Mold grows where it gets appropriate moisture, temperature, and food. Typically, it grows in kitchen, basement, or bathroom, but it can develop in other places in your home such as attic, crawl space and air ducts if it finds appropriate conditions. The climate and your living habits contribute a great deal to mold growth.
Mold can grow within 48 hours after it finds the right conditions. If your home has water leakage in pipes or walls, possibility of mold growth will increase. It can grow on carpet, cardboard, clothes, ceiling, leather, and even on books. It is important that you address its growth as soon as you smell or see it growing.
To eliminate possibility of mold growth, you will have to start with mold inspection. You can find number of qualified mold inspectors in your area. Just call the one that offers best services and value for your money. The inspector will perform number of tests to determine the mold growth. If the outcome is positive, you will have to ask for mold remediation services so that you can get rid of mold and enjoy fresh air again.
To eliminate mold, mold remediation service provider will identify moisture sources. Unless these are addressed, mold will come back again. Any efforts of removing mold will go to waste as moisture will help mold growth and it will be back within six months. A qualified contractor providing mold remediation services will control moisture before doing anything else with the mold. The contractor will also ensure that there is no moisture after mold has been removed.
Many people believe that they can eliminate the mold using household methods. They will search for cleaning, biocides and disinfectant products to remove mold. However, none of these helps with mold remediation. In addition to no results from such efforts, you will be exposing residents to allergies and toxic breathing by using such products without taking help from an expert.
Although there is proof that biocides will kill mold spores preventing its growth, these products are unsafe to use without taking proper care. In addition to that, these chemicals will never remove the mold but they will only kill the spores. The only way to get rid of mold from your home on long-term basis is to either remove it completely or get rid of the thing where it’s growing.
In order to decide the course of action, mold remediation service provider will check the nature of material, it’s ability to absorb and the growth of mold on it. This will help to determine whether to remove the material and clean it up to get rid of mold growing on it. Typically, non-porous and semi-porous materials will be easy to clean up and re-use but porous materials will have to go out of the building. Since porous materials absorb moisture resulting in inner-growing mold, they are hard to clean. Even if cleaned on the surface, they may still have mold pores inside. The best way to deal with these materials is to get rid of them.