Mold belongs outdoors in its natural environment. Although we do find mold indoors. Indoor mold growth needs just a few things to survive: moisture, time, and cellulose material. Cellulose material simply means items such as drywall, insulation, and ceiling tiles. Something as simple as not handling water damage within 48 hours can cause mold to germinate beyond normal levels. Mold spores that have been dormant for years can begin growing if adequate moisture is provided. Improper ventilation, leaky pipes, high humidity and flooding are all sources to feed mold growth.
Keep the moisture out of your house. Properly flashing the roof, sealing windows, caulking cracks, cleaning gutters regularly, roof ventilation. And checking water supply lines, grading landscaping away from home, and routing all downspouts away from the house all assist in your fight against mold.
How would you know if you have elevated mold spore counts?
If you start experiencing health symptoms you may have an issue. The only sure way to know what the elevated mold spore counts levels are present is to have an indoor air quality test conducted.
Let’s say the indoor quality test is showing elevated levels for mold. Do you really need a professional mold remediation company to remediate a small amount of mold lingering in your bathroom? Nope. Per the IICRC S520 Standard, companies such as Dry Effect cannot recommend professional remediation. Unless the mold is visibly covering over 10 square feet.
If you are going to take it upon yourself to perform mold remediation. Please take some precautions such as covering any contents with plastic. Place 6ML plastic at the doorway to contain it in that one room. And most importantly protect yourself with a P100 respirator. Any local hardware store should have the necessary items to successfully perform this work.
Ensure you have identified and rectified the source of moisture prior to any remediation activities. Without the source being resolved mold will come back and continue to germinate. More times than not the condition is much worse inside the wall cavity than you saw on the outside of the wall.
Bleach is not recommended for remediation. Your local hardware store should also have the anti-microbial agents that are much more effective and safer than bleach.
In over your head? Don’t fret!
Give us a call. We can assist you through the process. Whether you would like us to inspect indoor air quality, perform the remediation, or let you complete the task.
If your home inspector uncovers mold during his inspection report, don’t worry. Mold can be remediated within normal levels so that you can safely occupy your building.
Above all if you ever have questions. Don’t hesitate to contact Dry Effect 513-763-2121.
We’re here to share what we know, and help you safely handle your mold concerns.
