Look, it happens to the best of us. Whether it’s above the sink in the kitchen, the ceiling in a basement, or dotted across the top of a bathroom. Mold can appear anywhere, in the right conditions.
Nobody wants to have or look at mold every time they even glance above them.
Aside from looking plain gross, mold of all kinds can trigger a ton of allergic reactions, from asthma to coughing and sneezing. It can even make it hard to breathe.
So, getting rid of mold isn’t for presentation. It’s also about your and your family or housemate’s health. So you need a guide to tell you everything that you can learn.
Ceiling mold can be black, gray, or brown. Condensation and humidity can cause mold to grow. So, you’ll need to keep the ceiling dry when stopping mold growth.
What Does Ceiling Mold Look Like?
There might be some lucky people out there that have never seen mold in their life. Or, more likely, they don’t realize that what they are looking at is mold and not general wear-and-tear in their home.
You know those spots of brown, black, or gray that you might have seen dotted across the ceiling of a room in your home? The ones that you don’t remember painting when you last decorated?
Well, we’re sorry to inform you that those are most likely patches where mold has started to grow on your ceiling
What Is My Ceiling Mold Made From?
This might feel like a redundant question at first. Mold is mold, right?
Knowing exactly what mold growing on your ceiling tiles will go a long way toward telling you what the best course of action is for getting rid of it.
Almost all kinds of mold come from some type of fungal, bacterial, or other microbiological life forms.
What Danger They Pose
We’ve already mentioned how molds can cause both allergic reactions to manifest or breathing issues for susceptible people in general.
Some species of mold can produce a byproduct of their growth called mycotoxin.
In high enough doses, this can cause some serious damage to the human body, from nausea and vomiting to lung, spleen, and kidney failure.
Even if this is in the most extreme cases, it’s best to catch and spot mold before it can get to this stage!
What Causes It?
The number one cause of the growth of mold is humidity. Whether it’s hot or cold, the water content of an area gives plenty of microorganisms the moisture they need to not survive, but grow and spread.
This is why you’re most likely to see mold growing in the rooms and spots where warm humid are collects and gathers.
Above a sink in a kitchen, and on the ceiling of a bathroom are some of the most likely spots where mold will likely see first, and why basements, well insulated from a drier outdoors, can also develop mold in many places.
Where It Grows
Like the last point, you’ll have noticed by now that many of the places where there might be patches of mold are pretty high up, definitely above floor level.
This all has to do with how heat and humidity move around in an area. Whether it’s a kitchen, a bathroom, or the great outdoors, humidity, and heat tend to rise upwards.
When the humidity or condensation hits a ceiling tile, it can start to gather, breeding those same conditions that we mentioned in the last section
Again, look around a kitchen sink or in a bathroom for where mold is most likely to grow.
Getting Rid Of Ceiling Tile Mold
Okay, so now, you should have a pretty good idea of not what mold looks like, but also why it grows where it does and why.
How we can cover the part of this topic that you’ve been waiting for: How to get rid of the darn stuff!
Drying The Area
The first and easiest step that you’ll be able to do for yourself is to dry the area in which the mold is growing.
Make sure that you are standing on a surface or platform that will support your weight, and use a towel or cloth to help soak up some of the moisture.
If you already suffer from respiratory issues or have allergies, however, we would recommend that you don’t do this for yourself.
If you haven’t dealt with mold before, this is a reasonable thing to do, even if you’re healthy.
They’ll be able to point out exactly where the root problem is and do a much more thorough job than you will be able to.
Decontaminating The Mold
Now, you can start to get rid of the mold. Spray a bottle of hydrogen peroxide onto the affected ceiling tile, wait 10 or 15 minutes, then wipe the surface with an antiseptic cloth.
If you choose to do this yourself, always wear protective gloves and face covering when doing this.
You’ll be using a harmful substance and spraying it above your eye level, so it could fall and come into contact with both your mouth and eyes, something you need to avoid.
Once again, if you aren’t confident in doing this, or it is your first time, please contact a professional to do this. It will be best for your safety, and anyone who you are sharing the space with.
Getting Rid Of Damaged Areas
If you catch mold early enough when it only forms small patches, the previous steps will likely do the job fine.
But, if the mold in your ceiling tiles has been there for a long time, there’s a good chance that the mold has caused too much damage to a ceiling tile, and has become unsalvageable.
In these cases, you need to contact professional cleaners that can safely remove and decontaminate the surrounding areas.
Final Notes
So, as you can see, mold in your ceiling tiles is a serious issue that you shouldn’t underestimate.
Hopefully, this guide has not only shown you why, but also how you can deal with it.
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