Tips in case of Mold presence

Molds, in general, are living microorganisms and forms of fungi like yeasts and mushrooms. With over 100,000 species, mold comes in about any size, shape, and color you can think of, making it virtually impossible to tell what type of mold you have in your home or office without a microscope.Still the good news is that there is no need for you to know exactly the kind of mold you see in the room so that to be able to eliminate it. Instead of teaching you how to recognise different mold variations, this article aims to teach you how to fight all kinds of mold. Here are the basic tips, which if followed, could lead you on the path of freedom from mold at your home or office space.

First and foremost, remember, all mold is treated in the same way, and I mean, all mold variations, no matter how numerous they may be. Still controlling mold is a totally different ball game and could be quite treacherous, yet not impossible to achieve since mold can feed off building materials, and the tiniest of organic matter like dirt, dust and debris could be a nice ground for mold to thrive in your home. Thus the best way to eliminate mold problems is to eliminate water problems. What’s more, eliminating mold problems is crucial since we spend 90 percent of our time indoors, and it so happens that the air we breathe indoors is more polluted than the outdoor air. So indoor air quality matters a lot to our health hence indoor air quality testing is among the first steps to take on the road to fighting mold of all kinds. A bit more of important mold facts explained: the so-called “Black Mold” typically refers to molds that can produce toxins (specifically mycotoxins), such as groups of molds known as Stachybotrys. Mycotoxins will not always be produced when these types of mold are present. To put it another way, the presence of mold does not necessarily mean mycotoxins are present. The conditions needed for mycotoxins to be produced are not fully understood. Further, mycotoxins can be produced by other types of molds besides Stachybotrys and these molds are not always black. But all visible molds, regardless of color, should be removed. Now the question is how to do this? Here are the tips as follow:
In general, mold is easy to detect, you just see it and then focus on that particular place or area, but you don’t need to wreck the whole place, after all. Then after mold is eliminated you should clean the air as well. As airborne mold spores could be left. One way is to vacuum clean the place with specialised HEPA filters. If mold is less than 10 square centimetres, say, in the bathroom, you can take a free weekend afternoon and treat the place with some special substances that you have bought even from the supermarket. You know,t he place should be well ventilated after that. But all in all, mold remediation if mold is not all over the place is no rocket science. Don’t be tricked by some unscrupulous so called experts if they say it is too hard a job handling mold problems; walk away and say: ‘Thanks, but no thanks!” Of course, you might need a professional but if they are really specialists they should not just scare you but simply to the job and remove the mold. Don’t forget to wear special mask and vynil or neoprene gloves when handling mold yourself. Then a full protective costume is necessary if treating the area with harsh chemicals. Usually mold professionals seal off the work area, using plastic sheeting, so that mold spores do not become dispersed throughout the home as the spread of mold contamination should be controlled as close as possible to its source. As well as that mold professionals use “negative air” containment, which is created by positioning blower fans and using air pressure machines to bring clean air into the contaminated space and push contaminated air outside the home. What’s more, mold professionals usually discard moldy porous building materials such as drywall, insulation and baseboards. These materials are relatively inexpensive to replace and difficult to impossible to restore to their previous uncontaminated condition.

Basements are a usual area where mold is accumulated since sump-pump failure can result in severe flooding throughout your basement. Flooded basements are very difficult to dry out properly and quickly, thus mold starts to grow there. Save time, money, and headaches by investing in a quality sump pump with a battery backup system. It will cost you far less than even just one average basement mold remediation and mold removal job.

Last but not least, in case you find mold in the attic or some crawl spaces in the home, you should consider discarding the attic insulation because mold spores will have likely settled on it. However, taking out and replacing attic insulation can be expensive. You’ll have to weigh cost vs. benefit. Plenty of homeowners decide to leave the insulation as-is and try to treat the mold with chemicals – this is also an option. Just make sure the attic at your home is properly insulated and ventilated so that to prevent mold formation as it so happens that attic problems are really expensive because it is a tight space difficult to work in. Remember that without proper ventilation moisture gets trapped in the attic and mold growth starts.