Professional Water Damage Cleanup And Mold Removal
At ServiceMaster Restoration Services, we use industrial air movers and dehumidifiers to evaporate the moisture from the affected materials and then draw that moisture from the air and pump it out of the home, thus stopping mold from forming in your property. Our highly effective tools, procedures, and techniques allow us to keep drying times to a minimum and faster drying means less time and smaller chance for mold to develop, which helps avoid costly repairs and health problems that occur as a result of fungal contamination.
You can count on ServiceMaster Restoration Services for water damage cleanup, drying services, mold growth evaluation, damage containment, mold removal, and mold damage mitigation in Omaha, NE, and the surrounding areas.
Detecting Black Mold Is Difficult
Molds are elusive and like to hide in damp dark spaces. Many times you can see them, but most often you cant. But if you have a good sense of smell, you can often pick up on the distinct musty, sometimes locker room / earthy aroma. If it doesnt smell right, better figure it out or call in a professional.
Molds are elusive and like to hide in damp, dark spaces. Many times you can see them, but most often, you cant. But if you have a good sense of smell, you can often pick up on the distinct musty, sometimes locker room / earthy aroma. If it doesnt smell right, better figure it out or call in a professional.
Despite all appearances, discerning whether the mold is actually black mold is a bit trickier. Black mold is not always black it can also appear to be greenish or brown. Thus, only a lab test can confirm the presence of black mold, and anyone who pre-judges its existence is only guessing another reason why expert advice is vital.
The distinctive odor of molds usually follows within 48 hours after a flood or other mishap involving an influx of moisture or water. However, it may not always appear right away. The slower-growing molds often take months to grow and are often difficult to detect initially.
But Cleaning Black Mold Is Vital Because of the Risk to Your Health
If the proper precautions are not used, exposure to black mold can cause:
- Coughing and sneezing
- Rapid weight gain
- Hair loss and irritating rashes
Is My Mold An Issue
Beyond the potential structural damage to your home, mold can cause health issues. Mold can induce coughing, wheezing, and irritation to skin and eyes. Similar to the materials it grows on, prolonged exposure can cause more serious problems. If youd like a professional evaluation of your basement mold contact 58 Foundations for a free mold remediation inspection.
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How Fast Does Black Mold Spread
Mold begins to grow as soon as its spores land on a damp, fibre-rich material and it can spread around the house within 24 to 48 hours. It colonizes in one to twelve days and grows at one square inch per day. In less than a week, it can cover surface areas of several square feet.
Unfortunately in most cases, mold is widespread and already a big problem before a problem is even suspected by the homeowners.
Cleanup And Removal Methods
The purpose of cleanup is to eliminate mold and remove contaminated materials. Killing mold with a biocide is insufficient, since chemical substances and proteins causing reactions in humans remain in dead mold. The following methods are used.
Equipment used in mold remediation includes:
- Moisture meter to measure drying of damaged materials
Recommended Reading: What Causes Mold On Ceiling In Bathroom
Can Bathroom Mold Cause Illness
For the most part, mold just looks bad. For some, it can irritate allergies and asthma.
Mold is relatively harmless, but given the right circumstances it can definitely cause some irritation, Tolliver said. If you have pre-existing allergies or COPD or some sort of respiratory condition, the spores can actually irritate the lining of your lungs and can increase your risk of asthma attacks or COPD exacerbation.
People who are affected by bathroom mold will most likely experience runny noses, coughing and scratchy throats.
Ogden noted that people with allergies should be tested for which specific allergens bother them so they can best protect themselves. Mold is one of the irritants that can be identified through allergy tests.
Doctors can and should identify what the culprit is, she said.
Over-the-counter treatments can frequently ease the feeling associated with an allergy attack, but more severe cases could require a doctors intervention.
Minor adjustments can keep mildew and mold in check to prevent potential allergies.
Cleansers with bleach, or even white vinegar, can often keep the slimy, hairy growths from taking root in the bathroom. Wearing gloves and a mask can protect people from inhaling any mold spores as they scour the bathroom surfaces.
These are some expert-approved steps to stop mold from colonizing the bathroom in the first place:
Follow TODAY Health and Wellness on and “One Small Thing” for easy tips to improve your life every weekday.
How To Get Mold Out Of Car
DIY solutions might seem like the way to go, but they come with their own set of risks. Missed trace particles of mold will lead to further growth. This will put you and your loved ones at risk of exposure-related illnesses.
It is also difficult to conduct an accurate mold test on your own without the proper tools or professional help.
Many drivers will choose a DIY method to cut costs, but a botched mold removal job could cost you more in the long run. Some cars become so damaged by mold that they become write-offs.
