White or black, mold growth of any kind is bad news, especially when it appears inside your home. At Restorerz, we provide professional mold remediation.
If you’ve recently experienced water damage in your home, smell a musty, mildewy scent, or see mold in or around your house, or just want to know more about white mold vs. black mold, call Restorerz Emergency Services for immediate assistance.
Table of Contents
White Mold
White mold is a fungus with a hairy, slimy, or powdery look. It can be white, grey, or green, and lives in damp spaces, especially on porous substances like wood, insulation materials, fabric, carpet, or drywall.
How dangerous is white mold?
Exposure to any type of mold, especially in large quantities, is unhealthy for any person, but most types of white mold are considered non-toxic. People with mold allergies or sensitivities will experience stronger exposure symptoms than others, resulting in flu-like symptoms, allergic reactions, or asthma attacks.
Black Mold
The fungus known as black mold can also be green or black in color. It grows on wood products, drywall, paper, and other materials that contain cellulose. It requires a high moisture level to grow, so you’ll usually find it in areas with flood damage or dampness-prone rooms like bathrooms or kitchens.
Is black mold dangerous?
Black mold isn’t any more dangerous than other types of mold, although it doesn’t affect everybody in the same way. For some people, exposure to black mold causes mild symptoms like itchy, red eyes and nasal congestion, but for people with mold allergies or those with prolonged exposure, it can result in:
- Rashes
- Respiratory problems
- Allergic reactions
- Shortness of breath
- Body pain
- Mood changes
- Tiredness
- Coughing
- Neurological conditions
The more mold present in the home, the more spores you inhale, and the worse the effects will be, especially if you have asthma or other lung conditions.
If you notice black mold growing in your home, contact a professional mold remediator soon. The more it spreads, the more damage it can do to your home and your health.
Key Differences Between White Mold and Black Mold
White and black mold have several key differences:
- Black mold is slimy or fuzzy-looking and dark green or black, while “white” mold comes in a variety of textures and colors.
- Black mold is more dangerous, with the potential to produce serious health problems.
- White mold is more common than black mold.
- White mold will grow on almost any surface, including plants, leather, or clothing, while black mold tends to thrive best on ultra-moist or porous surfaces.
Prevention Strategies
The following are some simple mold prevention strategies LA County homeowners can use.
Reduce humidity in the home
Turn the exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom on, make sure the entire home has good circulation (including basements and crawl spaces), check that your vents are clear with good airflow, and install an air conditioner to pull moisture from the air.
Add mold inhibitors to the wall and ceiling paint
In LA, you can buy house paint and primer with mold inhibitors, or substances that naturally prevent mold growth.
Install an air filtration system
Although we can never fully remove mold from any environment, HEPA filters will remove 99.9% of all mold spores from the air, preventing the spread of mold in your home.
Regularly inspect the home for signs of mold
Check the corners, bathrooms, attics, areas around the windows, plumbing, and anywhere there’s been water leaks or damage in the past. Use your nose as well to see if you smell any musty, earthy, or “wet sock” smells.
Clean bathrooms regularly
Use mold-killing cleaning agents like baking soda, bleach, or vinegar, and proper ventilation to keep mold from thriving in your bathrooms.
Replace carpet with moisture-resistant flooring
Replacing porous carpets with a moisture-resistant alternative like vinyl flooring, cement, or tiles will reduce the chances of mold growth, especially in basements and garages.
Don’t bring mold home
Mold spores can hitch a ride on your clothes or in your hair. If you’ve been exposed to a moldy environment, brush off as much as you can outside, shower immediately, and wash your clothes in hot water, drying them thoroughly. If you can disinfect your clothing before washing and dry the items in direct sunlight, even better.
Handle flood damage quickly
Dispose of flood-damaged carpets and furniture, dry everything thoroughly, and clean all wet items well with disinfectant to kill off any mold growth before it starts. It’s safest to contact expert mold remediators after flooding to make sure there’s no growth in hidden areas.
Remediation and Professional Assistance
Just removing mold from where you can see it won’t get rid of the spores. It’ll keep coming back until your moisture problems are fixed, and all the contaminated flooring, walls, and property like furniture, rugs, etc, are gone.
If you have mold growth in your home, call Restorerz Emergency Services. We’ll send a mold remediation services team to your home ASAP to inspect the damage and determine how much work needs to be done.
Once we’ve come up with a remediation plan, we contain the affected areas and remove all contaminated materials, while avoiding unnecessary damage to your home. We treat any salvageable building materials to avoid waste, and after determining the area is completely mold-free, we’ll rebuild and restore the space.
Contact Restorerz 24/7 for Professional Mold Remediation
Restorerz is the top LA mold remediation company, using the latest technological advances for emergency restoration and mold removal. Our crew is made up of friendly, professional local remediators who understand the importance of getting the job done right the first time. They’ll work hard to remove all mold from your residence, clean up, and restore your home to its original state as quickly as possible.
We’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, providing local expertise, excellent customer service, and a 100% satisfaction guarantee to our clients. If you’re concerned about mold growth in your home, let Restorerz’s expert team assess and address any mold issues with precision and care. Contact us today to schedule our professional mold inspection and remediation services.