the ducts, it will often seep through to the other side and cause staining. Another sign of mold is a foam-like substance growing on the side of the ducts. It’s not foam; it is mold.

Strong, Funky Odor in Your Home

Mold smells pungent and mildewy. You can imagine how this impacts your air quality.

If the smell is coming from a single area in your home, there is probably mold growing in a room (drywall or carpets that have gotten wet are common spots).

However, if the smell permeates through your whole home, that is because it is inside the air ducts and is traveling everywhere.

Unresolved Health Issues

Do you or your family members seem to chronically be getting colds? That congestion and respiratory irritation may actually be because you are inhaling mold spores.

Other health problems related to mold include rashes and dizziness. Don’t leave it up to chance. If this sounds familiar, make sure that you check with a doctor right away. When is the last time that you had your ducts cleaned and serviced?

Not only will this rid your home of debris that can cause mold growth and otherwise hamper your air quality, a cleaning and inspection will alert you to any potential system problems that need attention. For an appointment in Winston-Salem, NC contact us today.