If you have wallpaper in your home at the same time as mold, you may be wondering if it’ll be affected. And the answer is yes, it will, because mold grows on wallpaper. Treating mold damage in home requires specialized cleaners and knowledge. That’s why you need to hire a professional.
Treating mold damage in home is possible, even if it starts growing on wallpaper. Keep reading to learn more about why mold grows on wallpaper and what you can do to treat it.
What Causes Mold Growth?
Before we dive into why mold grows so easily on wallpaper, we need to know what causes it in the first place. Mold is a type of fungi that develops after water damage. Water damage has many different causes, including leaks, floods, and burst pipes. When water damage occurs, it can lead to mold growth in as little as 24 hours. This isn’t a huge window of time! To make things worse, catching water damage isn’t always easy.
For example, it may take days or weeks to realize you have a burst pipe behind one of the walls in your house. Often, you may not realize it until the mold growth is severe. This brings us to the next point, which is why mold so commonly grows on wallpaper.
Why Does Mold Grow on Wallpaper?
Mold needs three things to survive: humidity, moisture, and a food source. As such, let’s go back to the example mentioned above of a burst pipe behind your wall.
When a pipe bursts, the water immediately creates moisture. Because of the pipe’s location, it will also experience high levels of humidity. These two factors are enough to generate mold growth, but the drywall near the pipe (and behind the wallpaper) becomes its food source. Because mold can thrive in this type of environment, it can also thrive on wallpaper because it’s coming from behind it.
Unfortunately, mold is one of those fungi that can survive on pretty much any type of surface. This includes but isn’t limited to wallpaper, fabric, drywall, wood, and paint. It’s because mold can survive so well on any type of surface that you need to familiarize yourself with the signs of water and mold damage.
Signs of Water and Mold Damage in Your Home
Some signs of water damage are obvious, such as leaks pouring down from your ceiling. Others, not so much. This is why you need to be vigilant.
Some of the most common signs of water damage include:
- Higher water bills
- Pooling around tubs, sinks, and toilets
- Brown or discolored water
- Foul smells when you turn on the water
- Wet spots on wood or other surfaces
If you notice any of these signs, also look out for signs of mold growth. The most common signs of mold growth include:
- Foul, musky smells
- Black or colored spots on walls/furniture
- Drywall, tile, or hardwood floors that feel soft to the touch
- Rot
In addition to these signs, you should also be aware of how you feel when you enter a room. Do you start sneezing or coughing when you step into your bathroom or basement? Are you suddenly suffering from insomnia when you lie down? Do your symptoms seem to disappear when you step outside and breathe fresh air? If you answered yes to any of these, you may be suffering from a mold allergy.
Mold allergies have many of the same symptoms as the common cold. These symptoms include coughing, headaches, and wheezing. However, they may also include gastrointestinal pain, skin rashes, and increased levels of anxiety.
If your symptoms get worse inside your Portland house, then you may be dealing with some severe mold damage in home. If this is the case, knowing where to turn is critical.
When they arrive at your house, your technician will remove damaged items. This includes your drywall and wallpaper. Once the damaged items are removed, your tech will apply high-strength mold cleaners to treat the mold. Then, they will discuss with you how to prevent mold growth in the future.
Dealing with mold is never something any Portland homeowner wants to do. But if you are, hiring the right company to treat it can make all the difference.
Did You Recently Find Mold Inside Your Portland Home? Get the Mold Damage In-Home Treatments You Need from PNW Restoration!
No Portland-based homeowner wants to discover mold inside their home. Unfortunately, though, it does happen. And when it does, you could be dealing with mold growth on a variety of surfaces.
The team at PNW Restoration knows how to successfully treat mold growing on wallpaper and other surfaces. Contact us today to schedule an appointment to treat mold damage in home. Whether big or small, PNW Restoration will get rid of mold and return your home to normal. We proudly serve residents in Portland, West Linn, Aloha, and beyond!
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