Keeping your family safe and healthy is your top priority, and you do everything possible to do so. However, it’s challenging when your children suffer from allergies and asthma symptoms in your Abernathy, Texas, home. Knowing the signs of water leaks and how to spot mold growth is one more tool in your asthma-fighting tool belt.
Signs of a Leak
It’s a good idea to check outside and inside your home for signs of a water leak. Leaks occur in all areas of a home, but most happen in the bathroom, kitchen, utility room, and washer/dryer area.
Signs of a leak include damp or wet areas inside your home. You might see stains on your walls, floors, or ceilings, but a sudden, unexplained jump in your water bill is another indicator. Strange noises like dripping or trickling water and musty or damp smells all point to leaking water too.
How Leaks Lead to Mold
Mold enters your home by hitching a ride on pets or kids as well as through an open window or door. Mold spores attach to clothes, fur, and shoes, and once they’re inside, they settle in an area that’s damp from leaking water. Mold thrives on wallpaper and drywall, wood, ceiling materials, and cardboard, but it also grows on furniture, carpet, insulation, and other fabrics.
How Mold Is Dangerous
Mold spores cause respiratory irritation in healthy people. For those with asthma or other lung problems, it’s more problematic. Mold exposure leads to infections, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Each is frightening for an asthmatic’s family.
Signs of Mold in Your Home
It’s obvious you have mold if you see it, but smelling it is another sign. Mold starts out as tiny black or green dots on a wall or in grout. Even the smallest signs of mold growth warrants an inspection.
Smells that get stronger in a certain room could mean mold is growing nearby. If moldy odors increase when your heat or air conditioner comes on, call a professional.
If you think you have a water leak, or you see signs of mold, call Sinclair Heating, Cooling, Plumbing, Inc. at 844-749-COOL.