Holy Moldy

3/15/2023 (Permalink)

You may have seen sensational news reports that warn about the dangers of “black mold” or “toxic mold”. These reports can be alarming and confusing so it’s beneficial to get the facts to better understand mold.

Stachybotrys chartarum is the type of mold often called black mold, and it does produce allergens and irritants. However, many types of mold can produce allergens and irritants. Treat any mold with caution – stay out of affected areas and don’t touch or disturb the mold.

Learn more about mold and what to do until help arrives by visiting Mold Damage Tips. 

How Do I Tell If It’s Black Mold?

Since many types of mold can cause reactions, you should contact us regardless of the color or type of mold. In many instances, multiple types of mold may exist in the same house or structure.

Understanding Mold

When water intrudes into your property, mold growth can start in as little as 48 hours. Consider the following mold facts:

• Mold is present almost everywhere, indoors and outdoors.
• Mold spores are microscopic, float along in the air, and may enter your home through windows, doors, or AC/heating systems or even hitch a ride indoors on your clothing or a pet.
• Mold spores thrive on moisture. Mold spores can quickly grow into colonies when exposed to water. These colonies may produce allergens and irritants.
• Before mold remediation can begin, any sources of water or moisture must be addressed. Otherwise the mold may return.
• Mold often produces a strong, musty odor, and that odor can lead you to possible mold problem areas.
• Even higher-than-normal indoor humidity can support mold growth. Keep indoor humidity below 45 percent

If your residence or business is located in Washington or Oregon, with all the moisture, it can easily become a breeding ground for mold growth. Even with regular inspection and maintenance, mold problems can still occur. Excess moisture and dust can linger in hidden places and combine forces to cause a fungal infestation that can only be remedied by mold remediation experts. Here are the top four places you might find mold hiding, in your home and commercial building.

1. Carpet:
Carpet has many crevices where mold spores can hide and many surfaces to which it is easy for mold to adhere. While you can't prevent all spills and can't always control how well people clean up after themselves when they do spill, you can dehumidify the room by increasing air flow to the area. This can help dry out the carpet and prevent mold growth.

2. Ceiling Tiles:
Ceiling tiles are often made of porous material, which allows mold to take root. Watch out for water damage in ceiling tiles and get it fixed as soon as possible. It only takes a day or two for mold to start to grow in places where leaks have occurred. Because the growth usually starts on the side of the tile that is hidden, it can become a big problem before it is noticed.

3. Walls:
Walls present the same difficulty that ceiling tiles do. The moisture problem contributing to the mold issue is often inside the wall and thus can become significantly moldy long before it is detected. When this happens, it is best to let remediation experts handle the problem to ensure it is resolved completely.

4. Air Ducts:
The dust in air ducts can attract mold spores and give them a place to grow. When coupled with high humidity, the mold problem gets larger. Regular cleaning and maintenance of the HVAC system is necessary to detect or prevent mold problems in the ducts.

If your business has suffered a water damage in the past, a proper dry out is vital.  You can't always prevent mold growth. You can, however as the business owner, can be proactive. Walk and inspect your building at least once a month. If you see a spot of moisture or a dark shadow in a place it should not be, call the bright green clean up team at SERVPRO Longview/Kelso. We will come out and perform a moisture inspection with our meters. We will perform a visual mold inspection and if need be complete mold remediation.

Commercial buildings are huge investments, which would make sense why finding the right building to invest in requires a lot of vetting. Along with inspecting the square footage for any type of water damage that might have happened in the past, the plumbing will also need to be inspected. Where ever there could have been a moisture issue, mold would have also the opportunity for growth. We want our commercial businesses to grow but mold growth is definitely a growth we want to stop. We her at SERVPRO of Longview/Kelso provide a service that can remedy mold, but first an inspection will need to be preformed.

Even though SERVPRO has offered mold inspections for a few decades, professional mold inspections in commercial buildings are a fairly new concept. Health effects brought about by mold was not advocated for until the 90s, when a light was shed on the possible consequences of mold infestations. Now, homeowners and business owners alike are meticulously inspecting for mold when purchasing a building, as they should be.

Due to mold’s potential health effects, employers and building owners should be weary of allowing employees, visitors, tenants or vendors to inhabit the building. Even if the mold is quarantined to one specific area, it still has the potential to travel through HVAC systems, affecting other areas.

If you are purchasing or currently own a commercial building, a mold inspection should be mandated. A commercial mold remediation company such as your locally owned SERVPRO of Longview/Kelso can perform visual assessments, sampling, and mold remediation strategies. Even if mold is not found, remediation companies can provide insight into future issues. Any situation that is a potential playground for moisture accumulation and mold growth will be addressed by a professional. This includes a leaking roof, structural characteristics that may allow water into the building, building maintenance issues or more.

Scheduling pre-move in mold inspections as well as implementing routine inspections, especially in Southwest Washington, is vital to your building and business. SERVPRO of Longview/Kelso can be reached at 360-703-3884. Call and schedule up an inspection if and when needed.