A scientific ghost story (sort of) from Houston Enviro Assessments
The thing about a house is—it’s not supposed to make noises that sound... respiratory.
Creaks? Sure. Groans? Fine. But coughing?
That’s what one homeowner swore they heard.
Not every day. Just during storms. Or after a hot spell. Or when no one else was home and the hallway felt a little too... damp.
They described it like this:
“A wet sound. Deep. Like someone clearing their throat behind the walls.”
We didn’t roll our eyes. We’ve heard weirder.
Spores, Fungi, and the Sigh of the Sheetrock
Let’s be clear: houses don’t cough. But if they did, it would probably be because of mold.
Here’s the science:
Mold spores love moisture. Houston humidity? Five stars.
When moisture builds up behind walls or under flooring, spores multiply—silently.
Add airflow from your HVAC system and you’ve got the perfect delivery system for airborne irritants.
These particles irritate your respiratory tract, your pets, your kids—and sometimes, they create subtle pressure changes that do cause little pops, sighs, or rumbles in ducts and vents.
So no, your house isn’t alive. But it is reacting.
The Human Side of House-Sick Syndrome
We’ve seen it a hundred times:
Slight headaches.
That low-level fatigue that won’t go away.
A mystery cough that starts when you walk in and disappears when you leave.
No visible mold. No clear leak. But something isn’t right.
That’s when we pull out the real tools: air quality testing and thermal imaging.
If your home has a hidden cough, we know how to find the lungs.
Final Thought
You don’t have to believe in ghosts to believe your house is trying to tell you something.
If you hear weird sounds, smell weird smells, or feel weird symptoms—don’t dismiss them.
Your home might just need to clear its throat.
Call Houston Enviro Assessments today.
We know the difference between a haunted house and a humid one.
