Water Damage and Mold - Basics

Mold Removal - Water Damage and Mold - Basics

While a few areas of the country are actually in drought conditions, much of the nation has experienced violent weather in recent months and literally millions of people have had a deluge (rain or flood) hit their community! These storms have resulted in water damage impacting hundreds of thousands of homes. If that water damage is not remediated very quickly and professionally, the inevitable result will be mold.

Molds are a very large group of fungi. Mold spores are found everywhere throughout the world. However, when molds are found indoors, they can damage or destroy the structure, and they pose serious health concerns to persons living in that environment, especially these individuals who are highly susceptible: the very young or the very old, persons with pre-existing respiratory ailments such as asthma or lung disease, persons who are already ill or are treating a chronic illness, etc.

The Nature of Mold

Mold needs only three things to grow:
1: An organic food source such as wood, paper, fabric, leather, wool, etc., (even dirt on inorganic materials has enough organic material to support mold growth).
2: An agreeable temperature range between 68є and 86є F, which is typical of most occupied buildings.
3: Sufficient moisture that can come from a plumbing leak, water damage from a storm (or even high humidity).

In most homes, the conditions are nearly ideal for mold to grow - there is only one requirement item that is missing - water. If you now add water from a storm, or other source, and you do not remediate quickly and correctly, then mold WILL grow.

If, despite all of your best efforts, you suspect that there is mold in your home, it is important to know what to do. In many cases, the very first indication that mold is growing somewhere in the home is odor; truly, your nose knows! The distinctive "musty/ moldy odor" (that everyone recognizes) is the result of Microbial Volatile Organic Compounds, the gases that are released into the air whenever mold is growing and digesting food sources. When you notice the "moldy" smell, then, somewhere, mold is growing. A very little mold can give off a lot of odor. It is important to find the mold and to properly remediate the problem, and to be sure the underlying water problem is resolved/ fixed. Again, a restoration professional is a great resource to assist in the evaluation and the remedy.

Mold should not be ignored. Department of Health officials state that, "Many, if not most, molds can produce potentially harmful substances, whether it's allergens, mycotoxins, or other compounds. Hence, all indoor mold growth should be removed promptly, no matter what type(s) of mold is present or whether it can produce toxins." (www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/indoorair/mold/index.html)

If a significant amount of mold is present, or if you are simply not comfortable in dealing with the overall situation, then a professional remediation company, such as PuroClean, should be contacted to assist with evaluation and remediation. Such a company may establish a containment area around the materials to prevent the spread of mold and spores to other unaffected parts of the building. Their employees will also wear necessary Personal Protective Equipment such as gloves, impermeable coveralls, face shields, respirators, etc. Care should be taken to make sure the remediation is done properly, by a professional. Otherwise it may be of little or no benefit and could possibly make the situation worse by spreading the contamination. Whenever appropriate, they may also seek input from other specialized professionals, such as an indoor hygienist. And, finally, it is essential that the underlying water problem that allowed the mold to grow in the first place, is fixed. If that is not done, then mold will almost certainly reappear.

Regardless of the circumstances - damage from storms or floods, mold assessment and remediation, or damage from fire or smoke, call your local PuroClean office, the Paramedics of Property Damage™. These professionals are standing by and will mitigate the loss to prevent further damage and will then provide restoration services to return the property to a pre-loss condition as quickly as possible. All PuroClean offices have professional, well-trained technicians who provide the latest state-of-the-science services to all property damaged from water, fire/smoke, mold, and other disasters.