(Posted by Cecilia Buckles)

After a prolonged winter, health and home experts predict an increase in mold.

March’s late round of wet weather has left some areas still soggy and drying. Those wet areas can create big problems in your home, so if during clean-up, if you fill more than one Shop-Vac full of water, it is time to bring in a professional.

“Some people let it sit for eight or nine days before they realize it’s got an odor. By then they’ve got mold growing in the carpet pad, possibly the dry wall,” said Bob Ritenour, owner of Rainbow International Restoration in St. Albans, WV. “The household dehumidifiers are not large enough to dry it fast enough to prevent mold growth.”

But it’s not just damp basements at risk.

Mold can grow in places that often go unchecked — like behind the furniture in a room. It is important to move your furniture from against the wall to create space behind pieces so air can circulate and prevent mold from building up behind it.

While surface mold can usually be cleaned with dish soap and water, sometimes there’s more than meets the eye:

“Often times if you see it on the dry wall it’s also on the interior wall cavity… and you need a professional to get rid of it,” Ritenour said.

That could also mean medical professionals: children are especially at risk for mold problems.

“The two allergenic things that come out this time of year are tree pollen and mold,” said Dr. Chandra Kumar of the Asthma & Allergy Center in Charleston, WV. “It’s more like no fever with allergies and ongoing continuous symptoms rather than seven to ten day cold.”

And while most allergies are treatable with medicine, a little prevention could save multiple headaches in the long run.

Source:  Amelia Ferrell, Producer, WOWK-TV

Be sure to contact Aspen Environmental Services at 800-931-MOLD for any mold testing or mold removal needs. FREE estimates.[email protected] / www.aspenenvironmentalservices.com