Is Mold Dangerous?

Mold can be a plague on a property once it has taken root, but it is not always dangerous. Some forms are fairly benign, if unsightly and unpleasant, but others can be actively damaging to your home and health. 

Property Damage 

Certain species of mold and mildew are more dangerous to the structure of a property than others. The species that are most worrying in terms of the stability of your property are those that form on wood, drywall, and plaster. These kinds of mold are more likely to cause the structure of your property to become weaker and less stable. 

In fact, certain species of mold go hand in hand with wood rot and will eat away at any surface that it grows on. This will lead to the wood or drywall in question getting soft, weak, or even bendy. This can cause walls to bow and floors to sag. In fact, if mold takes root in drywall, it could crumble entirely and leave you with a heavy repair bill to deal with. 

Health Issues 

As well as the obvious structural issues, mold and mildew formation can bring serious repercussions for your health and well-being. For example, they can cause skin irritation, dizziness, and even headaches in relatively healthy people, but this is not the worst of it. 

For people who have underlying health conditions, the side effects of mold formations in a home can be far more serious. If you have underlying respiratory problems, for example, or a skin condition like eczema, there are certain species of mold that could exacerbate your condition. This can lead to side effects of varying severity, but for people who have serious lung conditions, it could result in hospitalization.