In the southern United States, indoor mold growth is an unspoken epidemic. Each year, emergency rooms take thousands of cases of poisoning from exposure to specific deadly strains of mold. Often, this fungus propagates inside your home without you realizing it. Some people have noses like dobermans, while others’ sense of smell is like comparing a blind person to someone with 20-20 vision. If you happen to fall in the second camp, then you’re at a disadvantage with detecting mold growth by picking up on the odors early on. Especially if it’s growth inside a wall or in your ductwork where you can’t visibly see it as it begins to take hold, being able to smell the stuff goes a long way in determining the source and eradicating it once and for all. But do not be fooled, even if you find a mold outbreak in your home and are convinced you can handle the job, tread carefully if you choose to not get professional assistance. The CDC recommends that any mold outbreak larger than a 10 foot by 10 foot space be left completely to mold specialists with a negative air chamber to prevent spreading it further. But even if the space is only three feet around, you can still spread the spores to other areas of your house, especially if you manage to get any into the air conditioning system. Once inside, the mold takes root and grows inside your evaporator coil and throughout your ductwork. Each time the air conditioner turns on, the air moving through the system gets contaminated by the mold growth and then can spread even further throughout your home. If you’re not confident you can handle the job yourself without spreading spores, it’s smart to just leave the remediation job to trained professionals.