Mold FAQ's

12/5/2023 (Permalink)

What is mold?

Molds are fungi that can be found indoors and outdoors. There are thousands of different molds. Molds grow best in humid and warm conditions.

What molds are most common indoors?

• Cladosporium
• Penicillium
• Alternaria
• Aspergillus

Where can mold be found?

Molds can be found on any environment all year round. Indoors mold can be found where humidity levels are high such as basements or shower. Outdoors they can be found in shady damp areas where vegetation is decomposing.

What are recommendations?

• Keep  low humidity levels. Moisture levels change throughout the day, so use an air conditioner or dehumidifier to keep the levels low, especially during warmer months.
• Have high ventilation throughout your home.
• Apply mold inhibitors to your paints before application.
• Clean your bathrooms with mold killing products.
• If possible, avoid having carpet in bathrooms or basements.
• Always remove or replace previously soaked carpets and clothe materials.

Our team is professionally trained, certified and has years of experience. If you're suspicious or have found evidence of mold, please give us a call so we can remediate safely.  

Like it never even happen.

When Mold Shows Up in Home Inspections

8/1/2021 (Permalink)

Home Buying

Home buying is a roller coaster; from new emotions and experiences to all the hoops you need to jump through. You spend countless hours viewing homes, finding neighborhoods you love and features you hate, and trying to work with lenders. Another hoop to jump through is a home inspection to ensure there are no issues with the home you want to buy. Home inspectors are trained to spot issues inside and outside the home that could cause potential issues in the future, including mold growth.

When a home inspector finds mold in a pending purchase it becomes a not so pleasant hiccup that can cause a lot of issues and can cost a bit of money if not treated appropriately. Mold loves a variety of different environments, and depending on the environment you can find different types of mold. These environments can be found in many different locations including:

• Crawl spaces & attics.
• Bathrooms where there could be an issue of improper ventilation.
• Basement where groundwater finds its way into the foundation.
• Underneath or behind refrigerators, dishwashers, and washing machines.
• Around any windows that could be failing or already leaking.
• Underneath, around, and behind sinks.
• Under carpeting that has unusual staining spots on the top layer of flooring.  

There are many other places mold can start to spore, but a good indicator is any location that has high moisture or has had water damage in the past. Bathrooms and attics commonly have poor ventilation creating condensation; basements and crawlspaces collect ground water and fluids from broken pipes; refrigerators, washing machines, and dishwashers commonly have supply lines that are not connected correctly, become kinked, or clogged causing leaks; window seals deteriorate with time which can cause condensation on the inside and leaks from the outside; sinks are connected to a variety of pipes and connections that can deteriorate with age, clog, and break; carpeting tends to hide evidence of water damage. When these issues go unnoticed they all have the potential to create the perfect environment for mold growth, and the common denominator here is moisture.

When mold is in your home it can cause unfriendly odors, damage to walls and floors, and even create certain health effects for you and your family. The initial move to make in removing mold to recognize the most common areas for mold to grow.  

Household mold primarily thrives in damp, humid areas such as basements, showers, and around heating and cooling appliances. Mold in homes can also occur in carpets, ventilation ducts,  and crawlspaces. The best way to guard against mold in your house is to ensure there are no active leaks or areas where moisture is collecting regularly, and that your home has proper ventilation.

If you see mold in your home currently, or are even in the process of dealing with a home inspection today, our SERVPRO of Centreville, Marion, and Selma family is a call away. We are ready to help make that house into a home. 

#thinkclean
#thinkgreen

Moisture Control = Mold Control

3/16/2021 (Permalink)

Don't let moisture get out of hand—it is mold's best friend.

