70% of homes in the U.S. have a mold problem. 

This can cause significant damage to the structures of our buildings, and cause significant health issues that can get more severe with more exposure.  

Mold thrives in warm, damp environments – exactly like the weather that we experience in Houston. Because of this, homeowners need to be on alert to detect mold in Houston homes before it becomes a bigger issue.  

To help, we’ve put together this guide about mold removal in Houston, TX to help you identify if you have a mold problem, mitigate the issues causing the mold, remove the mold safely, and focus on preventing it from happening again in the future.  

We published this guide to give you insight into what you need to consider for mold removal in Houston as a homeowner. Key sections include: 

How Do You Know If You Have Mold in Houston

There are several signs that can show that you have mold. Some of them you can see – while others hide in plain sight, which can make it difficult to detect unless you know what to look for.  The most obvious signs of mold in your home include: 

Visible Mold Spores

Typically, you won’t see mold spores in the air – but you will see them on surfaces in your home. They may be black, green, or white fuzzy spots that may be wet or slimy to the touch.  

Moldy Smell

Depending on the type of mold, there may be a smell if there’s growth. While it typically smells earthy, damp, or musty; it may have a stronger scent – like sweaty socks or even rotten meat.  

HVAC Contamination

Your HVAC system is one of the most common areas to find mold. You may smell that moldy or musty smell, or see dark spots on the filter. These can be signs that your HVAC has mold.  

Wall or Ceiling Discoloration

Staining or discoloration on your walls, ceilings, or even floors can indicate water damage. Often times, when there is water damage, there is also mold growth.

Baseboard or Wall Warping

If you start to notice that your baseboards or walls are looking a little weird – think bubbling, warping, or cracking – there is a chance that this could be caused by mold and moisture issues.

Squishy Floor

Your subfloor should never feel squishy, even in certain areas. This unevenness could indicate moisture. And where there’s moisture – there’s a good chance that there’s mold, too.

Now, some major signs of mold aren’t as obvious as seeing or smelling mold throughout your home. Mold can cause significant health issues; but many of these symptoms can be caused by other illnesses, too.  

Symptoms of mold in your home include:  

  • Stuffy or runny nose 
  • Itchy throat 
  • Itchy eyes 
  • Skin irritation like a burning or itching sensation 
  • Dry skin 


If these symptoms persist, and are experienced by everyone in the family, it could be a good indication that there’s hidden mold in your home.  

Hidden mold can also cause and worsen respiratory issues. For those with asthma or pre-existing respiratory conditions, this can wreak havoc on the lungs. In some cases, the mold contamination can be so severe that it might cause chest pain, fever, and coughing up blood. In this case, contact a professional so your home can be inspected for mold immediately.  

Different Types of Mold in Houston Homes 

While there are several different mold types, there are several in particular that are most commonly found in Houston homes. Most molds will produce mycotoxins, which are harmful to humans and animals. These mycotoxins can cause differing issues, depending on the type of mold and the health condition of the person. Any mold left untreated can turn into more harmful and toxic mold, so if you think you have a mold issue; you should address it as soon as possible.

Allergenic Mold  

Mold spores grow outside throughout the year. Depending on the conditions (e.g., if it’s damp, humid, etc.), mold levels may be reported as high – and for those with mold allergies, you will be able to tell.  

The most common types of mold present for outdoor mold includes cladosporium, alternaria, and strains of aspergillus. Similar to other molds, you may experience some symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, irritated eyes, and coughing. These may be worse for people who have allergies.  

This mold can get into your home and cause a bigger mold problem. It’s important for a mold professional to conduct a test to see how your indoor allergenic mold compares to what’s outside. If, for instance, there’s a different ratio of mold in your home than outside; it can indicate that there’s a mold source inside that’s causing mold growth.   

Aspergillus Penicillium  

This fluffy mold can come in an array of colors – green, yellow, black, white, or even translucent. Typically found in walls or insulation, aspergillus penicillium finds its way indoors when there’s high humidity (or at any point in the year in Houston). It tends to be found in HVAC systems because of how frequently it is found in outdoor locations.  

