Black Mold. The unwelcome resident of our homes. Follow these tips on recognizing the signs that black mold can be living with you. Refer to my article on the Health Risks of living with black mold. One of the elements that is required for black mold to grow is a moisture source. Below are some of the causes of black mold growth.

1. If you live in an area with high humidity you should always be on the lookout for toxic black mold. If your relative humidity exceeds 55% consistently be on the watch for a black mold problem.
2. Leaky pipes in walls, ceilings, floors etc., which often go undetected for months or years. These leaks can be hard to find as they are often in closed-in cavities.
3. Flooding: This is much easier as it is a known issue. Be observant to the odor, often musty, and you will find black mold growing.
4. Leaky Roofs: The most common cause is water entering you home due to ice dams forming on the roof edge. Get rid of the immediate problem by reading my article Easily Melt Ice From Your Roof.
5. Use of humidifiers without a humidistat.
6. Damp basements and or crawl-spaces that have standing water, water coming through the walls or overflowing sump-pumps. Moisture can come through your basement floor as well.
7. Condensation around pipes, windows, rusting pipes etc.
8. Blocked gutters can cause water to backup and penetrate your walls.
9. Clothes dryers which are not vented outdoors.
10. Poor ventilation. If the air pressure outside your home is greater than inside your home, it can cause moisture to be forced through the exterior surfaces and inside.
11. An over-abundance of house plants. Unfortunately the beauty they bring also can have a dark side. Plants love moisture and so does black mold.

How can I recognize if I have a black mold toxic problem? The following list will give you visual clues and should lead you to determine the best way to address the problem.

1. The first and most obvious is the visible signs. Black mold can be black, grey-black, grey-green, white and orange or even pink and purple.
2. If you have loosing of any drywall tape on any of the walls of your home, especially an exterior wall. This can mean a moisture problem and black mold.
3. Cracked and peeling paint is another symptom of moisture infiltration into a wall.
4. Slight discoloration of wall surfaces for no known reason. The wall can have a greenish, brownish or blackish hue. Black mold is taking hold within your walls.
5. Musty odors. This should prompt you for additional detective work to search out the culprit.
6. Increased complants from your family on health issues, respiratory problems, headaches, dizziness or allergies.
7. Check the wet rooms of your house, bathrooms, kitchen, laundry room. Do you have black mold growing in tiles joints, floors, ceilings?
8. Warping of wood can also be a symtom.

• See my article on the Health Issues of Black Mold
• See my article on Getting Rid of Black Mold