• Keep humidity levels as low as you can—no higher than 50%--all day long. An air conditioner or dehumidifier will help you keep the level low. Humidity levels change throughout the day as changes occur in the moisture in the air and the air temperature, so check the humidity levels more than once a day.
• If you see condensation or moisture collecting on windows, walls or pipes ACT QUICKLY to dry the wet surface and reduce the moisture/water source.  Condensation can be a sign of high humidity.
• Be sure your home has enough ventilation. Use exhaust fans, which vent outside your home in the kitchen and bathroom. Make sure your clothes dryer vents outside your home.
• Fix any leaks in your home’s roof, walls, or plumbing so mold does not have moisture to grow.
• Clean up and dry out your home thoroughly and quickly (within 24–48 hours) after flooding.
• Remove or replace carpets and upholstery that have been soaked and cannot be dried promptly. Consider not using carpet in rooms or areas like bathrooms or basements that may have a lot of moisture. 

Don't face this alone. SERVPRO of Centreville, Marion, and Selma can help remediate your mold growth.

(205) 926-6010 

3 Reasons Why Your Commercial Building Needs Professional Mold Intervention

5/24/2018 (Permalink)

When it comes to maintaining the cleanliness of your' commercial building, there are many chores you can perform yourself. Sweeping, mopping and wiping down employee bathrooms are all manageable tasks; however, if you encounter mold on your property, its removal is not a job you want to handle on your own. Fungus cleanup is best left to a qualified mold mitigation and remediation service, which can offer several benefits for the condition of your building. 

1. Mold Is Not a Surface Fungus 

Unlike mildew, mold cannot simply be wiped away with a cloth and a household cleanser. Once mold spores take hold on a food source, they tend to grow roots deep into the surface. While spot cleaning mold with bleach may make it appear cleaned up, the roots remain and allow it to grow back within a day or two afterward. In addition, the water contained in many bleach products may only contribute to further mold development. 

2. Mold Spores Can Spread if Not Contained

Attempting mold cleanup on your own may make the problem worse because disturbed patches of fungus tend to release spores that can travel throughout your building to settle and grow elsewhere. The spread of these spores can happen quickly, especially if they find their way into your ventilation system. Remediation technicians can use containment systems as they employ a cleanup mold process to reduce the risk of further contamination. 

3. The Cause Must Be Addressed 

Fungus cleanup is only one factor in battling an infestation. Unless the cause of the growth is addressed, you may find that mold returns repeatedly, which can cause long-term damage to your building. Expert mold techs can discover the source of the problem, whether it is a hidden plumbing leak or excess moisture buildup behind your walls, and resolve the issue so mold does not grow back

Mold Remediation process

5/19/2018 (Permalink)

When there’s a water intrusion, like a roof leak or leaking water line, mold can quickly become a problem in your home or business. Mold can affect your health and can also cause significant damage to your property. Fortunately, SERVPRO® of Centreville, Marion, and Selma's Professionals have the training, protective gear, and specialized equipment necessary to handle your mold problem. Although every mold damage scenario is different, requiring a unique solution, the general mold remediation process stays the same.

The following steps illustrate a “typical” mold removal process.

Call SERVPRO of Centreville, Marion, and Selma (205)-926-6010.  The mold cleanup and restoration process begins the moment you call!  You will be asked a series of questions to help determine the necessary equipment, resources, and personnel needed.

Inspection & Damage Assessment

Your property will be carefully inspected for signs of mold using technology designed to detect mold and hidden water sources. Mold feeds on cellulose and water which can be hidden from plain view.

Mold Containment

Various containment procedures will be placed to prevent the spread of mold and isolate the contaminated area with physical barriers and negative air pressure to keep the mold spores from spreading during the cleanup process.

Air Filtration

Specialized filtration equipment captures microscopic mold spores out of the air. SERVPRO® of Centreville, Marion, and Selma technicians utilize powerful air scrubbers and HEPA vacuums to prevent the spread of these mold spores while the mold remediation is in progress.

Removing Mold & Mold-Infested Materials

The mold remediation process depends on the amount of mold growth and the types of surfaces on which the mold appears. Antifungal and antimicrobial treatments will be used to eliminate mold colonies and help prevent new colonies from forming. Removing and disposing of mold-infested porous materials, like drywall and flooring, may be necessary to remediate heavy mold growth.

