Can Outdoor Mold On My House Make Me Sick?
Mold is attracted to moisture, and once found, the powerful fungus thrives. The bad thing about mold is unfortunately, it can be found everywhere, including on the exterior of our homes and eventually it can and will seep its way inside. It can easily enter our homes through open doorways, windows, vents, and heating and air conditioning systems. It can also attach itself to clothing, shoes, and pets which makes it easy to bring from the outdoors to inside. If we have found mold on the exterior of our homes it is extremely important to get rid of it as soon as we see it to minimize the chances of mold affecting our families health.
What is Mold?
Mold: A type of fungus that consists of small organisms found almost everywhere. It grows in all shades of colors, indoors and outdoors. Mold isn’t just a nasty fungi but it actually plays an important part in our ecosystem. Where moisture is present, mold will follow. It thrives on moist surfaces and reproduces by means of tiny lightweight spores that travel through the air. In small doses these spores are typically harmless, but when these tiny spores are released into the air, they are easily inhaled, therefore creating health problems for some individuals.
What Are The Dangerous Side Effects?
If we have detected mold on the exterior of our homes, removing it quickly and safely is the best thing we can do to protect our family. If we have small children running around outside, the chances of them coming in contact with mold found on our homes is high. Kids are known to put their hands on everything and then directly into their mouths. If they have recently touched a moldy surface their health could be at risk. The CDC mentions some side effects we might experience if we have come into contact with mold.
- Nasal stuffiness
- Throat irritation
- Coughing or Wheezing
- Eye irritation
- Skin irritation
- Respiratory Infection
Then there are some people with mold allergies that may have more severe reactions including chronic lung illnesses. These ones may get serious infections in their lungs when they are exposed to mold.
Because there are many different types of molds, and everyones reaction to it may be different, there is one simple thing we can all do to keep ourselves healthy- Remove the mold on the exterior of our homes immediately.
Remove All Traces of Mold
Inside or Outside of our homes, all traces of mold should be eliminated once spotted. Mold will grow quickly and can travel through the air fast. The sooner we clean up the fungus the healthier our homes will be for our families. Regularly cleaning our roofs, siding, gutters, and windows, will help prevent mold from reoccurring and spreading to other areas in and around our homes.
Consistent cleaning will help reduce the chances of mold growth. Follow these four suggestions to lower your chance of growing mold indoors.
- Control humidity levels
- Promptly fix leaky roofs, windows, and pipes
- Thoroughly clean and dry indoor surfaces after flooding or heavy moisture develops
- Ventilate high moisture prone areas, including: bathroom, kitchen, and laundry room
