5 Common Types of Household Mold
1. CLADOSPORIUM
Known as a common allergenic mold, cladosporium can thrive in cold and warm conditions. It’s often found in indoor materials such as soft fabrics, furniture upholsteries, rugs, and carpets. It also can appear under floorboards and inside cabinets. Cladosporium is an olive-green or brown colored mold with a soft, suede-like texture.
Cladosporium typically causes allergic reactions to the nose, eyes, throat, and skin. Exposure to this mold can cause a nasty skin rash and lesions. It can also cause asthma, lung infections and sinus issues. While not considered to have toxic properties, cladosporium should not be handled directly due to its potential for causing skin and lung irritation.
2. FUSARIUM
Fusarium grows and spreads even at colder temperatures. It is both an allergenic and a toxigenic type of mold that grows in homes with water damage. Typically, fusarium will grow in carpeting, wallpaper and other fabrics and materials. Fusarium mold is often pink, white or reddish in color and naturally grows on food products and in compost.
Exposure to fusarium can cause skin infections as well as allergic reaction symptoms such as sore throat, running nose, sneezing, itchy eyes and dermatitis. Prolonged exposure to fusarium can cause other severe and life-threatening conditions such as bone infections or brain abscess. Fusarium can produce toxins that are damaging to the nervous system and can potentially lead to hemorrhages and internal bleeding.
Fusarium is known to spread quickly. So, if you contact a professional to look at your house for mold, they should check every room. If fusarium is in one area of your home, there’s a chance it’s spread further than what you can see with your naked eye.
3. MUCOR
Mucor is an allergenic form of mold that usually grows in thick patches. It is often white or greyish in color and grows quickly. It most often grows near air conditioning, HVAC systems and ducting due to moisture from condensation. Old, damp carpets can also grow mucor spores.
Mucor causes a range of health problems particularly affecting the respiratory system. When exposed to mucor, it can cause asthma or worsen existing asthma conditions. Mucor also causes difficulty breathing and flu-like symptoms including fever and malaise.
In very severe and unfortunate cases, someone who faces prolonged exposure to mucor can develop mucormycosis. Mucormycosis is a fungal infection that can damage the sinuses, lungs and even the brain. It can also infect the eyes and nose and eventually become systemic in the blood, digestion or renal systems. For this reason, it is vitally important to contact mold remediation professional to handle the removal of mucor. Never inhale or handle mucor spores without mold remediation equipment and safety gear.
4. TRICHODERMA
Trichoderma is an allergenic mold type with five different subspecies. It’s generally white in color with green patches. Trichoderma mold colonies grow rapidly as wooly-textured clusters and then become more compact over time. It commonly grows in the home on wet surfaces including within wallpaper, carpet and other damp fabrics. It thrives in moist areas, and so you may also find it in air conditioning filters and HVAC system ducts where there is a buildup of condensation.
While most trichoderma molds are non-pathogenic, other types have been linked to pulmonary and even hepatic (liver) infections. When it produces mycotoxins, trichoderma acts similarly to stachybotrys. Trichoderma is also extremely damaging to building materials. It contains an enzyme that destroys wood and paper products as well as textiles. This leads to rot and causes these structures to crumble. A trichoderma mold infestation must be dealt with professionally to stop the destruction of building materials and prevent further health hazards.
5. STACHYBOTRYS (AKA Black Mold)
You’ve probably heard of black mold before. It is a toxigenic type of mold that can also cause allergic reactions. Stachybotrys mold is dark greenish or black in color and has a slimy texture. Stachybotrys thrives in damp, wet areas with high humidity levels that maintain these environmental conditions for weeks. It is known for growing on materials like woods, cardboard, paper, or hay.
Stachybotrys is sometimes called “toxic mold” because it produces mycotoxins that cause severe health problems to those who have been exposed to it. Black mold exposure symptoms include difficulty breathing, sinusitis, fatigue and even depression. Dull aches and pains in the mucous membranes of the sinuses are common among sufferers of black mold exposure. If you’ve been exposed to stachybotrys you may also experience burning sensations in your airways, a tightening in the chest, persistent cough, nose bleeds, fever and painful headaches.
Stachybotrys is linked to neurological problems in children and pulmonary bleeding in infants. If you have black mold in a home with children, it is important to remove children from the home and prevent their exposure to stachybotrys. Contact a mold remediation professional immediately to restore your home back to safety.