Mold is an unseen enemy that hides within the hidden recesses of many homes. Aside from obvious places, such as behind bathroom and kitchen tiles, it can also flourish within walls and ceilings or anywhere there is moisture. Even if it does not spread beyond a small area, it can still present health risks and be very persistent and difficult to eradicate. If you suspect that your home has mold, do not try to get rid of it on your own. Call a professional mold and biohazardous remediation team for help.
What is Mold?
Mold is defined as a living organism that contains fungal filaments with multiple cells. It causes food to spoil and can lead to extensive damage to your property. Any place in your home that is moist or humid is a breeding ground for mold, especially where there is leaky plumbing. Mold occurs and grows very rapidly, spreading quickly through its lightweight spores that are carried along air currents. This allows it to invade large spaces and even settle into your clothing and furniture.
Hidden Mold
When your home has mold, it is a sneaky enemy because it grows silently and becomes entrenched before you ever see it. It can start and spread in the crawlspace, behind paneling and wallpaper, inside of the duct system, and other locations where you are not likely to discover it right away. Signs that you need mold removal services include grout that has gaps, cracking tiles, plaster that is crumbling, and blistered paint.
Dry Mold
If you find the source of the mold growth and address the problem, the mold may seem to be gone after everything dries out. Unless all of the spores are removed, they will simply go dormant and reactivate when moisture returns or the conditions otherwise become favorable again. Dry mold will still produce a musty odor, and the spores can still have a negative impact on your health.
Mold in New Home Construction
Even brand new homes can have a mold problem. This occurs when the materials used for construction are improperly stored to protect them from wet weather during the project. Moisture that seeps in enables mold to start growing, and it will remain a problem long after the home is complete.
Getting Rid of Mold
While you do not want to live in a home that has mold, there are two very important reasons to eradicate it as soon as possible.
It Wreaks Havoc
Mold grows and spreads very rapidly through its spores. Unless it is discovered immediately, and the source of moisture is quickly eliminated, it will take over your living space and cause serious health problems. The spores move via air currents and will invade all of your possessions as well as the building materials of your house. This makes the mold removal process extremely difficult and costly because of all the necessary repairs and replacements that are required to restore your home to a livable condition.
It Causes Allergy Symptoms
If you or a family member has allergies, mold will make the symptoms much worse. This can range from itchy eyes to nosebleeds, breathing difficulties, and intense coughing. Mold growth is also associated with memory issues, severe headaches, and chronic fatigue. Although not everyone has a sensitivity to mold spores, they can cause great harm to those who have asthma and pulmonary disease.
DIY Mold Removal
While do-it-yourself (DIY) methods for removing mold can work, they are only successful when you see mold right away and work hard to prevent it from developing and spreading throughout your home. You would need to use a fungicide registered by the EPA and eliminate the moisture that caused the mold to grow. The drawback of using a DIY method is that it often does not get rid of all the mold and will likely only have temporary results.
Bleach Does Not Work
It is a commonly held belief that bleach will eradicate mold. The reality is that it is not strong enough to kill all of the spores and will only prevent it from growing for a short time.
Paint and Cleaners Just Hide the Problem
Common cleaning products and disinfectants are not designed to handle mold, and much like bleach, they will only slow it down temporarily. In addition, these products cannot clean the inside of materials that are contaminated, which means the mold will soon return. Paint and Lysol merely cover up the damage and will do nothing to eradicate the mold.
Fungicide Sprays Can Help
Another DIY approach is using a fungicide spray. This method can work if the mold is caught immediately and has not become entrenched in surrounding materials. Using the spray on the mold you can see may not prevent it from coming back. You must also address the source of the moisture that is causing the mold and remove any materials in your home that have become saturated.
If your mold issue is limited to a small area on a surface that is easily cleaned, you do not have any chronic health problems, or the contaminated area can be easily repaired or replaced, high-quality removal products can eliminate the mold. If the job is not that simple, it is best to call for mold removal services to ensure speedy and efficient results.
You should call for professional help in the following situations:
- A large area of your home is affected by mold
- Mold has become established in places and inside materials that are not easy to replace or repair
- Mold has entered your HVAC system and is being spread through the air
- You are feeling ill from being exposed to mold
- You do not know how to resolve mold issues or do not have the tools to do so
- You do not want to waste time trying to fix the problem yourself
Reasons to Use Professional Mold Removal Services
Mold is a challenging issue and one that should be handled by professionals that have the equipment and experience to eliminate your mold problem. The remediation team will know exactly where to look, how to avoid mistakes, and how to solve the problem once and for all.
Professionals will do the following:
- Find all of the molds that are affecting your living space and efficiently kill it
- Provide the right equipment to remove mold from wood, clothing, furniture, and walls
- Find the source of moisture that is causing the mold growth
- Prevent mold from returning through the application of products that stop development and spread
- Completely clean the space and make any needed repairs
- Provide a quick service that will save you time and money
The ultimate goal of using an expert team is to ensure your home is free of mold and will stay that way.
The Mold Remediation Process
When you hire a professional mold removal team, they will provide the following services:
- Removal of wet and moldy surfaces and materials
- Disinfection and cleaning of furniture, carpets, walls, and other items affected by mold Replacement of studs and drywall in cases of severe damage
- Cleaning of remaining spores and other debris
- Air filtering to ensure no spores remain as a health risk
The following procedures are followed during the remediation process to make sure mold is eliminated and never returns.
Inspection
A mold expert will visit your house to see how severe the problem is and the type of mold that is spreading. If no visible mold is found, but there are signs of mold growing in hidden places, the expert may take an air sample for analysis. If it is safe enough, and you can manage the cleanup procedure on your own, the expert will recommend techniques, equipment, and products to complete the task.
Containment
When the mold problem requires professional expertise, the entire space will be closed off, and you cannot return until the remediation process is done. This means all spores are gone, everything that was affected has been repaired, and the cleanup process is complete.
Removal
This step requires special equipment and a great deal of experience. While metal and glass materials are very easy to clean, porous materials like concrete and wood can be deeply affected by mold, requiring a professional procedure to completely remove the problem. In some cases, very severe damage will require that all of the materials affected by mold be replaced.
Repair
The expert team will stabilize and restore all property that was damaged, and will also ensure that mold will not appear again down the road.
Filtration
The use of special machines with HEPA filters will purify the air and make your living space safe again.
Hiring a professional
The best way to avoid mold problems in your home is to stay vigilant. Keep the house clean and dry, and act immediately if you find any signs of mold. An expert team like 360 Hazardous can immediately come to your home and get to work quickly to solve the problem. Our highly-trained professional staff is experienced with the containment, cleaning, treatment, and removal of mold in contaminated homes and commercial settings. When you choose 360 Hazardous, you’re sure of complete mold removal and that there’ll be no re-growth. We have a team of trained experts that are here for you 24/7/365.