Services

If you put together humidity, moisture, and a certain amount of darkness, what do you get? Mold – those three conditions are all mold needs to grow and thrive in all sorts of places, from wood beams to behind floor trim to underneath baseboards, especially in bathrooms.

Dangers of Mold

Mold can come in many different forms or species, and all forms have some sort of detrimental effect on health and property, though some more than others. Some of the health effects that could occur because of mold are as follows:

• Allergies
• Brain fog
• Trouble sleeping
• Fatigue
• Memory problems

If you think you see evidence of mold growing in your own home and notice any of these symptoms, it’s vital that you call the number on our website today for a free estimate.

Causes of Mold

Where does mold come from anyway? What mold needs most to thrive is a moisture source, so getting any broken moisture sources fixed in your home is not something you’d want to put off, especially since there are several other problems that could arise from water damage, like dry rot, for example. Some possible causes of water damage could be things like busted or leaky pipes, spilled liquids, overflowed bathtubs or toilets, a leaky roof, or regular moisture from showers and other places in bathrooms.

Colors of Mold

While there are various specifies of mold that often come in each color, we just want to make you aware that mold can vary in its appearance. Black mold which often ends up being the stachybotrys chartarum species, is the most common variety of mold you’ll find in a home, but it comes in many other colors as well. Some of the other most common colors are green, white, yellow, orange, purple, and red.

How to Check for Moisture

Whether your home has been affected by moisture in the past or you feel that it is being affected by it currently, a moisture meter is very effective in detecting moisture and ensuring old damage has been completely dried. However, a moisture meter won’t always detect structural problems were water has built up over time. For this, you’re better off hiring a restoration professional such as ourselves to lend a hand. You can also hire a plumber or leak detection company.

What to Do If You Have Mold on Plaster Walls, Under Baseboards, or Behind Floor Trim
As soon as you see mold, just assume that it is harmful, and begin by contacting the number on our website to speak to a professional. Putting off taking care of it only makes damage to your health and property more likely.

However, there may be mold even if you don’t see it, and you may be experiencing the health effects as a result. If you have any suspicions of your house having mold, you should get it tested.

How Professionals Remediate Mold on Wood Beams

Professionals take various steps to remediate mold, but these are some of the best practices:

1. Dry Any Moisture Sources That May Be Present

First things first, take care of the moisture source. Seek it out, and shut it down as soon as possible.

2. Use a Specialized Mold Spray to Clean the Visible Mold

Specialized mold sprays like Mold Armor may do the trick if you catch the fungus growth early. Don’t resort to using things like bleach as they most likely will put the mold into panic mode, causing it to release spores and multiply into its surroundings.

3. Demolishing Any Non-Salvageable Areas

This is a last resort as it’s the most expensive method, so it’s important to remediate the mold before it gets too serious. If there is too much mold, however, a professional will need to demolish the affected areas and replace them. It may be expensive, but it is greatly effective.

4. Filter the Air

If your property has been affected by mold for quite some time, your professional will probably need to use an industrial HEPA filter during the remediation process to filter the air of toxins as the air is sure to be contaminated. You could also purchase a HEPA filter yourself; it will purify the air not only of mold, but also of other toxins and allergens.

5. Dry Wet Areas

Once you’ve taken care of the mold, use fans, dehumidifiers, and raised temperatures to completely dry the contaminated area. However, the restoration of water damage can become quite complicated, so you’d be in good hands with one of our mold remediation professionals.

6. Check for Mold in Other Areas

Mold spreads through spores released into the air, so if you’ve found it behind your baseboards, it’s likely you’ll find it elsewhere in your house too. When released spores move through the air, they settle into other habitable environments – that is, areas that are dark, damp, and humid. This colony of mold will also release spores into the air which will form another colony elsewhere, and so on. We recommend hiring a mold testing and inspection professional or purchasing a mold testing kit to locate mold not easily found.

Monitor the Affected Area over Time

Once you’ve found mold and had it taken care of, whether on your own or by a professional, keep an eye on the area to make sure it doesn’t grow back; if it does, the moisture issue was not resolved properly and will need to be redone. If you did it on your own and see it grow back, you’d do best to hire a professional to take it on the second time.

Avoid Future Outbreaks

Avoid water damage as much as you can in your home or commercial buildings, particularly keeping an eye on baseboards in bathrooms due to the regular moisture in that area. Give the number on our website a call, and speak to a professional anywhere in the USA today if you suspect or discover mold on your property.