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Move Swiftly When Dealing with Mold

Seeing mold can be quite disconcerting. We do our best to keep our homes clean and safe, so it is scary when you see something that does not belong, especially when it is something that can be potentially harmful to your health.

If mold is untreated it can pose issues to your health. Mold is not something that is complicated to deal with. It will require a bit of work and time, but once addressed it should not return. 

What to Do if You See Mold on Your Property?

The first thing to do is calm down and assess. When you find mold, you first need to calm down and take a deep breath. It will not be beneficial to start stressing and delay addressing the issue at hand. 

The appearance of mold means there is a moisture issue. If you fix the problem, the mold will not be able to grow anymore. Then, it is just a matter of cleaning or replacing damaged materials. Repairs to materials such as drywall are not expensive. The only thing that might be expensive is dealing with leaks, but even that can sometimes be a simple fix. 

The most complicated portion of drywall repair is trying to match the texture. This is something that a professional can assist with. If you prefer to do your housework yourself then it would require time and patience as it can take days of coating and sanding to match surrounding drywall. If you are ripping out drywall anyways, make sure to get down to the studs and wipe them down with bleach and let it dry before putting up new drywall.

How Does Mold Thrive?

If you are unsure that you have mold, make sure to contact a professional and confirm as soon as possible. Once you have confirmation, it is important to keep in mind that it is not practical to sanitize and destroy every single mold spore. This is because the majority of indoor and outdoor spaces have minute amounts of mold spores in the air. The only exception to this is surgical units. 

Mold will only grow when there is access to moisture and food. Materials such as drywall paper will sustain the growth. This is why it is necessary to remove any damaged parts and anything wet. Before removing anything, purchase plastic to cordon off rooms that do not have mold damage. This combined with a commercial-grade air scrubber will help prevent the mold spores from being dispersed and settling in new areas. 

A step that should not be skipped is using an air breather with removable filters. Another piece of equipment that is non-negotiable especially if you live somewhere that is humid is a dehumidifier.

When carrying out moldy materials, minimize the path through your house. Before beginning to remove items, map out how you will carry items out and any necessary tools that will help to quicken the carrying of the damaged parts out. If possible, work with others to help quickly remove the damaged parts.

If working with others though, make sure that everyone is on the same page as far as the game plan. The last thing that is needed when dealing with mold is for someone to not take it seriously and not use proper precautions. This can cause unnecessary issues and cause delays in getting your house back to a fully functional home. 

Once you have all the damaged items out, get your air ducts cleaned. If you want a deep cleaning of your house then you can fog your house with Concrobium and run an ozone machine for a while. This is only necessary if the mold is in a large portion of your house. 

Get Rid Of Mold As Quickly As Possible

Constant health issues can be an indicator that there is a substantial amount of untreated mold in the house. If this is something that you are experiencing, you should have an air quality expert take a few samples from both the inside and outside of your house and compare the values. This is especially helpful if you can not see any mold. 

If you are unsure of whether what you see is mold then you can purchase a testing kit to see. When doing renovations, ensure to do everything possible to keep the area dry and to account for all necessary steps to get the remodeling done. For example, if you are having a furnace installed and plan to get AC installed later, ensure that the AC actually does get installed. 

If you have a basement that is dripping with condensation in the summer and does not have AC, that would mean you have the perfect conditions for mold to grow. Hot and humid conditions lead to the rapid growth of mold. This can be additionally frustrating if you have new work done because it would be necessary to tear down everything and start afresh.   

Ultimately, mold should be dealt with as quickly as possible especially if you have babies and individuals with sensitivities in your house. 

Mold is not fun to deal with, but it is possible to get it under control. The important thing is that you do your research, and do not hire or pay anyone until you have a full understanding of the situation. A lot of businesses will try to upsell unnecessary work just because they are aware that individuals are willing to pay to ensure safety. This is why it is important to do your research and ask for references. 

This research does not simply apply to calling for help. It also involves calling the insurance. It is not always a good idea to automatically contact the insurance when you see mold. Some insurance companies do not cover pre-existing conditions. If you call the insurance and file a claim, it could lead to a higher premium. 

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