Concerns of Mold

Intrusion of water into your home or place of business is an out of the ordinary event. This could result from broken water pipes or water heaters, sump pump failure or from long-standing leaks. Organic materials found inside a building, such as wood, paper, drywall, and some types of insulation, provide food sources for molds (given an adequate amount of moisture) to flourish.

A water damage, if left unattended for any period of time, may lead to mold growth. People may experience health effects associated with exposure to mold in damp buildings, according to a two-year study by the Institute of Medicine. These health effects may include a runny nose, sneezing, coughing, congestion, aggravation of asthma, sore throat, or inflammation of the sinus.

Concerns are more likely to arise when "at risk" individuals are exposed to mold growth. "At risk" people can include immune suppressed or compromised individuals, young children, and individuals with chronic inflammatory lung diseases such as asthma and severe allergies.

Dealing with Mold

SERVPRO franchise professionals handle water damages every day. Prompt action is required to prevent new mold growth. If your property has sustained a recent water damage, it is vital to have the water removed and the structure dried promptly.

When excessive mold contaminates a building, remediators follow five principles in dealing with the mold:

Principle 1: Provide for health and safety.
Since moldy buildings are associated with health problems, remediators protect the health of workers and occupants. Some work practices prevent workers from exposure as they disturb the mold during cleanup. Other work practices prevent mold from spreading to occupied areas of the building.

Principle 2: Document conditions and processes.
Remediators record conditions in the building such as the extent of the contamination and the amount of moisture saturation. Once remediation is completed, an independent indoor environmental professional may record that mold in the building is returned to normal conditions.

Principle 3: Control the mold contaminant at its source.
Work practices aim at keeping mold contamination from becoming airborne and then spreading from the source to clean areas. This reduces the amount of airborne mold that workers are exposed to. It also makes the process of removing mold more efficient.

Principle 4: Remove contamination.
Once mold has grown beyond normal levels, the most effective solution is to remove the excess mold contamination. This may be accomplished by physically removing materials damaged by growing mold, by vacuuming excessive mold spores into HEPA filters, and by damp wiping soiled surfaces with detergent cleaning products.

Priniciple 5: Correct the moisture problem.
This is the key to dealing with mold. Stop the source of moisture that initially contributed to mold growth. Even the best cleanup efforts will not keep mold from returning if a building continues to have moisture problems.

Photos of Mold