Mold Removal - Why Hire a Professional?

Mold, also known as mildew, is anaerobic fungus that grows on moist, wet objects. Mold is actually a component of the natural micro-biological environment and performs an important role in nature by Lead Removal San Mateo CA dead organic matter including fallen trees and leaves; mold is also found in moist, humid areas like bathrooms, showers, attics and crawlspaces. Mold growth on these types of surfaces may not cause any health problems for humans; however, it is the release of spores that can cause allergic reactions, respiratory irritations, headaches, sneezing, nasal congestion and watery eyes, as well as cause damage to paint, textiles and wood. Mold is usually present in damp areas such as basements, kitchens and bathrooms. If you're exposed to mold for long periods of time, you may develop symptoms such as nose and throat irritation, headache, watery eyes, cough, fatigue, hair loss, rashes, nausea and dizziness. Some people are more sensitive to mold than others; if you have ever had a severe reaction from exposure to mold, you should make sure to let your doctor know so he can write-up a detailed mold removal report for you.

Before calling mold removal experts, you need to know what to look for. Look for mold growth on: windows, basement walls, ceilings, doors, cabinets, floor drains, sewer pipes, water heaters, kitchen and bathtubs, sinks, basements and crawlspaces. Mold thrives in areas where there is constant moisture. Mold growth is most active during the spring and fall seasons; the summer and winter seasons do not provide as much moisture for mold to flourish. Mold professionals will typically perform a visual inspection of all rooms in the house and will use special mold detection equipment to determine whether or not there is visible mold.

The next step for your mold remediation team will be the destruction of the mold spores. Mold spores cannot be removed by hand. For this reason, the job of your mold removal experts becomes twofold. First, they must remove and destroy the mold spores; then, they must remove any contaminated areas to prevent the spores from spreading.

It's very important that you and your mold removal and mold remediation team work well together. Communication is key to a successful cleanup. It can sometimes feel like you're fighting an internal battle with mold and you may want to attempt to do it yourself. However, unless you've done a lot of mold cleaning or are very experienced with indoor air quality problems, it's recommended that you hire a professional indoor air quality company to complete the job. The same applies if you decide to go it alone; if you're not a skilled mold removal or mold remediation expert, it's likely that you'll make more costly mistakes.

There are a number of steps that you need to take when removing mold. First, the experts will need to remove any mold that's visible. This means either visually, such as with a visual inspection or with an infrared camera. The experts will then need to physically inspect the area for additional mold. Once the area has been inspected, your team will begin the process of mold removal.

Mold containment solutions are often implemented after the professional mold remediation process has been completed. One of the most common solutions is to use ultra-violet light to kill off any remaining spores. However, the U.V. light poses certain dangers to humans; so, it's typically used in conjunction with a conventional mold removal solution. Mold spores can be sucked up through the vacuum cleaner and breathed in, but the human body is generally not able to contain large quantities of mold spores once they are breathed in. So, once the team has completed the ventilation and contained the area, they need to get rid of everything else.

Once all the material has been removed, the experts will need to determine the source of the moisture source. In many cases, the source of the moisture can be determined by simply inspecting the building materials that were affected. If the moisture is coming from plumbing leaks in the walls, the mold removal technicians will be able to repair these problems, saving you considerable time and money. Once the repairs are made, the next step of mold removal is to remove any items that were contaminated by the mold.

When you hire a professional mold removal company to help with remediation, make sure you ask questions and make sure you know exactly what's going on. If you attempt to do this on your own, you could cause further contamination or even increase the severity of the problem. Mold isn't something you just ignore, especially if you have open windows and doors. Mold spores simply move around, so it's important to find and remove the mold as soon as possible. With a reliable mold removal company by your side, you'll be able to rest easy knowing that you won't spread the mold spores and breathe them in.