Mold – How to Prevent it and How to Re-Mediate It

Mold is part of the fungi kingdom and reproduces by means of microscopic spores. Mold spores waft through the indoor and outdoor air continually. When mold spores land on a damp spot indoors, they may begin growing and digesting whatever they are growing on in order to survive. There are molds that can grow on wood, paper, carpet and foods. When excessive moisture or water accumulates indoors, mold growth will often occur, particularly if the moisture problem remains undiscovered or unaddressed. Indoors, there is always a food source for mold to grow on: carpet, drywall, paint, wood, wallpaper, fabrics. However, mold won’t grow without moisture.

o Fix leaks and seepage. If water is entering the house from the outside, your options range from simply removing landscaping and irrigation heads near your slab to extensive excavation and waterproofing. Check the ground around your foundation – it should slope away from your house. When it rains (or should I say if?) does water run off your roof in certain area and run toward your home? Gutters would be a good solution. Water leaks in pipes or around tubs and sinks can provide a place for biological pollutants to grow.

o If you have a crawlspace under your home or condominium building, make sure it is well-ventilated.

How would you know if your home has mold problems? The “Duck” Test: use your eyes and your nose. You know the saying, “if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it must be a duck?” Well, if you can see mold, or if you can smell mold (an earthy, musty smell), then a mold problem is likely to exist.

If you suspect mold is present in your home, or if you want to determine the type or extent of the problem, you can hire someone to test the air quality. There are professional companies that do this.

If you have a pipe break in your home, within days mildew and biological growth begins to take place and odors begin to permeate the structure.

What can you do if you have a water emergency?

o Water source: If possible, stop source of water. Turn off outside water main, or if necessary call a plumber or other qualified tradesman to stop source.

o Air Conditioning: Turn on air-conditioning to speed drying in summer. Keep temperature no lower than 72 degrees F.

o Art Objects/Paintings: Remove valuable paintings and pictures from walls. Transfer all art objects to a safe place.

o Books/Magazines: Do not leave books, magazines or other colored items on wet carpet or floor.

o Carpeting: Blot wet carpeting with clean white towels. Remove Oriental or other colored area rugs from wall to wall carpet. Place a fan so air flows over carpet, speeding the drying process.

o Ceilings: Punch small holes in sagging ceilings to relieve trapped water. Place a plastic (not metal) bucket under the leak. Do not turn on ceiling fixtures if your ceiling is wet.

o Clothing/Fabrics: Move wet items to a dry place. Open and empty drawers, cabinets and closets for complete drying. Hang fur and leather items to dry separately at room temperature.

o Electrical: Disconnect all power to affected areas. Do not operate your TV or other electrical appliances while standing on wet carpets or floors, especially wet concrete floors. Do not use your household vacuum to remove water.

o Furniture: Move lighter-weight furniture off carpeting. Place plastic wrap or plastic bags beneath legs of larger furniture. Wipe water from wood furniture.

o Suitcases/Luggage: Open suitcases and luggage to dry, in sunlight if possible.

o Upholstery: Remove and prop up wet upholstery cushions for even drying. Check for possible bleeding of colors/dyes.

Is this problem bigger than what you can handle? Call a restoration professional. For the better restoration companies, applied structural drying techniques are utilized; they are the preferred way to help homeowners. Good restoration company workers are trained in the use of psychometrics – the scientific standard for monitoring and control of water damage. These standards can reduce the cost of water damage claims by at least 35 percent. The use of this equipment will result in rapid recoveries. The industry standard has changed recently from drying out a home in a non-controlled environment to focusing on significantly controlling the environment with state-of-the-art airflow and heat temperature equipment, plus extraction, air movement and evaporation, dehumidification and temperature control.

Reputable restoration company staff members have professional certifications through IICRC, which is the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification. This is an extensive training program that provides them with special skills to handle losses.

Restoration technicians are trained to measure and provide documentation to show that the unit has been dried properly. The final documentation includes a psychrometry log, a moisture content log, a drying calculation work sheet and an equipment dehumidifier requirement worksheet. Restoration technicians document the drying process using thermo-hygrometers which allow them to measure the moisture in the air, or specific humidity.

A guaranteed drying time in just three days can be achieved by using the following techniques:

o Extraction: Extracting water quickly is the key to drying an area properly.

o Air Movement / Evaporation: Air movement will turn water into vapor and is used in conjunction with humidity and temperature control.

o Dehumidification: Humidity is measured in grains per pound of air. Various dehumidification tools may be used depending on the conditions.

o Temperature Control: Managing the temperature ensures the complete drying of wet building materials and allows dehumidifiers to work efficiently.

These alternative drying methods allow water losses to be dried in the shortest time. This will help minimize the cost – not only in the cost of the equipment being on site but for the electricity to run the equipment.