It’s that last thing you want to think about… And it can be the most subtle yet destructive threat to any home – Mold. The reality is many forms of fungi like “Saprophytic Fungi” (one of the most common) contribute to large scale organic decomposition. Scientists have discovered nearly 3000 different fungi variations commonly seen on water restoration jobs. Mold releases toxins into the air as a protection system against other microorganisms. These toxins can be extremely hazardous do residents living in a home.
How does mold grow and where does it come from?
According to the Interior Care Academy, a division of SEISC Enterprises, Inc. , most fungi are “Mesophillic” which typically grow best between 680 – 860F. Fungi depend on stagnant, moist air in order to grow properly. They start out as small bacteria and undergo a process of germination from spore. In the perfect conditions, mold can grow in wet structures and be visible to the eye in as little as 48-72 hours. The key ingredients for mold growth are bacteria, moisture, and warm stagnant air.
What should the home owner do?
These statistics are not meant to scare readers as much as they are a call to action. In any case, it’s always better to be cautious than to be sorry when experiencing a flood or water loss in your home. Here at First Choice Cleaning & Restorations, we commonly receive calls from distraught home owners who experienced a water loss a month or two ago and failed to properly take care of their homes. Now the cost has gone beyond what they imagined as mold has become a threat to their home and personal health. The common mistake is to believe that having a water technician come out and access the job is not worth the expense, but home owners quickly find that mold remediation goes far beyond the price they could ever wish to pay. In many cases, home owners don’t have a professional assessment done because they are afraid of what will be found. Even in this case, the threat always grows as mold quickly migrates and spreads through structures. Eventually it will become a hazard to health.
So instead of hoping it never happens to you or that it will somehow go away, make the right decision to have a professional assessment done after a flood or water loss.
How can First Choice help?
At First Choice, we do not deal with mold directly. If your home has gone that far we would recommend getting professional mold remediation help. What we can do is assess the structure of your home after a water loss and find out where moisture is with our thermal imaging cameras and moisture detectors. We want to make sure your home never gets to the point of needing mold remediation. As a professional water restoration and structural drying firm, we want to make sure your home is dried properly alleviating the possibility of mold growth.
Make the right call and allow us to help. Let us check your home after a flood and make sure you and your family are safe.