Cleaning Contents & Belongings

SERVPRO of Centreville, Marion, and Selma Professionals clean your furniture, decorative items, curtains, and other restorable items affected by mold. They use a variety of cleaning techniques to clean and sanitize your belongings. They are also trained to remove odors and deodorize using fogging equipment.

Restoration

Depending on the level of mold damage, drywall, subfloors, and other building materials may be removed. Restoration may involve minor repairs, such as replacing drywall, painting, and installing new carpet, or it may entail major repairs such as the reconstruction of various areas or rooms in a home or business.

Your local SERVPRO of Centreville, Marion, and Selma Professionals understand mold and mold growth and have the training and equipment to remediate mold in your home or business.

Mold growth after a small water leak?

5/18/2018 (Permalink)

Sometimes a slow leak occurs inside your home causing damage that goes unnoticed. Many times people do not know that water damage occurred until they notice a foul mildew smell or see the presence of black mold. Once mold exists, spores created by the fungus can travel to other rooms inside your own home.

The spores easily become air-bound and travel to other areas of your home, possibly creating an issue with fungi in other areas besides the source. SERVPRO's technicians know how to mitigate mold issues. We always follow a strict set of procedures when mitigating fungal issues so that the fungus does not spread into other areas of the home.

Water damage scenarios create increased moisture that makes a good environment for mold development. Mold needs water, food and the ideal temperature to form and become a problem. Mold feeds off of any organic materials including paper and wood.

Various strains of mold grow in different temperatures. Some rare mold strains develop in extremely cold or hot temperatures. However, most types of fungi develop between 68 and 86 degrees.

Most types of fungus need incredibly high levels of moisture to survive. Although, some mold strains exist in rooms that have a relative humidity of 65%. When trying to prevent mold growth after a water damage situation, we attempt to drop the relative humidity below 65%.

The time it takes for mold to develop depends on the conditions. Some forms of fungus grow within twelve hours of a water damage problem taking place. Other molds grow into colonies but take between 24 and 48 hours to develop.

Most houses offer many food sources for a fungus. Outside dirt, drywall, carpet, and paper all offer mold growth opportunities if the moisture levels and the temperature inside are ideal. The more time that passes, the worse a mold problem can get.

If water sits inside your home for a long time, then it spreads to areas where microbes already exist and cause mold to develop. For help preventing fungus growth, call SERVPRO of Centreville, Marion, and Selma at (205) 926-6010 for 24 hour service.  

Prevent Mold

11/21/2017 (Permalink)

1. Identify problem areas in your home and correct them. Preventing mold from growing or spreading might be as simple as ripping up carpet in a damp basement, installing mold-resistant products, or repairing damaged gutters.

2. Dry wet areas immediately. Mold can't grow without moisture, so tackle wet areas right away. 

3. Prevent moisture with proper ventilation. Make sure an activity as simple as cooking dinner, taking a shower, or doing a load of laundry doesn't invite mold by providing proper ventilation in your bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, and any other high-moisture area. 

4. Equip your home with mold-resistant products. Building a new home or renovating an old one? Use mold-resistant products like mold-resistant drywall or mold-resistant Sheetrock, and mold inhibitors for paints. 

5. Monitor humidity indoors. The EPA recommends keeping indoor humidity between 30 and 60 percent. You can measure humidity with a moisture meter purchased from your local hardware store. 

6. Direct water away from your home. If the ground around your home isn't sufficiently sloped away from the foundation, water may collect there and seep into your crawlspace or basement.

7. Clean or repair roof gutters.  Have your roof gutters cleaned regularly and inspected for damage. Repair them as necessary, and keep an eye out for water stains after storms that may indicate a leak.

8. Improve air flow in your home. Without good air flow in your home, that excess moisture may appear on your walls, windows and floors. To increase circulation, open doors between rooms, move furniture away from walls, and open doors to closets that may be colder than the rooms they’re in. Let fresh air in to reduce moisture and keep mold at bay.

9. Keep mold off household plants. They're beautiful and help keep your indoor air clean — and mold loves them. The moist soil in indoor plants is a perfect breeding ground for mold, which may then spread to other areas of your house.

[All information is from mnn.com]