Mold can be an insidious and practically an invisible danger inside your home; only when it gets out of hand do people think about it and the need for mold removal. Mold is capable of growing under carpets, behind drywall, under washers and any place in your home that has been exposed to water. Many people mistakenly believe that mold is only a concern if their environment is very humid or if they have an active water leak. However, the truth is much scarier than that. Mold is capable of continuing to grow for years after water exposure, even without significant or consistent ambient humidity.
Detection
The first phase of home mold removal is detection. This might seem to be a fairly simple task at first. Just look around and see if you can find any mold, right? Wrong! Mold can be in hard to reach places. It can also be practically clear, depending on the chemicals it has been exposed to. The best way to detect mold in your is to hire a qualified mold inspection & remediation company like Mold Zero to test your home for various types of mold.
You might not even think that mold is an issue in your home, but there are some warning signs of mold infestation that you should know about before you write off mold treatment. Signs of mold spore exposure can lead to serious health problems, especially for the more vulnerable members of your family like children, the elderly, and pets. Anyone with existing asthma, a compromised immune system, or those under treatment for cancer or other serious health issues should be particularly concerned with mold spores in their home, as mold can cause additional problems for people with pre-existing conditions. If any person in your home is suffering from coughing, asthma-like symptoms, headaches or any other unexplained ailments, a mold detection service is recommended.
Treatment
After mold spores have been identified in your home, the next step is treatment. As tempting as it might be to attempt mold remediation on your own, it is not recommended. Many do-it-yourself treatments can make the problem worse in the long run. Bleach, for example, is often touted as a way to treat and remove mold, but in reality, bleach only adds humidity to the area, which will encourage the mold to continue growing. Treating mold with bleach also removes the color from it, making it even harder to spot.
Treatment and removal of mold can be an overwhelming process. Many companies use physical means to remove mold, but a process like the one used by Mold Zero is the preferable option. Mold Zero’s Dry Fog technology penetrates all possible areas to avoid any guessing games when it comes to your family’s health.
Restoration
Traditional mold remediation involves tearing apart your home in order to access the mold growth. The remediation process can be expensive, but it is nothing compared to the cost of restoring tile, carpet, drywall, drawers, cabinets and anything else that was destroyed in the process of removing the mold with traditional remediation techniques.
Mold Zero’s dry fogging process eliminates this restoration process completely. With their process, there is no need to tear up carpet or cabinets in order to access the mold spores. The dry fog is simply released into your home, and the spores are rendered lifeless.
Prevention
After mold remediation is complete, you’ll certainly want to do everything you can to safeguard your home against future mold infestations. These strategies can vary from climate to climate, but some procedures are advisable no matter where you live. Let us remember that water is how we get mold, and so we want to do whatever we can to prevent allowing water into our homes.
Plumbing leaks are a common source of water, and so you want to be sure that your plumbing is in good condition. However, it can be hard to tell if you have a plumbing leak, as so much of the plumbing pipes are hidden behind walls and under floors. One way to identify plumbing leaks early is to keep a close watch on your water bill. If you have a big jump in water usage that’s a red flag that you might have a hidden leak.
Keeping an eye on appliances like washers, boilers, water heaters, air conditioners, and refrigerators is also a good way to make sure that you catch leaks before they become a major issue. You will have to keep an especially close eye on older appliances as the eventual failure of say, a water heater, can result in a huge amount of water in your home. Proper clean-up after such an incident is vital, but prevention is the better option.
Prevent moisture with proper ventilation. It may be that your routine domestic activities are encouraging the growth of mold in your home. Make sure an activity as simple as cooking dinner, taking a shower, or doing a load of laundry doesn’t invite mold by providing proper ventilation in your bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, and any other high-moisture area. Vent appliances that produce moisture — clothes dryers, stoves — to the outside (not the attic). Use AC units and dehumidifiers (especially in humid climates), but make sure they don’t produce moisture themselves by checking them periodically and cleaning them as directed by the manufacturer. Your energy-efficient home may be holding moisture inside, so open a window when cooking or washing dishes or showering, or run an exhaust fan.
Monitor humidity indoors. The EPA recommends keeping indoor humidity between 30 and 60 percent. You can measure humidity with a moisture meter purchased from your local hardware store. You’ll also be able to detect high humidity by simply paying attention to potential problem areas in your home. Telltale signs of excessive humidity include condensation on windows, pipes, and walls. If you notice condensation, dry the surface immediately and address the source of moisture (for example, turn off a humidifier if water appears on the inside of nearby windows).
Overall, removing mold from your home doesn’t have to be a stressful experience. Making sure you hire qualified professionals, use a proper remediation technique, and then preventing further mold growth are the best steps you can take to keep your home mold free and your family healthy.
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Learning about the proper ways to achieve mold control is really helpful to me. I can see these kinds of methods being great first steps to take to prevent any kind of formation that can be detrimental to our health, so I feel like this should be our focus. I’ll go and look for a mold removal expert in the area so they can help me with methods like these right away.