Mold Removal
Mold is a microscopic life form found in all parts of the world and is part of the natural decomposition of organic materials. Mold requires three things to grow: nutrients, moisture, and time.
The most common food source indoors is cellulose, which is found in wood and drywall. Mold requires moisture to grow, which means buildings must be kept dry to prevent growth.
The most effective way to prevent mold growth is to keep materials dry, or if they become wet, to dry them quickly. Remember: no moisture, no mold.
Removing Mold
Removing mold involves either removing the mold from the surface on which it is growing or removing the material where the mold is growing. For example,
Mold on framing lumber: The mold can be removed by wire brushing, scraping, sanding, media blasting and/or pressure washing. Think of this as removing paint from a wall stud (without using a paint removing chemical).
Mold on drywall: It is not possible to remove mold from the paper covering drywall without destroying the drywall itself. Thus the best remediation solution is to remove the contaminated drywall.
What Causes Mold?
Mold is quite common after any amount of water has come into a home, but just because it’s common doesn’t mean it’s nothing to be worried about.
Mold can release spores and cause extreme damage to your home and health, which is why it’s important to eliminate right away.
You can rely on a mold removal specialist to take care of this for you. They are trained and equipped with all of the right tools and knowledge to handle the job professionally.
There is no one most common type of mold. The types of mold that are most common in your area depend upon where you live, the climate conditions, and the indoor conditions: temperature, amount of available moisture and organic food source.
Mold Growth
Any place that is dark and where there is an accumulation of moisture, is a potential breeding pool for mold.
Mold can grow on almost any organic surface as long as moisture and oxygen are present. When large amounts of moisture build-up in buildings, or building materials, mold growth will occur.
It is virtually impossible to remove all indoor mold and mold spores, but it is possible to manage. Water damage responders often adopt the generally accepted time frame that mold begins to grow within 24 to 48 hours.
Mold Rot
Mold can also germinate within wood and begin to break down the material. This type of fungi is commonly referred to as rot, but is actually a member of the mold family.
Rot can occur in wood that is visibly wet, or above fiber saturation points (30% moisture content in many wood species).
When this occurs, the rot is referred to as a wet rot. Rot can also occur when wood is visibly dry, below its fiber saturation point, yet wetter than 20% moisture content. When this occurs, it is referred to as dry rot.
Mold Exposure
People are exposed to some amount of mold every day. When mold is growing on a surface, spores can be released into the air where a person can then inhale them.
A person who is subject to inhaling a large amount of these spores may be subject to some medical injury. Various medical conditions have been associated with exposure to mold spores and mold contamination.