Dangers Of Mold Damage After Heavy Rains and Flooding

As we finish out these last weeks of summer, I look back and realize we have had yet another rainy year.  With heavy rains comes flooding and with flooding grows mold. Yuck! Mold can cause all kinds of issues, unfortunately, the worry about cleaning mold damage doesn’t come until after it’s become an issue.

Why Mold Is a Problem?

Mold prefers to grow in dark areas it is hard to spot initially, and can grow to dangerous levels without ever being seen. These mold spores only need a surface to be damp for 24 hours before they start growing, and during heavy rains or after a flood it can take weeks for areas to completely dry out. Since mold spores are constantly floating through the air, it can cause reactions in some people, but it gets significantly worse if those spores land on a wet surface and begin to grow into mold. Symptoms of mold exposure can include:

• Nose and throat irritation
• Wheezing
• Coughing
• Shortness of breath
• Flu-like aches and pains
• fatigue
• Asthma attacks in individuals who have asthma

How To Clean and Prevent Mold?

There are multiple ways that are used to clean mold infestations, but most of them have drawbacks. However, dry ice blasting is able to remove 99.9% of mold spores from areas, including porous surfaces like wood. It also does not introduce dangerous chemicals or secondary wastes into the area, and reduces the cleaning time dramatically.

You can also prepare for mold by keeping potential breeding grounds clean and dry so mold won’t even have a chance to live there. Cleaning dirty areas, such as the ventilation system running throughout a building, which collects a significant amount of dust and dirt through daily use. Removing both the habitat and food source for the mold will make any attempts at growth unsuccessful.

Think you might have mold damage? Contact Us Here, or call 888.845.3952