Mold is one of the most alarming things in a home as it can attack both your things and your health. Usually, it is the result of higher humidity. It can make breathing difficult, and you may get a lot of allergies to your respiratory tract.
So, if you want to protect your home from mold, you need to find its treatment. You can only treat it better when you know about its type and the risks it accompanies.
Here we have listed all the common types of molds found in every other home along with their risks to make our readers aware of the dangers they are living with.
See all of Best Dehumidifier for Preventing Molds
Twelve Most Common Types of Molds in Homes
Following are the twelve most common types of molds that you may find in your homes.
It comes under the classification of toxigenic, which is the first alert that it is very harmful to you. It grows in the house cooling or heating systems, including the humidifiers, drainage hose, or even in windows.
It starts growing as moist mold, but with time, it changes into a powdery substance that can be grey, pink, white, or orange in color. It is caused when you leave unsupervised and unmaintained places over a long time.
It has very high risks as it can cause bone marrow and damage your immune system. It may cause impaired brain function, which sounds very scary. So, if you find such mold in your home, go for its treatment as soon as possible so you can avoid its damages.
- Alternaria
This type of mold comes under the classification of Allergenic. It is very common, and almost every home has it. It grows due to water damage, and you can find it in bathtubs, sinks, kitchens, bathrooms, or laundry areas.
It has dark green or brown hairs with a velvet kind of texture. It spreads way too fast, and you need to stop it very quickly.
It doesn’t have risks like other molds, but it can cause allergies. The symptoms include watery eyes, cough, itching, and discomforting feelings. Moreover, it can trigger asthma in severe cases, which is alarming, so you should deal with it quickly.
- Aspergillus
It comes under the classification of Allergenic, but it has over one hundred and eighty-five species with different kinds of risks, colors, and locations.
It has the shape of long flask spores, making a thick layer of them over your walls, furniture, or other areas in your homes. It is dangerous for your respiratory system, as reported by Home Air Quality Guides.
If you leave it untreated, it can cause severe infections that include inflamed lungs. Some of its species also have aflatoxins production, which is a carcinogen. So, you should treat it in time.
- Aureobasidium
This mold also comes under the classification of Allergenic. It is also common on walls, behind wallpapers, and painted areas. It has a pink, black, or brown color, but it grows into a dark brown color with time.
It is not fatal, but it can cause severe eye, skin, and nail infections that might trouble you a lot. You should deal with it in its early stages and stop its growth. Higher humidity levels also cause it, and you should check on it to prevent it.
If you treat it in its early stages, you do not get any harmful risks accompanying its growth.
- Chaetomium
It is one of the most common types of molds in highly humid or water-damaged areas. It has a white color at the start, but with time it changes to a gray color, then to brown color, and in its high stages, it becomes black.
It can be found on roofs, basements, or crawl spaces. It has a cotton-like texture, and you can diagnose it by smelling it. It has a very unpleasant musty smell.
Although it doesn’t have high risks like carcinogens, it can cause skin and nail infections. So, to protect yourself from such infections, you should deal with this mold in its early stages.
6) Cladosporium
This type of mold comes under the classification of Allergenic. You can diagnose it by looking at its color and texture. It has a suede-like texture, and the color can be olive green or brown.
It is usually found on carpeted or wooden floors, fabrics, and cabinets. You can avoid it by cleaning them frequently. It attacks the homes because such surfaces are left unsupervised for longer periods, so mold takes its place.
It is very risky because it can cause difficulty breathing and other respiratory problems, which are very hard to deal with. So, we suggest you deal with this mold in time.
- Fusarium
It is a complicated type of mold as it comes under both Allergenic and Toxigenic classifications. It has pink, white or red.
Usually, it starts its growth on food, but it spreads very fast and can attack your homes quickly. The main target areas are wallpapers, fabrics, and carpets.
It has both small and high risks. It can cause runny nose, throat infections, itching, and frequent sneezing when mild. If you leave it for longer periods, it can cause life-threatening diseases such as brain abscesses.
If you breathe in its air frequently, you might get hemorrhaging or internal bleeding. So, the best way to avoid such diseases and severe infections are to get rid of them in their early stages.
- Mucor
It comes under the classification of Allergenic. Higher humidity levels mainly cause it, and you can easily control its growth and get rid of it completely by using a dehumidifier.
It is usually found on HVAC ducting systems, carpets, and other damp areas with an excess of moisture. You can diagnose it from its color and shape. It has a gray or white color and thick patches with very fast growth.
To avoid this, you must supervise the damp areas in your homes and don’t let the moisture cross the optimum levels by installing a dehumidifier.
It has very high risks, such as asthma, and in severe cases, it can lead to a very dangerous fungal infection called mucormycosis, which might damage your lungs and brain.
- Penicillium
It comes under the classification of Allergenic. It is also a very common type of mold that attacks water damages areas, and you can find it in mattresses, behind wallpapers, and under carpets.
It results in high moisture, and you can diagnose it by its greenish or blueish color. The texture is like velvet. Although it is used in antibiotics, it can be very dangerous.
It spreads very quickly, and the spores can move around your home in its air. This causes severe breathing problems, respiratory diseases, and pulmonary inflammation.
It can also trigger asthma and chronic sinusitis that you can never get rid of. So, it is suggested to deal with this mold in its early stages, so you don’t have to breathe in dirty and damaging air.
- Stachybotrys (AKA Black Mold)
It is one of the most dangerous kinds of mold. It can be diagnosed by judging its color and texture. Usually, it has a black or dark green color, and the texture is slimy.
It happens to be in wet areas. You can find it on wood and cardboard. It is caused when these things go wet over weeks without any treatment.
It is very risky as it can cause difficulty breathing, depression, and neurological problems in children. In infants, it may result in pulmonary bleeding.
So, it would help if you did not let the excess moisture stay in your homes for long as it can cause black mold.
- Trichoderma
It comes under the classification of Allergenic. Although it has five subspecies, it usually has a white or green color with a wooly texture.
It is usually found in very damp areas and wet fabrics or carpets. It doesn’t have very high risks like black mold, but it can cause allergies and sinusitis.
So, if you want to avoid such infectious allergies, you should deal with them simultaneously. The best way to deal with it is by installing a dehumidifier at your home where you see its sign. It will stop its growth and prevent your home from it in the future too.
- Ulocladium
It is also a very common mold type found in very wet areas, especially when there is water damage. It is black and found in kitchens, basements, bathrooms, or any other wet or highly condensed place in your home.
It is very risky, and you can get severe infections like hay fever, asthma, skin problems, and difficulty breathing.
Conclusion
There are twelve most common types of molds in homes that can make your life worse by destroying your furniture, infrastructure and attacking your health. Some have severe reactions as they can cause cancer, breathing difficulties, asthma, chronic sinusitis, and severe skin infections.
You should call a professional to deal with it and install a dehumidifier and an air purifier to protect yourself from its dangers and breath healthy in a clean environment.
A Dehumidifier enthusiast, who want to remove humidity from home. It is my hobby to collect Dehumidifier of different kinds and try to live life in comfort. This is all I do to explore happiness by magnifying my beautiful world.