Mold Types

When you are the head of a household, you always want to have a clean and healthy environment. One way to do this is to prevent and treat mold if you notice signs of it.

There are many different types of mold, both indoors and outdoors. If your home or business has a high level of moisture, it can cause even more of a mold and mildew problem. Mold, unfortunately, can and often does leads to physical illness. Here are some things to know about the different types of mold and how to prevent it from growing in or around your home.

Classes of Mold

The first thing to know about the types of mold is that there are different classes, including A, B and C. These classes vary depending on the hazard level of that particular type of mold. It can tell you exactly how dangerous a certain mold is. The classes are:

● Class A – The most serious class of mold is class A, which includes those have toxins to lead to physical illness or infection. This type of mold must be removed immediately from the workplace.

● Class B – Class B mold may cause some mild health hazards, such as allergic reactions, with prolonged exposure. It isn’t as serious as class A, but it should definitely be removed.

● Class C – This class of mold includes those that are the mildest form of mold, with the least amount of health dangers. It should still be cleaned up, but it doesn’t usually pose an immediate health hazard to people in the vicinity.

Types of Mold

While there are dozens of different types of mold, found indoors and outdoors, these are the most common types that you should be aware of. You may find them in your home, and they might be in class A, B or C.

● Cladosporium. One of the more common types of mold that is found indoors is cladosporium. This can range from mild to severe, depending on what species it is. It may be green, brown, black or grey. This mold is often found in insulation, where dust is plentiful, and on the walls or wood.

● Aspergillus. The potential colors for the aspergillus mold are brown, black, green, white, grey or yellow. It is a common mold found indoors or outdoors, however it is usually more severe than cladosporium. It can cause allergic reactions, or lead to infection in someone with a weakened immune system. It is found in insulation, walls, furniture, clothing, soil and paper products.

● Penicillium. If you have found mold on food, in the walls or in insulation that is green, blue or white, it is probably penicillium. This is the mold people most identify with food, but the same mold can be found on various work surfaces.

● Other Types. Some other common types of mold to know are ulocladium, acremonium, stachybotrys, and alternaria.

How to Prevent Mold

Most mold grows in areas where there is a lot of dust or moisture. This is why you want to first focus on proper ventilation. Since it grows in insulation frequently, getting ventilation with a garage exhaust fan, whole house fan or attic fan will help to reduce moisture, which then reduces mold.

You should also be careful with the humidity levels of your home, and always clean up spills or wet spots, as this can also lead to mold.