Home Improvement

How to Detect Mold in Your Bathroom

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177538972It’s quite common for mold to develop in a bathroom, because the area is naturally moist and humid as compared to other rooms in the home. Detecting mold in your bathroom can help you get rid of it before it causes health problems for you and your family.

Any of the following can signal mold.

  1. A Musty Smell

If your bathroom smells damp even when it seems completely clean and dry, you may have a hidden leak or moisture that has accumulated out of sight. This moisture will turn into mold if not dealt with in a timely manner. If you smell an earthy odor, your bathroom may have rotting wood, which occurs as mold grows. Mold spores cause materials to decompose, and it often produces a stale smell.

  1. A Muddy Appearance

Slime and dampness often indicates black mold, which can be very dangerous for your health.

  1. Ants

Ants like moist wood, so if you discover ants in your bathroom, it may mean that mold is decomposing on the floorboards or growing beneath the tiles.

  1. Damaged Walls

Plaster that is discolored or crumbling, paint that is blistering, cracked or loose tiles, or gaps in your grout or caulk, can all mean that moisture has developed in the walls, and mold is most likely growing behind the tiles.

  1. Suspicious Floors

If your floors are soft, unstable or spongy, hire a professional for water damage restoration and to remove the mold from your bathroom. Spongy floors are an indication that the plywood in the subfloor has begun to rot as a result of being exposed to moisture.

  1. Visible Mold

When you can see mold in your bathroom, it means that the growth has already become severe. Mold develops below the surface first, so visible mold signals a long-standing problem. If you see mold, get a mold test kit to identify which type of mold is present in your bathroom and how dangerous the mold is.

How Mold Affects Health

Microbes from mold can cause health issues for those with weak immune systems, asthma or pulmonary disease. Common systems from exposure to mold are:

  • Headaches and dizziness
  • Depression, irritability and chronic fatigue
  • Sneezing and a runny or stuffy nose
  • Swollen eyelids and itchy eyes
  • Coughing and respiratory problems

If you think mold has developed in your bathroom, you’ll want to take active measures to remove it, both for the quality of your bathroom and for your health.

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