Do you have mold in your home or office? After a humid summer and periods of rain, as we often have here in Middlesex and Suffolk Counties in MA, you just might have some mold growing somewhere in the basement or in a bedroom corner.
Mold needs moisture, common household or workplace dust, drywall, or cellulose. In other words: very little. Bathrooms, dark damp corners, basements that have recently been flooded, all these areas are ideal places that support the growth of mold. Mold can start growing as quickly as after 24 hours, once the “feeding ground” has been established.
Some molds produce mycotoxins that can cause serious health problems. You might want to regularly check under furniture, behind curtains in basement areas and in closets, to see if mold is growing. Don’t wait until it is well established, has spread and is a major problem! Mold must be removed as soon as it is discovered.
How To Remove Mold
Small patches of mold in the corners of a bathroom for example can, in most cases, be taken care of by home owners or building management. Detergent solutions, possibly with fungicides, can be used to clean mold from tiles, vinyl and other smooth surfaces. Do not rely on the effectiveness of these detergents for mold removal on porous surfaces! And please do wear a protective mask and activate the exhaust fan.
If you have mold in carpeting, on drywall or furniture, consult a mold removal, or mold remediation specialist to assess you particular mold problem. These specialists will evaluate your home or office:
- Check for reason for mold: leaky basement walls, dirty HVAC ductwork, previous flooding that was not thoroughly taken care of
- Extent of mold
- Determine level of required mold remediation
- Recommendations for removal
Mold removal experts might have to take down drywall or ceilings, remove carpets, padding and insulation and then thoroughly treat the underlying surfaces to kill the mold and prevent it from re-growing.
Areas that contain mold, and are undergoing mold remediation, will need to be isolated from the rest of the home or office areas to prevent air-borne mold spores that are being stirred up to spread into clean areas.
The mold remediation process also includes setting up fans to exhaust air from the moldy areas directly to the outside. If you have a central air system, getting the ducts cleaned and the filters replaced is highly recommended. If you hire mold removal specialists, they will also set up HEPA filters to clean spores from the air.
If you have more than a small patch of bathroom mold, it is best to consult mold removal experts. ATA Fire and Flood Restoration, located in Franklin MA, and serving the surrounding towns of Norfolk, Milford, Bellingham, Wrentham MA, have years of experience in mold remediation.