The safest and most efficient way to remove mold from your car is to seek out the services of a professional. Mold can pose a serious health risk to you and your loved ones, and at Mold Busters we are happy to reduce the risk for you. We offer quality professional services in mold inspection, testing, and removal.
We will come to you and conduct an on-site mold test to determine if there are mold particles in your car. We can also remove a sample of the offending substance from your car and test it in order to determine the exact genus and species of mold present. These methods allow us to determine the extent and severity of the contamination in order to better plan out the mold remediation.
Once the scope of work has been set out, we will then proceed with removing the mold from your vehicle and even eliminate any residual mold odors. We do this through the use of air filters, air scrubbers and ozone generators.
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The Science Of Mold Growth
With this conflicting information, it is time for more research.
Working in conjunction with my fellow instructors, we did a detailed scientific/technical literature review and found a peer reviewed paper entitled Controlled Study of Mold Growth and Cleaning Procedure on Treated and Untreated Wet Gypsum Wallboard in an Indoor Environment, by Michael Krause, CIH, with Veritox Inc.
Krause and his associates performed basically the same test that we did, except they did it with a number of untreated and treated wallboard sheets under very controlled scientific conditions.
According to Krause, it took at least a week to confirm that invisible microscopic growth structures had formed on wet untreated wallboard in a closed office.
Mold growth colonies were not visible on untreated drywall until three weeks into their eight week experiment.
The first mold types seen were Acremonium, Penicillium and Cladosporium. Stachybotrys was never seen. Visible mold did not grow on wallboard that was coated with a primer.
Additionally, a study done by Dr. Michael Berry, prepared for the Carpet and Rug Institute , showed that drywall and framing lumber, when exposed to a controlled environment with a temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit and a relative humidity of 80 percent, did not display visible mold until week five .
A listing of a few of these papers is at the end of this article.
References:
For Water Damage Cleanup And Mold Removal Seek Help From A Professional
Superior Restoration provides quality water damage cleanup and mold removal services. Our trained and highly skilled professional team is here in your time of need. We are ready to help you 24/7.
Stopping mold growth is our expertise. Contact our local office for more information about water damage restoration and mold removal and remediation services.
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How Common Is Mold In Buildings
Molds are very common in buildings and homes. Mold will grow in places with a lot of moisture, such as around leaks in roofs, windows, or pipes, or where there has been flooding. Mold grows well on paper products, cardboard, ceiling tiles, and wood products. Mold can also grow in dust, paints, wallpaper, insulation, drywall, carpet, fabric, and upholstery.
The most common indoor molds are Cladosporium, Penicillium, and Aspergillus. We do not have precise information about how often different molds are found in buildings and homes.
To Prevent Mold Growth In Your Home
- Keep humidity levels in your home as low as you canno higher than 50%all day long. An air conditioner or dehumidifier will help you keep the level low. You can buy a meter to check your homes humidity at a home improvement store. Humidity levels change over the course of a day so you will need to check the humidity levels more than once a day.
- Be sure the air in your home flows freely. Use exhaust fans that vent outside your home in the kitchen and bathroom. Make sure your clothes dryer vents outside your home.
- Fix any leaks in your homes roof, walls, or plumbing so mold does not have moisture to grow.
- Clean up and dry out your home fully and quickly after a flood.
- Add mold inhibitors to paints before painting. You can buy mold inhibitors at paint and home improvement stores.
- Clean bathrooms with mold-killing products.
- Remove or replace carpets and upholstery that have been soaked and cannot be dried right away. Think about not using carpet in places like bathrooms or basements that may have a lot of moisture.
- To learn more about preventing mold in your home, see the Environmental Protection Agencys book A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home at .
Recommended Reading: How To Clean Black Mold On Shower Grout
What Are Black Mold Health Symptoms
We all know mold isnt welcomed in the home, but did you know too that breathing in the presence of mold can harm your health? There are over 2,000 different species of mold and the most dangerous of all is called Stachybotrys Chartarum, also known as black mold or the invisible killer.
Why is black mold so dangerous? Black mold releases toxic spores that linger in the air and attack your respiratory health. The potency of these toxic spores has proved to be the most detrimental to human health.
Black mold often appears as slimy and greenish-black. If its water source runs out, black mold can also appear as dry and powdery. Black mold is also dangerous because its sometimes difficult to distinguish from other species of mold.
How Long Is It Before Mold Develops From A Leaking Roof
A leaky roof can pave the way for mold in a big hurry. When water enters the home and has the chance to stagnate, mold spores begin to germinate within the moist surface. That’s because mold requires only two ingredients: water, and a bit of organic matter to feed upon . If you notice water damage from a leaking roof, you need to respond quickly.
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Dealing With Mold After Water Damage
Mold and damp staining painted wall surface around an internal home window.