There are several different strains of aspergillus. But, the most common one we see in Houston – aspergillus penicillium (yes, the one that gave us penicillin!). This mold loves to grow in environments that are cool and damp.  

As mold in your home, penicillium can cause some physical symptoms and health issues – worsened for those who have health conditions. If you think that elevated levels of penicillium may be present in your home, give us a call to connect with a certified contractor to determine next steps.  

Chaetomium 

As Chaetomium matures, it turns from a light white or gray to a dark olive or black. This is when it becomes more visible in impacted areas. Chaetomium can be found in damp areas or places in the home that have had water damage. It usually appears when there is a chronic moisture problem, which can indicate other issues that need to be addressed.  

Like other mold strains, Chaetomium can cause allergy symptoms – like a runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes, and coughing. For those that have asthma or other respiratory conditions, these symptoms may be worse.  

Chaetomium may be one of the most frequently found mold strains in homes, especially when evaluating mold removal in Houston. If you suspect that you may have Chaetomium in your home, or water damage that could be a mold-growth hot spot, connect with us to get connect with a certified contractor.

Stachybotrys 

Known as black mold, stachybotrys tends to be the mold type that people think about most when they hear there’s a mold problem. This is because it is easy to see – it shows up as dark green or black spots on walls, ceilings, flooring, and any other hard surface. It grows best in highly damp areas. So add a moisture problem to Houston’s humidity, and you have the perfect conditions for stachybotrys growth.  

As stachybotrys grows, it produces toxins — mycotoxins — that are harmful to humans. These toxins can then show up as allergy symptoms in humans, causing nasal congestion, sneezing, coughing, nasal drip, and red eyes. For those that have respiratory conditions, this strain of black mold can make them more severe. 

If you suspect that you have stachybotrys due to these symptoms or by finding dark green or black spots in your home, contact a certified mold contractor to discuss inspection, testing, and remediation.  

Do I Have a Mold Problem?

This is one of the most common questions when it comes to mold. How much mold is too much mold? 

A good rule of thumb: If you think you have a mold problem, you likely do. It’s best to reach out to a certified technician to determine the next best steps so you can remediate the issue before it worsens.

Because if there’s one thing that’s true about mold; it’s that it never gets better on its own.  

How to Test for Mold in Your House

There are different types of mold testing processes that can help you identify if you have mold in your home. The most basic includes a visual inspection conducted by a professional that can identify key physical issues – like if there’s visible mold growth or structural damage.  

While this is a quick inspection that often comes at no cost from professional mold remediators, the visual inspection lacks detecting the type of mold strain. It also doesn’t provide insight into how bad the mold growth may be and the type of damage it may have caused. Often, this visual inspection results in a follow up test to get actual samples of the mold on various surfaces.   

Hidden mold can be detected with a laboratory test. To conduct this test, a professional (typically an industrial hygienist) comes into the home and takes samples. These samples are then submitted to a laboratory to see if mold is detected. Typically, this takes a few days.  

Can You Use DIY Mold Tests?

A number of do-it-yourself mold tests are on the market. Take the test, place it in an area where you suspect there may be mold, and wait. After 48 or 72 hours, see if there are any spots – and if so, you have mold.  

These are quite unreliable. They are only testing the mold spores that are in the air, and may miss some of the strains of mold that are more toxic.

Plus, they only focus on testing the air in the location of the test kit – it doesn’t detect whether mold may be found on hard surfaces that have low air flow, like within your HVAC system or even within your  walls.  

It’s best to contact a professional for an accurate mold test.

Key Options for Removing Mold in Houston Homes 

Mold remediation is the removal of existing mold growth and the prevention of future growth throughout the restoration process, which you’ve likely heard called “mold remediation.”

The number one reason for mold growth? Moisture. Moisture can occur from other issues – like a leaky roof, or even a leaky pipe in the walls. As the moisture continues to build, so does the mold growth.  

