UNDERSTANDING HOW MOLD GROWS
Many people are amazed when they discover that they have mold growing in their home.
The problem is, they’re not thinking of mold in the right way…they equate it with dirty living conditions. You can have a very clean house, and still have mold. It’s not about the dirt; it’s about mold spores that colonize anywhere there is moisture, oxygen and organic material for them to feed on.
Mold spores are extremely tiny and invisible to the naked eye, but the damage they can do is not. Once mold gets started, it doesn’t take long to take hold and begin the damage.
DAMAGE FROM MOLD
If you’re wondering what type of damage mold can cause in your home, ask the victims of Hurricane Katrina, and more recently Hurricane Sandy.
The news talks about power outages, shortages of gas, no food, no water, injury and evacuations. What you don’t always hear about is the destructive force of mold.
Once any type of water damage occurs, you only have 24-48 hours before mold can begin to grow. If you can repair and stop the damage right away, you probably don’t need to worry. But in natural disasters where homes are evacuated and flooded, it’s unlikely that homeowners will not be able to return soon enough to stop the damage.
For homes (or any other buildings) that were left standing in water after the storms, mold will be their largest enemy. By the time people were able to re-enter their homes after Katrina, mold was growing everywhere and the homes were beyond repair.
But it doesn’t take a hurricane for mold to begin growing; it only takes a leaky pipe, too much condensation or lack of good ventilation.
TELL TALE SIGNS OF MOLD
If your home, office or school has experience any type of water damage, be on the lookout for signs such as these: water stains, musty smell, discolored walls or ceilings, and/or warped floors.
Mold doesn’t go away on its own. If your home has experienced water damage that has resulted in mold growth, visit www.fastmoldremoval.com to learn more. In some cases the EPA suggests that a homeowner can deal with small amounts of mold themselves while in larger cases, seeking the assistance of a professional mold remediator may be more advisable.