Mold cannot produce spores without a moisture source. We know water is the foundation of living organisms and mold is surely one of them. The presence of water into an enclose area is the perfect playground for mold. It can duplicate its existence within 24 to 48 hours. Mold can be overgrown before you know it. In some cases, your home becomes the perfect environment for mold growth. If your home is lock tight with little fresh air circulation. It can penetrate wall pores with ease. By the time you can see stains on a wall (if it is confirmed mold), there should be enough growth to capture a test sample and enough to establish a RED FLAG.
Not all mold spores are harmful. They break down into categories: Allergenic, Hyper-allergenic and Toxic. Some we need (as in yeast), and some we don’t. Not everybody responds to mold in the same manner. Two people in the room with the same mold present will exhibit different reactions depending on their particular body resistance. Simply put, our job is to test what’s growing in the dwelling and advise on the appropriate course of action. Dead mold is equally damaging to both your health and your home structure. Dead means it is dry and not growing. Live means it is wet and growing. Neither should be tolerated. Dry Mold will spark right back up to life in the presence of new moisture.
Mold often grows behind walls and inside ceiling and floor cavities long before it is ever detected. By the time you start smelling an unpleasant odor, rest assured mold has been growing somewhere for some time and every day is growing more. If you suspect you have mold growing indoors, the time to act is sooner rather than later.
Giving the fresh air back to the household
The Cause of Indoor Mold Growth:
Moisture is always the cause of indoor mold growth. Mold doesn’t just grow on construction materials all by itself, it requires moisture. Control moisture and you control mold growth. The source of moisture is typically one of three origins:
The Effect of Indoor Mold Growth:
The obvious effect of mold growth inside buildings is the damage it causes to construction materials and personal property. The nature of mold is to decompose matter (i.e. your wall, insulation, interior studs and beams). Detecting and addressing mold growth early can significantly reduce the cost to remediate and repair damage caused by mold. However, left unaddressed, mold will eventually destroy everything it grows on.
General List of Mold Causes:
•Washing machines in a room without a floor drain overflow, water with no point of exit will soak into adjacent carpet, drywall and insulation. Solution: always provide a floor drain near the washing machine.
•In warm weather, impermeable vinyl wall covering can trap moisture. Mold degrades the drywall and adhesive behind the vinyl wall covering. Solution: use wall covering with impermeable paper or use paint.
•The condensation pan directly under the coil of your central air conditioner can harbor mold. Solution: before each cooling season, clean the pan and make sure the continuous drain is working.
•Leaky air-conditioning creates a moist environment for mildew. Solution: seal all duct joints with special flexible mastic available at heating and cooling supply stores.
•Poorly ventilated bathrooms allow surface toxic black mold to grow. Solution: install a bathroom fan or at least an open window.
•Water-resistant drywall used as the backer quickly degrades once subjected to moisture. Solution: install cement backer board which will remain structurally sound even if repeatedly subjected to moisture.
•Poorly constructed crawlspaces promote mildew growth.
Solution: store it outside.
Our Mold Inspection Reports are our pride, digital, organized, easy to read and very well documented providing pertinent Mold Removal guidelines.
The following are some of the potential property conditions which warrant a professional mold inspection:
For detailed information or to request a quote, Call PrimeAire Mold Services at 1-877-307-5166 to speak to a Live Certified Mold Professional today.
Mold is a simple organism found everywhere, indoors and outdoors. Mold spores are microscopic (tiny and lightweight) and travel through the air we breathe. Airborne mold spores in large numbers are a known allergen that can cause allergic reactions, asthma episodes, infections, and other respiratory problems for people, especially children and elderly individuals.
Molds can be a major source of building sickness but not the only potential cause. Other issues can cause building sickness.
People living in or working in dwellings with building sickness have symptoms similar to a mild case of influenza (the flu) with the signs and symptoms disappearing within a few hours of leaving the building. Headaches, fatigue, and respiratory problems can also be experienced by people exposed to sick buildings.
Mold will grow in an environment that is warm, moist and unventilated. Once airborne, mold spores can be spread throughout your structure via the air duct system.
Mold can grow within areas of the house / building that you do not see. Wherever there is exposure to water and a mold "food source" such as cellulose (a component of wallboard), mold can grow. Areas such as the interiors of walls, showers and bathrooms, crawl spaces, attics, drywall tape, cracked plasterboard and dampened carpets are a few discovery areas for mold exposure.
New building methods make buildings better insulated and thus more likely to retain molds within the structure. Buildings are more airtight and any unventilated moisture that gets inside stays trapped inside, allowing mold to grow and spread rapidly.
Molds will grow any time the environment is favorable. Molds can be introduced into the house / structure when the building is under construction or after completion through events such as water damage from leaky pipes, roof leaks, sink, tub, or toilet overflows, cracks in the sealant around tubs /showers and use of inadequate materials during construction. There are documented cases demonstrating the damage caused by contractors allowing building materials to become wet during construction.
See examples of recent mold damage coverage: Forbes magazine: "The Fungus That Ate Sacramento;" CBS News: "Black Mold - Creeping Destruction;" CBS News/ 48 Hours: "Brockovich Takes on a New Foe: Mold;" CBS News/48 Hours: "An Insidious Mold."
In the past, insurance companies have covered mold repairs, but this is changing. Due to litigation and expensive repairs that can be incurred, insurance companies are now starting to consider mold issues a "maintenance issue" even if it costs thousands of dollars to repair/replace walls, etc. Please consult your insurance policy to see if you are covered.
It is possible to clean up visible (surface) mold with a solution of water and bleach, but precautions should be taken. For specific instructions, please refer to FEMA at http://www.fema.gov/diz00/d1345n06.shtm. Mold that is not visible however may require professional remediation.
By eliminating all of the mold that you can see, you may help your situation. However, this may not be the final solution since contamination may be originating from sources such as carpets, the inside of walls, air ducts, crawl spaces and sources outside of your home or building.
Prime Aire Mold Inspection NYC has earned the honor of being named the most trusted mold inspection company in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut tri-state region.