Understanding what caused the mold growth serves as an important step in the mold remediation process. This can change the treatment plan, especially if there is moisture involved. It requires that this problem be fixed first before the issues with mold are addressed.  

Let’s say that your HVAC starts to smell a little bit and you are seeing some minor specks – they just appeared and haven’t been there for awhile. Getting your ducts cleaned and sanitized by the right company, and wiping down the area with the minor growth, can be a good first step. If you see that it worsens after this, that’s when a professional can offer additional steps to help.  

For professional mold remediation, there are a few different options to consider. All mold mitigation projects should start with a lab test of the mold growth to understand what’s happening – and why.  

Once the mold tests results come back, the impacted area may be contained before removal and cleaning starts. The removal and cleaning process can differ based on where the mold has impacted the home. For more structural issues, for example, it may require replacing parts of the structure. If it’s your HVAC system, in some cases, you may need to replace a duct or plenum to eliminate the mold issue.  

Mold & Insurance Claims

Most insurance policies do not cover mold issues.

Consult a Houston mold remediation professional for more information and check your insurance policy to understand what may be included.  

However, in the event that your mold problem was caused by water damage, it could cover fixing the water damage that led to the mold issue, with just some of the mold-specific procedure cost the responsibility of the homeowner.  

Once the most severe areas have been eliminated, it’s time remove the spores from the air. Using high-efficiency air filtration, these spores are removed from the air. It may make sense to do a duct cleaning at this point as well. From there, the cleaning process focuses on ensuring that mold cannot continue to spread and grow via your ductwork, or even throughout other areas of your home. Drywall, insulation, baseboards or flooring andmay need to be replaced.  

With the mold removed from the home, it will be time to start repair and restoration. Again, this will vary based on how severe the mold issue may be – and where it’s located. For more severe issues, it could require a complete replacement of insulation and drywall. In others, after the cleaning has been completed, it may require a fresh coat of paint.  

How to Prevent Future Damage from Mold in Houston Homes

As a homeowner in Houston, you know that our humidity levels never go away. This means that, inevitably, there will be mold somewhere – unless you figure out how to put a bubble around your home.  

But, that doesn’t mean that you’ll have mold damage or significant issues. There are a few ways that any homeowner can keep mold issues at bay in their home.  

Get Your HVAC Serviced at Least 1x a Year

Your HVAC unit can be a prime location for mold growth, and can easily spread it throughout your house. Having it serviced on a regular basis – and keeping up with changing your air filters – makes a difference in whether mold grows in your home.  

Monitor Your Indoor Humidity

Your inside humidity levels should be below 55 percent. If it is too humid in your home, it is a growth haven for mold – especially the common molds like aspergillus penicillium that are already present in the outside air and just need food, like your sheetrock to grow.  .  

Maintain Your Home Regularly

Maintaining your home – checking for leaks, identifying ventilation issues, and keeping your ducts clean – helps to prevent mold growth. Keeping an eye on key problem areas (like around your HVAC unit, under your sinks, or by your fridge) can be helpful.

Use Air Purifiers/
Dehumidifiers

Purifiers and dehumidifiers help reduce mold growth. Purifiers can remove mold spores from the air, so even when it is a high allergy day, you aren’t feeling it inside. And, dehumidifiers, can help supplement your HVAC’s job of removing humidity in challenging areas in older homes.

How to Select the Right Vendor for Getting Rid of Your Mold  

When it comes to finding a vendor for mitigating mold in your home, there are a few different factors to consider.  

For one, mold can be tricky. It can be hidden. Sometimes it comes with moisture and water damage. And, when it is visible, it can be like the tip of the iceberg and only a small indication of a broader problem.  

Because of this, you need to find professionals that are always working with your best interest in mind. There are many starting points for treating mold, which means that recommendations may vary. Working with a trusted company and a team of professionals can ensure you are getting the right treatment option for the mold issue at hand.  


Give us a call and get connected with a certified mold consultant to discuss what you can do for mold removal in Houston.   

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