With another round of heavy rain that has blown through, 2017 has proved to be a wet year. Whenever rain is in excess, the problems people worry about are usually immediate, such as keeping things from getting ruined by the water or preventing more water from coming in. Unfortunately, mold damage doesn’t seem to cross their minds, until it has already become an issue.
Here is what you need to know about mold and what you can do to prevent it from spreading.
Mold Thrives in Dark Wet Areas
Dark closets, basements, crawlspaces, behind ceiling tiles or insulation of a facility provide the perfect environment for mold. They prefers to grow in dark humid areas, which can make it is hard to spot. If mold goes too long without being noticed, it can grow to dangerous levels.
Mold can also grow inside the ductwork and it is necessary to get the HVAC system professionally cleaned when mold is present to avoid having spores blown throughout the area.
Mold Causes Significant Health Risks
Mold spores are constantly floating through the air, which can cause reactions in some people, but if those spores land on a wet surface, they begin to grow into mold. 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. Some toxic molds, such as Black Mold, require several days of being wet before they can grow, which is why it becomes such an issue after floods. Therefore, when flooding or water damage occurs it is important to completely replace any drywall or carpet that was wet, and let the wood studs in walls dry out completely.
Properly Cleaning Mold
The cleaning method of 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.
If cleaning mold damage has become a problem for you be sure to contact a Hughes Environmental Representative at 888-845-3952 or Contact Us
