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Debunking the Top 5 Myths About Mold in Winter: What You Need To Know

Name: Exit Mold
Address: 1 Irwin Ct., Lynbrook, New York, 11563, United States
Telephone: (516) 512-7877

Believe it or not, mold can be found everywhere, even in the most intricately maintained homes. Mold is one of the most common problems that homeowners and business owners face due to its widespread presence indoors and outdoors, as well as how quickly it can develop.

You might be thinking to yourself, “Isn’t mold just a summer or a humid weather problem?” While yes, it is true that the summer months can create the perfect environment for mold infestations, mold growth is not only reserved for the warmer seasons.

In fact, mold can grow easily in homes during the winter months! Let’s explore more about the top five myths about mold in winter so you can better understand how to protect your home.

Myth #1 About Mold: Mold Can’t Grow in the Cold

While it is true that mold does thrive in those warm and humid months of summer, it can still grow when it is cold outside. As the temperatures drop outside, many of us run into our homes and seal them up tight for the season. Doors stay closed, screens are shut and windows are locked tight against the elements. Unfortunately, this lack of air flow is part of what contributes to mold problems in the winter.

Mold grows in damp and warm environments, which can easily exist in homes that are dealing with uneven airflow and humidity problems. If your home can’t breathe properly, moisture levels can start to rise when steam is released during cooking or if your bathroom fan stops working.This lingering moisture will easily become a breeding ground for stubborn mold infestations. Condensation is also more likely to build up on windows and walls during the winter months, which is another risk factor for winter mold growth.

Oftentimes, it only takes a few airborne spores of mold to settle into these areas for them to grow into a full colony. In fact, mold can grow into an entire infestation in as little as 24 hours!

Myth #2: Mold Can’t Grow Near Snow

Snow has some pretty incredible insulating benefits, which can be a help or a hindrance for your home during the winter season. As the snow falls, it can create a heavy snowpack around your home and your home’s foundation, trapping moisture against your siding and foundation blocks. This lingering moisture will encourage mold spores to use the heat from your home to grow out of control if left unchecked.

Snow can also be a problem on the warmer days when it starts to melt! If you have any foundation issues or cracks along your home’s exterior, that melting snow can easily leak down into your basement, crawl space or lowest level. Oftentimes, these areas of our homes aren’t inspected regularly, so you could very well be dealing with a mold infestation that you aren’t aware that you have until you start on your spring cleaning.

Myth #3: Mold Won’t Grow Back During the Winter

If you dealt with a mold problem during the spring or summer months, you should be on high alert when the weather starts to cool down. If your mold problem was not properly handled by a professional mold restoration company, there is a really good chance that your infestation might come back.

A professional mold remediation team will tackle the initial infestation location, but will also filter the air and contain the situation to prevent further issues from occurring. If you simply cleaned it up with a towel and some bleach, you probably have mold spores floating around your home just waiting to settle back in and grow.

A professional mold team will also identify and remediate the original cause of the mold problem in the first place. If you are dealing with a water leak or a humidity problem, these issues can and will be addressed during a mold remediation to prevent the problem from happening again. Without this important attention to detail, mold will keep returning whenever the leak happens again or when your humidity levels inevitably rise once more.

Myth #4: Winter Mold Can’t Make You Sick

While summer mold and winter mold do have differences, they can both make you sick if you have repeated exposure to them. All molds can cause health-related problems and illnesses, especially for sensitive populations like older adults and those with respiratory conditions.

Over time, mold exposure can start to produce frustrating symptoms, such as:

Runny nose
Coughing
Water eyes
Congestion
Headaches
Memory loss or brain fog

These symptoms can even be exacerbated during the winter months if your home is sealed up tight. Your recirculating air will have a lower air quality, which can make your symptoms worse if you aren’t being exposed to fresh air on a regular basis.

Myth #5: If You Have Mold, You Will Know

Mold grows quickly and quietly, so unless you are doing a full inspection of your home on a regular basis, you will most likely miss the beginning stages of a mold infestation. Mold often doesn’t show obvious signs until the infestation has grown considerably. You might be dealing with a slowly growing colony in your basement or a hidden one in the back of your attic for weeks or months before you become alerted to it.

Over time, however, the colony will grow so large that it will start to impact your home. If you have a big enough infestation, you can expect one or more of these signs:

Your home smells musty, especially after rain or snow
You have visible water damage or water spots
Mold spots start to grow around your vents
Respiratory symptoms become more prominent
Warping, cracking or peeling of paint or drywall

If you do suspect mold, calling a professional mold restoration company is the best way to protect your home and your family. A trained team has the right tools and safety gear to tackle the problem so you can stay cozy, healthy and safe as the winter season progresses.

Dealing with a surprise winter mold infestation? The team at Exit Mold has you covered. Call us today at (516) 512-7877 to schedule your mold remediation.

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