Mold doesnt need a significant amount of water damage to grow any amount of excess moisture in a particular area is enough to harbor the right conditions for mold growth as long as it has an organic food source and moisture, the fungus can grow anywhere.
Provided that it is a property structure, home and buildings provide plenty of organic food sources on which mold can grow. This includes any porous materials, such as paint, carpeting, drywall, paper products, etc. So the only ingredient needed for mold to grow is the moisture, such as in cases of high humidity or excess water. Give it a couple days and you will have a huge problem.
On the other hand, there are a number of ways in which mold can be prevented: just eliminate the moisture source before the fungus has time to develop. But how much time do you have before it starts to grow? How soon does the area need to be dried before the spores make a nest on your structure?
What Are The Health Risks Associated With Mold In The Car
A number of health risks are associated with exposure to mold.
These effects vary from mild to severe and often affect the sinuses and lungs. Common symptoms include: headache, sore throat, runny nose, skin rash, eye irritation and wheezing.
- People with mold allergies will have severe allergic reactions upon contact with mold spores. Mold exposure also increases sensitivity in those with asthma or an autoimmune disease. Passengers with chronic lung illnesses, such as obstructive lung disease, could face infection as well.
- Aspergillosis and chronic pulmonary aspergillosis have been linked to mold. Aspergillosis causes coughing, wheezing and sinus inflammation. Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis is a painful condition that causes cavities in the lungs. These cavities are called fungus balls and can lead to future scarring .
- Toxic black mold, or Stachybotrys chartarum, is the most dangerous species of mold that you can come into contact with. When inhaled or ingested, toxic black mold spores can cause serious health problems and even deadly diseases.
- Signs of exposure to black mold start with sneezing, coughing, headache, skin rash, mental confusion, memory loss and chronic fatigue. This can then lead to nausea, vomiting, anxiety, muscle cramps, hair loss, and bleeding in the lungs and nose. In severe cases, when a patient is left untreated, black mold exposure may lead to death.
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What Is Mold Toxicity
Mold toxicity occurs when mycotoxins are produced by micro-fungi such as mold, that can affect your bodys system leading to chronic symptoms.
It is estimated that 24% of the population is genetically susceptible to this illness and will begin experiencing chronic inflammatory immune responses as a result of this exposure. Toxins produced by mold will start to accumulate inside the body and begin its takeover of symptoms to an individual.
How Mold Growth Can Be Stopped In Your Dfw Home
You can prevent mold from growing by keeping your home dry or removing moisture before mold has the chance to grow.
However, proper drying can be quite difficult as water can find its way into all kinds of materials and spread into walls, under floors, and through ceilings on its route to the lowest point in the house and might not even be visible until it’s too late.
That is why the best way to prevent mold from infesting your home following an incident with water damage is to dry the premises by experienced professionals within the first 48 hours of water intrusion.
Professional Water Damage Cleanup and Mold Removal in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
Dalworth Restoration is a fully licensed General Contractor in Texas has been providing mold remediation and clean-up services in North Texas and the DFW Metroplex for over 40 years. We provide a complete range of services to remove, cleanup, and repair mold and water damage to your home or office.
Upon arrival, our IICRC Certified technicians will use our methodical and well-planned mold abatement and remediation process to clean up mold and repair from your property to your satisfaction.
We work within the mold assessment and protocol set by the environmental company and follow all the steps guided by state laws during the whole mold remediation process.
To provide our customers with next-level cleaning solutions we have partnered with industry-leading products and equipment manufacturers such as SteraMist.
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Recommended Reading: How To Clean Mold Off Bathroom Ceiling
Does Mold Grow Faster In The Light Or Dark
Mold belongs to the kingdom Fungi along with delicious edible mushrooms and yeast, which is used to rise bread. Fungi are also important decomposers in ecosystems as they eat dead or decaying animal, plant and other organic matter. To reproduce, fungi spread spores, in a similar way to plants spreading pollen or seeds.
Mold spores typically like hot, dark and moist environments to grow fast. Sometimes when these spores are inhaled, they are harmful to humans and other animals as they cause an inflammatory reaction in the body, as in the case of toxic mold, which is why it is important to prevent mold growth in buildings and pet enclosures.
What Is The Difference Between Mildew And Mold In The Car
Mildew and mold share some similarities in appearance and smell, so it can be easy to confuse the two at first.
Mildew appears as patches of white or grey fungus on damp surfaces in or on your car. It is less of a threat and more of an inconvenience. You can remove mildew yourself with a scrub brush and bottle of cleaner.
Mold, on the other hand, is a widespread issue that poses serious health risks to you and your passengers. It can be fuzzy or slimy in appearance and comes in a variety of colours.
DO NOT run the air conditioning fans
For more about difference between mold and mildew checkout our case study here.
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